Francis Coquelin says that a concerted defensive team effort was behind yesterday’s enjoyable 2-0 win over Man City, and that they have to now back that up by winning their next game.
Outstanding in the centre of the Arsenal midfield, the Frenchman snapped into tackles and broke up play beautifully, as well as providing the right protection for the back four.
He’s been the recipient of lots of post-game praise in the media, but he was keen to stress the importance of the team effort.
“We defended really well as a unit and that was key to the win,” Coquelin told Arsenal Player. “We scored at key moments in the game as well and that’s why we were delighted with the win.
“I try to do the best I can and I’m very happy that we won. It’s a tough game to win but we did that and now we need to move onto the next one because there is no point winning here and then losing at home in the next game. Hopefully we can win the next game as well.”
Asked out the impact of the result, after so long without a victory against a big side away from home, he said, “It’s a big lift for the squad. We were waiting for this win and now we can move onto the next game and hopefully do well until the end of the season.”
The 24 year old’s form has been little short of a revelation, but in typical Arsenal style his contract expires in the summer, leaving Arsene Wenger with something of a decision to make.
Does he offer him a new deal? And, perhaps more importantly, can he persuade a player who looked like he was on his way out, to stay?
Well said. No point winning at City if we don’t win the games we should be winning against lesser teams. Hopefully this puts us on a nice path and sparks us to life.
We will beat the lesser teams and the “bigger” teams in Europe (after we’ve taken care of Monaco).
I think this team is on the brink of doing something special though, watch this space.
Sign him up!
I feel the best chance he’ll get to develop as a player will be at Arsenal under Wenger. If he moves to another big club he’ll probably spend most of his time warming the bench, only to be sold 2-3 years later to an Everton or a Villareal. Really think the best choice for him is to stay here. We’ve needed a DM for quite some time now. Flamini won’t be getting any better. And buying a new guy can always go both ways. He’s a well settled lad. Should really look to stay here.
Absolutely. Plus I think Flamini’s contract is up in June.. Arteta’s was extended but only by one year to 2016. There should be plenty of scope for him to play games…
If he moves it won’t be to a big club. He’d go to somewhere equivalent to a bottom-half PL club.
So his decision is really do I go somewhere I know I’m going to play every week or do I sign on for another few years at Arsenal and try to make it at a big club?
I can see him signing a 2 year deal and seeing if his run in the team continues or not then making a decision a year from now on whether to extend or go somewhere else.
We don’t need to go to the market for a DM now.
He’s like a new Coq.
#LANC
Start him in the champions league games and he’ll sign a new contract
Hard to see us not do that. Without Arteta, who do we have? Flamini is now 3rd choice. Only possibility would be a signing (lol)
agreed, I’d still like to see us sign another DM. Arteta and Flamini will become squad players next year. Too hard to trust an aging Arteta to start week-in and week-out.
Chambers, woeful in his DM appearances (Arseblog called him Bambi on ice one game) is the guy who should really be worrying for his place. Back-up CB is about all he will be trusted with now that Bellerin (and Jenkinson) are probably better RBs.
Sign the coq!!
It’s a frustratingly Flaminiesque situation.
Want him to stay but we still need a DM signing.
Schneiderlin is worth spending the bucks on.
Well, yeah. We had two, one is permanently injured and old, and the other is a bit mental and old. We now have one, so by my reckoning we need another one.
If a new contract doesn’t get done in the next few weeks (at least the week after the window shits, we should be busy getting that CB in at the moment) though, I’d start planning for maybe another one as performances like that don’t go unnoticed by agents.
Arseblog news? No coq pun? Not quipping your coq out?
LANS
If he’s playing like this doe the majority (majority because every player goes through bad form) of games and we don’t keep him, I will cry.
He’s only 24 and will improve for the next couple of years. He is what we need right now, Wenger will be mad to let him go
Well, Arsene’s already given him about 8 years to prove himself, I would be very surprised if he let him go just as he started to prove himself.
Arsene, time to think with your coq!
“Tie up your Coq?”
Methinks the Arse should give the Coq an extension. It’s only natural
interesting whether Wenger will give him a new contract. I think he will wait until the very last game to see Coq deserves lengthy contract. Coq will definitely need some persuasion to stay but I don’t think it will be much of a drama considering Coq has yet to convince anyone of his ability. Much improved wages most likely will be tabled in the summer.
When this man started barking orders angrily at the team for some sloppy touches, it was a sight to behold. A commanding, gritty, commanding Holding Midfielder. He’s like a new signing, and this time, not in a funny way!
I agree. The one thing i do like about Flam’s game is his passion and the way he barks orders to organize everyone else. It was great to see Coq doing the same to the (supposedly) more experienced defenders and midfielders. I love to see that leadership and think its what we’ve been missing for a while. Now, let’s hope he keeps this form up for a while.
Also, I loved the earlier post about it being natural to give the Coq an extension.
Thumb up if you want a Coq extension?
I really hope that he actually wants to win.
Hope he doesn’t do a Flamini 2008. One good season then ditches us on a free.
Only to flop, waste the best year of his playing career and eventually come crawling back to the club he abondoned only to be sidelined by the a much younger and better player you mean?
The Coq should remember Flamini… if he thinks the recent performances mean he can cash in as a free agent elsewhere.
What’s best for his career now that he’s finally broken through is to stay, continue to be massive and hard in the middle of the park.
Is that a perm or is the coq’s hair naturally that curly?
