Francis Coquelin could be a future first-team right back for Arsenal, if he impresses during a three-month Reserve team apprenticeship in the position. The Frenchman has been moved from his preferred and now congested holding midfield role in the hope that his combative qualities can be transformed into a new area of the park.
The 18-year-old has now traded places with Craig Eastmond in their bid to both make the grade with the Gunners. Just 12 months ago Craig was the first-choice full-back and Francis the powerful central midfielder in the successful Under 18 ‘double’ winning side. Yet they now will learn different positions as Arsène Wenger looks to blend their qualities into the first-team.
Coquelin made his Carling Cup and FA Cup debuts in the right back slot and now a run honing the trade under Neil Banfield’s guidance will see whether Francis can really make the position his own and fight Bacary Sagna and Emmanuel Eboue for the right to start. His performances will have ramifications as to whether Kerrea Gilbert and Gavin Hoyte remain in North London.
Speaking to Arsenal TV Online earlier in the week, Coquelin confirmed his intention to learn the role and hopefully kick on and add to his small selection of appearances;
“It’s good to be versatile. I can play right back, I can also play in midfield. They have given me a chance at right-back, they think I can play here. So I’m learning it and I hope it will pay off”
The firm intention remains for Francis to learn during the final months of the Reserves League South campaign, with a possible loan next term the aim as Wenger looks to add the unlikely transformation of this once promising midfielder into a feared and rugged full-back.
I would much prefer it if this spell at full-back was used to add to his central midfield game rather than actually turn him into a right back. I think if used across the whole of the back four it would add better positioning and defensive understanding which could be implemented in his holding midfield role, which would come in handy as Arsenal tend to have attacking minded defenders so he could just slip into the defensive role when Vermaelen goes on that inevitable 90th minute charge down the right wing.
you seen him train then? coool! :-P
I think he has what it takes to play RB. He looked interesting against Stoke. Hes aggresive and a good tackler, so why not? It feel like RB is pretty much the only possition were we dont have a exiting youngster waiting in the ranks.
Love the new layout by the way! Great blog, cant get enough!
Former Arsenal trialist, American midfielder Luis Gil has signed with MLS.
http://voices.washingtonpost.com/soccerinsider/2010/02/luis_gil_signs_with_mls.html
He’s a great player n I hope he has future at Arsenal. New look is so much better btw.
enough of this switching players’s positions by wenger! coquelin was a great DM and we have eboue/sagna already as RB’s. also, coquelin is not good enough offensively for this position.
some people are best when playing in their preferred position….like nasri, rosicky, walcott, bendtner.
As Tom said in the first comment this can make him a better holding midfielder. He was giving the ball away too cheaply against Stoke I think. He is far from a finish product and has alot more to learn. Maybe he can turn out to be a world class RB for us. Why should we complain when young players are learning? If he improves in RB position he will be a better holding midfielder too. He will learn to play it simple and defend. His vision might be better. I saw a few too many final balls from Coq. Lets see what Yennaris and Ozyacup can do in reserve level before saying Coq will be our #1 holding midfielder.
More square pegs in round holes from Wenger. Eastmond from CM to RB back to CM. Coquelin now goes to RB because CM is Eastmond’s. Just let the two battle it out and sell the one or both if they end up not being good enough ffs. We’ll never win anything with Wenger.
Is Wenger trying to work his magic as he had done for Lauren?
But other that Coquelin, have we got other youngsters that are RB?
A youngster that can attack like Eboue, defence like Sagna and a fierce tackler like Lauren?
Wasnt Lauren a good Dm wen he arrived at Arsenal? En wich position dd he end up playing in en doing very well in da position.
he was actually cameroons number 10 (attacking midfield).
i was really supprised he played at right back – but what a legend!
players playing multiple positions is the way forward. players just holding one position is old.
Thats why im hoping a player like JET can come into the 1st team and cover like 2/3 positions if needed. same with gibbs, eboue, nasri etc
It’s part of his football education. If he play RB now definitly it will improve is game n he will be agile to d business as usual
Can he cross or Arsenal making him forget such an ability? ;)
for gods sake change the red font on black background
Magic word!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Nothing wrong with learning new positions as I can guarantee several world class players had to when they were Coquelin’s age. Petr Cech was a striker (okay, he changed long before his professional days, but still) and so was Ashley Cole. Versatile players are the best squad players as they provide the most expansive and adequate back up.
I agree that he was absolutely horrible against Stoke, his passing was dreadful but maybe that was due to nerves. When it came to tackling he made a few good challenges. Let’s see how he does in the reserves first
Did Sunu sign an extension with us before going to Derby?
generally not a fan of playin people out of their natural position. he surely started out a dm for a reason. take rosicky and nasri for example. they are both so much better playing through the middle of the park then on the flank.
sure, bobby pires played in the middle before joining us, th14 was a winger. became one of the greatest strikers on the planet. okey now im just contradicting myself but i still don’t like the idea!
the most importing thing i want to see before i dismiss le coq as a fullback is (and im sure someone pointed this out all ready) is can the fellow cross the ball? if not then no, stay in the middle.
the crossing-conundrum really amazes me. even though the likes of clichy and sagna play football every single day and has been doing this for most of their lives they still can’t wipp a bloody cross in!! i find it truly, truly mindblowing.
so the judges are still out on young francis. but we do need a promising rightback, about the only place we don’t have a natural successor to the current occupant of the spot.
anyone seen the ajax fullback gregory van der weil. 22 year old. looked really impressive on the allmighty, careerjudgning youtubeclips.
