Francis Coquelin, one off or genuine midfield option for us this season?: Page 31 - The Arsenal discussion forum and community: One More in the Tolly

Francis Coquelin, one off or genuine midfield option for us this season?

jones

I'm struggling really hard to think of a case like Coquelin, ie a player that was completely irrelevant to his team and went on to have such a meteoric rise, and with what ridiculous consistency to boot. You won't find many better DMs in Europe this season, and that's including the ones we're not getting anyway.

Herbas

11 interceptions in the Burnley game (as per Squawka stats). Insane.

mdgoonah41

2 key passes
86% passing
11 interceptions
2 tackles
2 clearances

lol

tazmania

What a star. So incredibly consistent and exactly what we needed. #internalsolutions

Alfonso

He is a cross between Redondo, Makelle, Dunga circa USA 94 and j Cole (the rapper not the footballer),

Love how Henry referred to him as the 'police officer'. Or Columbo as that sounds sexier. Reckon that will stay with Coq forever now.

Similar to how Cantona labelled Deschamps the 'water carrier' all those years ago and that stuck with the current Les Blues boss ever since.

Coquellin may have just retired Arteta and Flamini.

lorddulaarsenal

Who PC plod and Constable Point-a-lot?

Tactics

Klaus wrote:
I'd play Coquelin, Ramsey and Vidal in midfield. I'm starting to come around to the idea of having Özil in a free role in the attack.

I agree with a midfield 3 + Ozil in a free role but I disagree on Vidal replacing Santi. Vidal is having a poor season and there are question marks about his knee. He is also a high energy player who relies a lot on his physical qualities, getting him at age when he's slowing down is a very big risk IMO. I think Man United were right to pull out of the deal to sign him last summer.

A Coquelin-Ramsey-Vidal midfield looks very 1 dimensional to me, no real technician or a game controller in there. I'd take Gundogan over Vidal.

BTW It's amazing Santi is a strong contender for our player of the season (twice in his 3 seasons with us) but fans still talk about replacing him. Baffling!

Ray

😆

Tam

Tactics wrote:
Klaus wrote:
I'd play Coquelin, Ramsey and Vidal in midfield. I'm starting to come around to the idea of having Özil in a free role in the attack.

I agree with a midfield 3 + Ozil in a free role but I disagree on Vidal replacing Santi. Vidal is having a poor season and there are question marks about his knee. He is also a high energy player who relies a lot on his physical qualities, getting him at age when he's slowing down is a very big risk IMO. I think Man United were right to pull out of the deal to sign him last summer.

A Coquelin-Ramsey-Vidal midfield looks very 1 dimensional to me, no real technician or a game controller in there. I'd take Gundogan over Vidal.

BTW It's amazing Santi is a strong contender for our player of the season (twice in his 3 seasons with us) but fans still talk about replacing him. Baffling!

Cazorla is one of my favourite players in the squad and has been since he came. He's had his periods of poor form, and suffered playing in midfields which have exposed his flaws and physical drawbacks, but when he's playing in good form I think he controls games and knits the team together in a way none of the other players we have in our team can. Ramsey can do it to some extent, and Ozil has his strengths in pulling the strings but from a more central role in the park, Cazorla has always been the one to me to who looks most comfortable and at his best controlling the tempo of the game and moving things around. In Coquelin he's finally got a player who can help him out in that respect and free him up to concentrate on what he's good at and what best helps the team. For me right now those two are one of the most crucial partnerships in maintaining the good form. The third midfielder, be it more central like Ramsey, or attacking like Ozil, can come and go depending on the need or oppostion, but having Cazorla and Coquelin providing a great balance or defence and playmaking from the middle has been crucial to the run we've been on and long may it continue. I think tr talk of moving him on is absolutely ridiculous.

Tactics

Tam wrote:
Tactics wrote:
I agree with a midfield 3 + Ozil in a free role but I disagree on Vidal replacing Santi. Vidal is having a poor season and there are question marks about his knee. He is also a high energy player who relies a lot on his physical qualities, getting him at age when he's slowing down is a very big risk IMO. I think Man United were right to pull out of the deal to sign him last summer.

A Coquelin-Ramsey-Vidal midfield looks very 1 dimensional to me, no real technician or a game controller in there. I'd take Gundogan over Vidal.

