Speaking to France Football, youngster Francis Coquelin revealed that he’s unhappy with his lack of playing time and will considering leaving the club in January. Away on international duty with the France Under-21 side, Coquelin spoke about Les Bleuets’ Euro 2013 campaign, as well as his frustration at Arsenal. As is so often the case with youngsters who go out on loan and play regularly, their patience wears thin when they’re back on the bench at their parent clubs.
Having signed for us as a 16 year-old from Stade Laval in 2008, Coquelin immediately impressed in preseason, showing similar qualities to the recently-departed Mathieu Flamini. He became a regular for the reserves, and broke his way into the Carling Cup side, with FA Cup and league appearances expected to follow soon. However Coquelin gradually seemed to lose his way, appearing mostly (and uncomfortably) as a right-back, with Craig Eastmond moving into his spot in midfield and the first-team. He went from being a genuinely exciting young talent to a forgotten man.
Then last season, Coquelin went out on loan at Ligue 1 underdogs FC Lorient. Despite not playing much initially, he eventually made 25 appearances (scoring 1 goal) under the tutelage of Christian Gourcuff, a self-confessed Wenger and Arsenal admirer. He returned a much improved player, and has 5 appearances for us this season, making his first and second Premier League starts in the defeats away to Manchester United and Tottenham, where he was one of our best players.
In truth though, his recent starts owed more to Song and Frimpong’s suspensions, and Wilshere’s injury, than any overwhelming display of faith by the manager. And duly, with the return of Song and signing of Arteta, he has dropped back to the reserves. Given Ramsey’s good form, the imminent return of Wilshere (and less imminent return of Diaby), and our failed bid for Yann M’Vila, Coquelin has his work cut out if he wants to be a regular, although he does seem to have edged ahead of Frimpong in the pecking order.
Although not a particularly creative force, Le Coq has the potential to be a top-class midfielder. He’s very mobile and tenacious, and likes to win the ball early and cleanly, making him excellent in a pressing game. He passes confidently and quickly, and with good technique and a low centre-of-gravity, he is able to keep hold of the ball under pressure and get out of tight situations. Wenger rates him highly, and would hate to lose him. However, his contract expires in 2013, and if he doesn’t commit, the club would prefer to cash in than lose him on a free.
Would be a real shame to lose him…..Send him on loan to a Prem club in January and decide on his future at the end of the season – He looks better than the Frimster for sure!
Not sure I agree with you there.. Coq looks a tidy player, but once Frimpong get’s his tackling etc. completely sorted he’ll be a machine in the midfield. Fast, powerful, confident, forward thinking, and so on.
Not to mention he apparently said he’d retire if Arsenal ever terminated his contract. That’s what I’m talking about!
I don’t know how that ‘info’ came about, but as I looked everywhere in Google, I couldn’t find a single article that states this. Arseblog didn’t even come up.
Despite this, I could still find hundreds of articles which had Lionel Messi saying Theo Walcott was Arsenal’s biggest threat (not a joke).
http://www.google.co.id/search?gcx=w&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8&q=frimpong+retire+arsenal+contract
Didn’t say I read it anywhere. One of my guys at work is mates with Djourou. Don’t believe it if you’d rather not, doesn’t really make much difference to me.
I think those comments about Theo were inspired by him being the super-sub that time we salvaged a 2.2 draw at the Grove against Barca.
Also, I’d hazard a guess that he wouldn’t ACTUALLY retire should the club ever let him go.. Hopefully that doesn’t become an issue though..
Pretty sure it was either on an interview with him on YouTube or his twitter, think him and lethal b are talking about arsenal, if that helps!
At the moment, Frimpong is the one rumoured to be going out on loan in January…. leaving Coquelin as the first-choice backup to Song. It’s a good chance for him to stake his claim, but if he’s unwilling to wait, then Frimpong will be the one to stay instead.
Another impatient one. Tell him to go talk to Fran Merida – where is he now. Nowhere thats where. Wenger is the best bet a young player has of reaching the top level becxause he makes himself like a father to them. If he cant see that then let him bugger off!!!!
Dont need bad eggs souring the good mood in the camp at this time
Fran Merida made 27 appearances for an Atletico Madrid side that finished 7th in the league. Not earth-shattering, but at least he’s playing regularly. To say that he’s “nowhere” is completely untrue.