I watched Van Dar Weil against Juventus en he dd seem 2b as gud as they say he is. En J, cn u giv us an update on Rhys Murphy if am nt mistaken he was suposed 2 b out 4 abt six weeks en I tink I read dat lyk 5 weeks ago. So hw is he coming along?.
i know this is off topic just watch everton vs united i personally think wenger should try and snap rodwell up in the summer he would be perfect partner for ramsey and when cesc leaves we will have perfect center mid what do you think ??
can play cb as well which helps, previously touted as the newt rio ferdinand.
I agree, jack Rodwell looks like he could be the real deal, i’d put in a bid this summer but you know Arsenal won’t do it.
Everton would be reluctant to sell unless they get big money and guess what, he’s English, so immediately Rodwell is out of Arsenal’s reach, just like Smalling.
But I agree, he’s a terrific talent and I wouldn’t hesitate at signing him.
Jay Simpson scored today against Doncaster.
Sunu came in the 25th minute against Swansea.
Lansbury played 90th minutes, like Szczesny.
Watt got substituted in the 82th minute.
I mean Watt played 82th minutes and got substituted then.
You trying to do me out of a job mate, haha.
I just want to inform you J and the others ;) you can use it for your Loan Watch.
I like your Loan watch, I would like to see here a section of the loan watch…
I don’t think there is any harm in Coquelin understanding a different position and hopefully it will improve his overall game. However I really like the look of him playing in the middle of the park. Aggressive, decisive and a winning attitude; he wants to make a difference and will do what ever it takes to help the TEAM win.
Of course we can’t fit everyone in and I was pleasently surprised how well Eastmond did when he played DM and we also have Frimpong. At some point we are going to have to let soem of these young players go.
How daft can Wenger be to play guys out of position? All that torture he puts players through, like that poor winger guy Thierry Henry.
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Maybe the change of position to full-back can have the same success than for Kieran Gibbs. However I believe that full back is not a position that makes best use of Coquelin best attribute: tackling, man marking and stamina. However as a full back you need good distribution which is not his strong suite.
Hopefully he will learn to cross and be positive going forward. We have a lot of full back who can’t cross and can’t contribute to forward play. Sagna is a very good defender but do nothing forward. Today against Sunderland Eboue gaved a master class of good full back play both defensively and offensively.
In a 4-3-3, the holding midfield player does not need to be aggressive, he needs agility and upper body strength to nick the ball away which is exactly what Song has. Eastmond has also those quality, however in a 4-4-2 Coquelin would be more effective, the same way Flamini and Viera were.
i can’t believe this kid is being forced out of position cos eastmond is not good enough…
he’s as combartive as it get’s and i think i will question the arsenal staff if that’s the idea.
i think this kid(coquelin) is a ray parlour kind player but with abit more fire and whatever it is that needs doing, he should be helped not forced to change because if i am telling the truth, i don’t think eastmond is good enough for the midfield because he lacks the pace to chase back when retreating and that’s not good for a prem defensive midfield…
Wow not sure what game people were watching when they critisize Coquelin about the Stoke game.
Truth is he was very impressive. If you look closely at the supposed “misplaced pases”, he was actually making the correct pass. He was playing the ball one-touch to where the teammate should go. I noticed Walcott in particular didnt get it – he didnt understand. Coquelins passing was actally too advanced for him!
What is more Coquelin has good speed up and dont the wing and he was willing to do what it takes to stop a man. Our full backs are normally too passive and he doesnt have this disease.
That guy is a stone cold baller. He will be a world class full back and probably could do the same at DM. But at full back there is more scope for his athletic talent to show up for what it can do.
Briliant move IMO.
Great nu look,nice web
I like Eastmond and Coquelin a lot. I have really high hopes for them. I think Coquelin still has more potential at this stage than Eastmond and he can probably adapt fine to the right back spot.
I think one thing we have to remember about the switch of positions between these two is that the coaching staff may well have put the best player in the position that needs the most cover. The staff may have said, “after Sagna and Eboue, there’s really nobody else at right back so we must take the best of the youth players and convert him to that position.”
They may have felt that Eastmond has ability in the d-mid spot, but even if he doesn’t cut it in the long run, there’s also Emmanuel Frimpong coming right behind him who has great potential at the d-mid spot as well, so why not move Coquelin to a position that sorely needs a young star coming through. If Frimpong is already the toughest tackler of the three and if his technical ability continues to improve, he prove a more promising option at the position than Eastmond.
we will see…
J.,
What are your overall feelings about the potential of Cedric Evina? He seems comfortable at both right and left back, no? Do you think he has the ability to push through to the first team?