BTW It's amazing Santi is a strong contender for our player of the season (twice in his 3 seasons with us) but fans still talk about replacing him. Baffling!

Cazorla is one of my favourite players in the squad and has been since he came. He's had his periods of poor form, and suffered playing in midfields which have exposed his flaws and physical drawbacks, but when he's playing in good form I think he controls games and knits the team together in a way none of the other players we have in our team can. Ramsey can do it to some extent, and Ozil has his strengths in pulling the strings but from a more central role in the park, Cazorla has always been the one to me to who looks most comfortable and at his best controlling the tempo of the game and moving things around. In Coquelin he's finally got a player who can help him out in that respect and free him up to concentrate on what he's good at and what best helps the team. For me right now those two are one of the most crucial partnerships in maintaining the good form. The third midfielder, be it more central like Ramsey, or attacking like Ozil, can come and go depending on the need or oppostion, but having Cazorla and Coquelin providing a great balance or defence and playmaking from the middle has been crucial to the run we've been on and long may it continue. I think tr talk of moving him on is absolutely ridiculous.

Cazorla's biggest problem IMO is he doesn't fit into people's idea of a CM. At first some fans were saying he can't play in CM, but after some quality performances in that position it became, "he can't play in a 2 with Ozil at #10". Again after some quality performances in that set up, there are now calls for him to be sold or replaced. Baffling isn't it 😆

Bold Tone

Yup. Lost in the praise of individuals is the power of team.
Cazorla cannot play deep with Flamteta but is our best player there with Coquelin.
I think Le Coq would not be as effective if paired with a non-ball playing CM partner like Flamini.

yuv

Amen, Tam. you say it like it is.

It is also easy to overlook how mature and humble Santi is, understanding what tying it all together from deep means, and yet at the same time he does appear and contribute in the final third. He was very close from the FK today, and had a few lesser attempts as well.

yuv

lorddulaarsenal

Santi is very unique in his play style. Has been brilliant for is since playing central

agree that Vidal is overrated here

mdgoonah41

i dont think hes overrated, but hes had trouble staying fit, and as was mentioned above or in another thread, his best attribute is his insane engine. all those miles might be catching up to him

Daz

Time to change the thread title?

Anzac

Klaus wrote:
About as well as Ramsey, I reckon. He's a box to box midfielder, and imo it's what we should be looking for this summer. I prefer Vidal of the two though. Vidal can play both positions for real.

Kondogbia would be cheaper than either Pogba or Vidal.
It appears that Juve want to cash in on Pogba this summer for a huge fee to any of ManU, PSG or Citeh. If so then I don't see Vidal being allowed to move as well.

Anzac

The biggest question is to first determine what shape & style AW wants to play & if Coquelin as DM best suits that purpose, or if he can be as effective in another position.

IMO Coqulein isn't so much indispensable as DM but more so as the only recognised ball winner, and he could perhaps be even more integral as CM ball winner ahead of a DLP and next to a B2B type pressing high in the opposition half.

IMO it is the lack of an effective ball winner that has been the biggest issue in our midfield. I don't agree with playing 2 playmakers in the midfield in a pyramid shape unless you sacrifice the B2B player for an effective ball winner. As such IMO the best balance & flexibility is with a DLP behind a Ball Winner to press & B2B to provide movement, with one of the Ball Winner or B2B providing some bite/physical power.

Rex

Think you are looking at it all wrong there Anzac. First and foremost I think Wenger needs to figure out how good Coquelin's player intelligence is in a slightly different position, and if he can be effective in zone 14 and outside the tramlines. I'd even go as far as saying that our title challenge next season hinges on this.

Anzac

Rex wrote:
Think you are looking at it all wrong there Anzac. First and foremost I think Wenger needs to figure out how good Coquelin's player intelligence is in a slightly different position, and if he can be effective in zone 14 and outside the tramlines. I'd even go as far as saying that our title challenge next season hinges on this.

I think it's about recognising Coquelin for what type of player he actually is = Ball Winner.
As such he is 'capable' of doing the job at DM, but could he be more effective re our pressing game & possession playing closer to the opposition?

As I've said above I don't like the idea of playing 2 playmakers in a midfield 3 with a B2B rather than a Ball Winner,
particularly when the B2B is either Rambo or Wilshere rather than a PV4 or Yaya type.

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