He now sits on the bench for Braga.
Oh, sorry, I didn’t know that.
Still, “nowhere” is an exaggeration.
Nowhere means he could have been somewhere better than where he is now.
It is a slight exaggeration i admit.
At least ‘on the bench at Braga’ is somewhere, ie u can define a location for his ass.
The main issue with Coquelin is that he played regularly last year. So to go from playing every week to, almost never… it’s difficult for a young player, who is at an age he needs to play.
So let me get this straight. Some young no mark who played alright in a couple of defeats now is “threatening” to leave if we dont give in to his demands and start playing him regularly? Bon Soir and ferme le door on the way out.
He could be the next Wilshere , so we should worry . he is not threatening he just wants to PLAY !!
Remember that Greedy cunt Sameer Na$ri who chose money over playing time , we don’t need those
whos this nasri you speak of / never herd of him
Problem seems to be that Diaby is Song’s theoretical back up, and the lads permacrocked. Does mean that behind Song we’ve got these youngsters with potential, who arn’t quite ready, but who need playing time nonetheless.
IF Diaby was fit we could send the whole of Frimcoq out and stregthen the squad in the future by improving this type of player. As it is, we’ve got to keep one of them incase somethign happens to Dimitri Song Billong.
Not so sure, I still see Diaby largely as cover for the ‘secondary holder’ rather than Song’s position, he might do a job there but I think even Wenger realises that the required discipline and consistency still escapes Diaby. Having said that,I think as he formed a good partnership with Denilson and I think Arteta isn’t playing too differently to the Brazilian Terror so that could work out nicely.
Diaby is in no way a DM. Its a myth that Vieira was a DM, he always played with Petit and Gilberto who were the defensive midielders.
I still like CoqPong better
Brilliant!!
Diaby can never be back-up to Song theoretically or practically. They sure play different roles.
Given he’s second choice at a top European team to a guy who’s in (possibly) the form of his life, at 20; you’d think that would temper his rancor a little. Not that it’s anywhere near as decisive as a ‘play me or I quit’ ultimatum but he’ll get his chances as Song will not play every game, it’s up to him.
Would be disappointing to lose him as he appears very much the Flamini type. Such a shame that we lost Flamini and he must be thinking that he’s missed out as well. Played less games for Milan in the three years than he did in his last three at Arsenal.
Easy come easy go, not losing sleep over a 20 yr old
One word for the lad – SZCZ (I know it’s not actually a word but bear with it).
It can’t have been much more than a year ago that he was chucking his toys out at a lack of opportunity (albeit the comparison with who was in front of him doesn’t stand up).
Anyway, patience young man.
Flamini went for the money doubt he gives a toss if he’s playing or not.
actually, flamini was almost sold to birmingham before his breakthrough season , and when Milan came knocking, his fathers favourite club btw, the french italian Flamster made his choice.. and btw, he’s won the league in Italy.. if you didnt know.
flamini played in the most parsimonious defence in the european cup (sorry , CL) on the way to the 2006 final. with emmanual eboue.
so put that in your pipe and smoke it.
His breakthrough season as you call it happened to be in his last year of a contract when he was playing his best football, Milan signed him on the evidence of that. He has not played that well since. He was playing for a move then got it and went back to be be the average player that he was prior to his “breakthrough season”
Yes, and look what happened to Nasri – now languishing as Carling Cup dross in front of empty stadiums – tee hee hee – what a deluded fucking mug.
That’ll be 25 miliion to you Citeh every day of the week, and fuck you very much !!!
Where is the quotes to back this up? Or is it just word of mouth that has been put up as news because of the interlull?
http://www.francefootball.fr/#!/news/2011/11/09/150949_coquelin-pense-a-partir.html
Hope your French is good.
I’m not great, my Mum is fluent though, I’ll forward here the link. Thanks.
Good question. This is just rumor-mongering (aka hit-whoring) without a source linked. I hope one is forthcoming.
Loan him out in January. Can’t see two of Song/Frimpong/Coquelin ever starting no matter which competition, so he is essentially third fiddle at the moment. As noted earlier – patience! Are we going to here Park wants out next because of limited first team action?
*hear*, I cannot type of late!