Can’t tell if sarcasm…
Anyway, it’s in his genes dude.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Afro-textured_hair
Dont let our Coq go flaccid! *grabs coat*
love the way he lost it and started screaming when the team switched off and he had to run back and get in the way…that was one angry coq!
The shouting was a bit much tho, a rush of blood to our coq head?
Why yes that is my coat
I disagree. It switches people back on. It wans’t like he was shouting at someone, in their face. Sol shouting at him when he switched off was an integral part of how Vieira kept his focus in a game. Part of having someones back in a game is making sure they are 100% focused. He had every right to shout. i was shouting…
Waiting for Coq jokes.
Arsene’s Coq! Up the arse! For the hole season… I’m excited already!
Very impressed by this guy. Hope he keeps putting these shifts in…
He’s 23 not 24. Coq was born in May 1991.
It was hard….but Coq was up to the task. He really had me oooohing and aaahing for 90mins. So pleased he grabbed it with both hands.
Hope Wenger and the players prove all the doubters wrong (including me) hope they finish in top 3 and sign someone amazing and have a really good rest of the season COYG
Great win but I wish we could be more consistent and competitive and be in a title race
It’s very frustrating to watch especially games should win but don’t
Watching Coquelin yesterday makes you wonder just why Wenger decided to send him out on loan. It’s not as if we were gifted with defensive players, is it? I suppose it was the injury to Arteta which forced Le Prof to bring back Le Coq; what a lucky break for us! For me, the best thing about yesterday’s performance is that it gives us some hope in the Champions’ League. Forget about winning the Premier League: that ship sailed long ago. I’ve said all along that we’ll finish top four: I can’t see Spuds, Southampton or Liverpool finishing above us.… Read more »
All of sudden, I hve started to like your constructive comments.
Agree about the CL comments. But disagree about why Wenger sent him on loan. Getting playing time and succeeding build confidence. Did you read Coq’s comments about the physicality of the Championship and how he relished the opportunity to leanr there. I think he came back with confidence and he brought that straight into the first team.
To let him leave – on a free mind you – would be a massive mistake. If nothing else, he’s versatile so he has a place in the team even if we sign that mystical DM. And it’s not like injuries never hit us.
I always tried to like coq since we first signed him, but the main issue with him was lack of energy/effort. It was as though he took Every single opportunity to walk instead of run. Maybe he was trying to look casual and d confident, might have been subconscious. Anyway, he’s sort of improved that stuff, but you can see it once in a while.
I was always hoping he could turn out like matuidi, but just the walking..
He’s actually only 23, not 24 Arseblog.
Coq’d up there 🙂
Absolutely no way he will not get and sign a new contract. Arsene loves a player that has been developed at the club. Great chance for Coq
We seem to sleep a lot after we score a goal against big teams, but not yesterday. I must say, I loved how le Coq was telling the rest to calm down and focus when they were all celebrating a goal. Now when was the last time we had a player do that?
We should sign him and maybe bring in another, though I can see Wenger wanting to develop Chambers into another DM.
Of course, the “Chelsea Way” would be to let him leave for free now and sign him for £50 million a couple years later….
My wife loves Le Coq.
I have just had a terrible thought regarding le coq… is he registered for the champions league squad!?
No, but he doesn’t need to be yet. We only register our knock-out round squad when the transfer window closes.
Hope we play him v. Monaco, regardless of whether Arteta is available. As someone pointed out above, he’s much more likely to want to sign a new contract if he’s getting CL games and knows he’s first choice.
The new squad list gets submitted after the transfer window
Back then, I remember the amount of play-acting he’d do every time he was fouled. Haven’t seen that even once now.. seems like he’s matured
Offer him a new deal already!!
He has been outstanding. However it is important not to be carried away. I think he is closing the gap very quickly between himself and Flamini. Where he is stronger at is his physical stamini (being younger) and his technical skills. He has plenty of latent potential for further improvement. I think Flamini has been an improved player since coming on for Arteta. IT is important not to discount his passing rate and contribution. He also holds an edge in terms of experience. But with Coquelin on an upward curve, it does no harm to continue with him in the… Read more »
Good Player but his situation reminds of that of Flamster when he left us for free. We were too confident of letting others go in same position and that left a big void the seasons that followed. Whatever happens if he signs or doesn’t hope Wenger has a plan. I say sign him up but hell if he doesn’t sign then we better look elsewhere now.
I love our Coq. He’s hard, got balls, and has lots of curly hair. He pissed all over Citeh. I just wish he’d shoot a little more.
What plan B? We had plan A. The difference is we executed it properly. We still play 4-1-4-1 Coquelin was assisted by both Ramsey and Santi dropping to provide cover when need be. Crucially both Ox and Santi were able to relief pressure with dribbles from deep. There has been no change to our tactics. Coq was good but he wasn’t as fantastic as the media will have him. What we did right was hold the right compactness with the entire team as a moving unit. Fullbacks also had a good game and to many extents, the two Cbacks were… Read more »
He will definitely get a contract he’seqch performance he puts in he’s raising his value we can’t afford to let him go ATM he’s blossoming into a fighter in the middle of the pitch no one at this club as that in them apart from flamini whos getting older and Sanchez who’s a winge..COQ WILL GET A LONGTERM DEAL
A coq in the hand, is worth two in the bush. Sign him up!
Gotta disagree placid, i.d much rather a coq in the bush than the hand