Laurent Koscielny says he’s pleased to be back in action and hopes that early 2015 will see Arsenal’s other injury hit players make a welcome return.
The French international has featured in 14 of the Gunners 28 fixtures this term with a late return from the World Cup, tendonitis in his ankles and a recent calf problem all keeping him sidelined at various points of the season.
Reflecting on his return against West Ham United on Boxing Day, the 29-year told Arsenal Player:
“For players it’s very important to be on the pitch. I spent a long time without football and it was very hard for me to stay and watch my team play. I’m very happy to come back with my team-mates on the pitch and to play football.
“[West Ham] was not an easy game, it was a tough game. It was an English game because it was box-to-box and I think the last 20 minutes was amazing because each team tried to win the game.
“At the back we needed to be focused on our job and I think we did well. During this period over Christmas it’s very important to win and we did well with three wins, so we need to keep this going and keep focused for the New Year.
“Now the players who have been injured are coming back so it’s good for the team when you have all the players with you and fit. We have a bigger squad so I hope we will not have a lot of injuries in 2015 and we can finish this season well.”
Elsewhere, Wojciech Szczesny says he’ll continue to improve with age after demonstrating his potential with the Golden Glove award for the 2013/14 season.
“I’m more experienced, I like to read the game a little bit more. I still make the odd mistake with decision-making but I am 24 and I’ve got a long road ahead of me to get better and hopefully I’ll do that.
“I like to read the game, I’m much more comfortable commanding my area and coming for crosses, so in general I do feel that my game is improving and I just try to work every day to make sure it gets better and better.
“[Winning the Golden Glove] was a nice feeling. It’s standing there somewhere on the shelf at home. It looks alright but I enjoyed winning the FA Cup much more. It’s a nice thing to have but the FA Cup is far more important to me.”
And on that note…that lovely FA Cup winning note…Happy New Year to you all. See you on the otherside.
And a Happy New Year to you too, Blogs. And to Wojciech and all the rest of Arsenal. And to everyone on this board.
Comment:happy new year in advance to every supporter of this great club. may 2015 be thee phucking year!
Ballon d’Ors for all Gunner fans! Or, you know, Happy New Year’s and all that
Kos, we glad you back too
Well, we are happier to have you back! Now lets quickly get back to the previous season form (the first half ofcourse). Hopefully with another defensive addition, we should be ok for 4th and may challenge united for 3rd but this is as far as its going to be this season in PL. I just wish we smash Monaco in both games though! Santa – Prove you exist 🙂
We’ve got to top f-ing ManU. It’s an imperative!
The second half of the year I want victories over Chelsea, ManU, ManC, nothing less. With a healthy squad I see no reason why that can’t happen. May not get us a BPL championship but those 3 victories will make this year a success, especially if it ruins Maureen’s season.
Totally agree, beating Chelsea, Man U and Man City should be an important objective to us cause it will signal a change and make a statement. Happy new year to the Arsenal community.
Yeah I’m OK with not wining the title as long as we compete (beat) with the other top teams. Arsenal compete by being up there in points but for the last 5 years they have not competed by beating those top teams. Too many times they were almost there where you begin to think it just can’t be all bad luck. I want to see Arsenal as a team that Chelsea, City, and United are afraid to play,
Great news. Mertercielny is back. Should make a huge difference the rest of the year.
Great, we might get fourth place now!! Exciting times!!!
but we are on Metersecker injury from having issues again at the back.
Tendinitis also takes a while to heal.
The issue has been the inability to find a player of sufficient quality to price that can rotate through Meterscielny.
Defensive unfamiliarity at the back has cos us this season and inhibited our fluidity going forward.
The other issue to keep watch of is Arteta’s return.
We have sufficient cover at the moment with the improved Flamini and the improving coquelin but we will be short on cover if Arteta’s two weeks away gets complicated.
These are our two vulnerable areas. Cback first and foremost and possibly DM if Arteta is an issue returning.
Ideally, if we can find a player who can cover both roles, it wold help. A new Cback will also afford Calum the opportunity to push into midfield which is where Wenger sees him eventually.
I think Szczesny is a brilliant young keeper, I wouldn’t swap him for anyone.
Bosscielny is the leagues best centre half.
We’re not far away, if we can get Kallstrom back on loan I think we’ll get on a run.
hey Arseblog, love everything you do and always appreciate the articles, i was just wondering if they were some kinks in the mobile version, lately i seem to not be getting the latest articles on my phone as i usually do. It takes a day to actually update, and the functioning in my opinion has gotten worse with the usability. Hope none of this is taken in offence. just thought i’d share my opinion. Keep up the great work!
On the phone browser or in one of the apps?
Happy new year, everybody! If all goes well then we will achieve all our objectives for this coming year; these are: 1. Finishing fourth and then qualifying for the Champions’ League via a play-off against a rubbish side. 2. Selling one of our best players for a handsome profit. 3. Buying a “promising” young French-African player for a knock-down price. 4. Increasing our share value by signing a number of lucrative sponsership deals. 5. Raising ticket prices for next season so that Mr Kroenke can pay off the hefty property tax bills on his ranch (he’ll charge the club a… Read more »
I hope your 2015 is as positive as your posts.
Nothing to be positive about when we are talking about the arsenal atm. And will not be anything positive until arsene wenger decides to depart from this club.
Even more crunchy comments in 2015, Fatgooner. It is always fun to click and see the hidden due to low comment rating.
Unless we get some more goal threat in our forward line in January, I dont think 4th will be obtainable this season. Cant continue wasting 20 chances per game and have to rely on 1 player to carry us to 4th. United got even shittier balance than we got in our team, but they got the most important thing to win points, which is plenty of end product in their forward line so they dont need that many chances to score. I think I read that we have created like a 100 more chances than United this season, and yet… Read more »
We’ll get 4th alright.. But not anything else.
Speaking of the FA Cup, how have we not won a trophy since then? And no, the Community Shield is a plate, not a trophy. WENGER OUT!!!
I have a feeling that 2015 (the whole of it) will be a good year for the gunners…
1. We will finish this season on a high – 3rd and close the gap on the top two
2. Make a real splash at the CL (semi finals at least).
3. Make a real go at the FA cup again.
4. Make necessary signings in the summer (with Wenger still in charge)
5. Make a very strong start to next season – Top of ’15-’16 season by December.
Happy new year to all who love this club in truth.
Took it right off my tongue. Exactly what I hope and pray for.
Goonerdom, wish you all a very happy and prosperous 2015…. May luck be with the Arsenal. Another win today and one more trophy this season will be great…..COYG!