Apropros of nothing much at all can I be the first in this ‘ere forum to say how fucking funny I find the rebranding of St James’ Park?
The Fat Fucker Direct Arena, or whatever they’re calling it.
Fucking ace. Man Citeh = sell sponsorship rights to somebody else’s stadium to their owners for £400m
Newcastle = give it away to the fat, beer swilling Spurs fan who bought them as a bauble a few years back and is now lumbered
it’s fucking priceless
Actually he has changed the name because all of those ex-Newcastle United foreign players that he had to sell off cheap all went home and told everybody they met that life at St James Park was as good as a dose of the clap.
Now that he has changed the name of the Stadium it gives him a free hand to rename the team YOURNAMEHERE United so that he can sell it off without having to offer it as “Newcastle United, Yes, that joke team” as it was formerly being referred to as..
Was the LeCoq brand owned by Tottingham at one stage and sold off by His Majesty King Sugar of BBC1Primetime?
I dont agree he is second choice. Wenger uses either depending on the opponents, as they have contrasting strengths. And, usually, he favours frimrock. Even the last time-if my memory serves me correctly.
This is ridiculous. Our own fans hurling abuse at him for wanting to play more? All he’s said is he doesn’t see many chances for himself with the injured players coming back and type of players that are ahead of him. He hasn’t said he wants to go to Milan or City because he is better than us, just wants to play some football.
exactly. perhaps we should sign winston bogarde, he never complained about being on the bench
and, what a crowd favourite he was down at the slippery oh-so-quiet bridge
“say what you like about winston” they’d say, “but he never complains about being benched. if only more were like that”
Also http://www.arsenal.com/news/news-archive/coquelin-i-ll-fight-for-my-first-team-place this just came up. I guess Wenger has had a little chat with the boy.
heh they’ve gone to work on poor coq haven’t they? he has undergone re-arsenalisation following his french transgression
“Every day I wake up I am happy because I come from a small town and now I am at Arsenal. It’s great for me and sometimes I just don’t realise it. ”
at least he didn’t try the “mistranslated” thing
“Every day I wake up I am happy because I come from a small town and now I am at Arsenal. It’s great for me and sometimes I just don’t realise it.”
Methinks Arsene Wenger has taken him to one side and given him the sèche-cheveux treatment (which Wenger first learned in England many years ago over a post-match glass of wine).
Not sure how Cameroon are doing, but I assume Song will be off for the ACN so LeCoq could get his chance then.
Up to him to take it and give Wenger a conundrum.
Cameroun did not qualify for ACN so Song Bilong gets to stay
Unrelated, but I encourage everyone to check out the Szcz/Wilshere video on the arsenal.com, classic!
Absolutely love Szczesny!
I understand that Wenger was solidifying his lineup so we would secure progression in Champions League and get us competitive again in EPL. That said, he needs to make sure he doesn’t run his first team into the ground. Send Frimpong on loan and get Coquelin into the rotation again’st lesser teams. I would rather see Coquelin enter the game again’st West Brom than Rosicky. We know what Rosicky is going to bring. Give some time to Coquelin so that if Song misses some games we don’t go into crisis mode again.
He looks a decent player he should wait his chance as he’s only coming on the seen recently
I read French. Sol’s article is accurate. Coq was clear: “I’m a player until December and of course the idea of leaving occurs to me.”
Bit coq’y (sorry!) but what’s the harm? A youn man rattling cages, trying to get noticed. Let’s hope he gets a chance and that he takes it big time.
Peace. TomC
Isn’t it funny how all these subversive comments show up. Every international break ? For what coqelin really aid go to the official site and read that he said he was privileged to be at arsenal and that he was prepared to put his head down and work for his place in the team. Be careful the kind of stuff you post before u generate bad blood btw fans and a young player. Get ur facts strait.
Lorenzo, don’t get things twisted. Is there a law that states that once a person grants an interview to his club in England, he cannot grant another in France? Read your comment again. Sounds ridiculous to me.
No offence intended.
Whatever…I think he(coq) should just stick to the manager’s plans and wait till whenever he is called for duty.
Bad news
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i like coq better than frimpong for now, but frimpong will continue to develop into his machine of a body while coq doesnt have much more to grow into… he should og find first team football, hes done developing and he is never going to be a first team arsenal DM… thats just highly unlikely….