The only real solution we have at the moment is Flamini, which is fine for a couple of games of cover but a huge risk if for an entire month. I did have big hopes of us challenging this year and we've looked like we could do it too. But realistically if Coqs is out for 3 months than we'll see us dropping a lot of points. Not only does he give us the defensive cover we've so desperately needed, but he also helps our attcking midfielders gel - Ozil and Cazorla.
Do you think that Flamini's up to playing two games a week for several months, though? I think that you needed to address that role in the summer and bring someone in that would be in competition with Coquelin for his place. Not just backup, but somebody that's pushing for regular starts. One solution to the problem might be to use Calum Chambers there. I'm sure I've seen him used in that position before, but I can't remember who for. Southampton? England U21/19s? If he could learn from Flamini's experience and be eased in from the bench, then it might work. He's not getting close to games in either defensive role at the moment, so I'm sure he'd embrace the chance.
I said if we lose Coquelin before the Christmas break then we might have to even kiss the top 4 goodbye let alone the title. There were options in the summer for a DMF, one in particular Schneiderlin. He wanted to come to us last year but Southampton said no and rightly so. He's French and we have a good relationship with his former club. You mean to tell me that Wenger didn't see quality in a proven PL DMF who would've slotted in perfectly at Arsenal this season? All of us were screaming at him to buy him and if not him at least an adequate deputy to Coquelin. No one in their right mind thought Coquelin could last this while whole uninjured or see Arteta or Flamini as decent back ups. This stubbornness is why Wenger is past it. Yes, he still is a great manager but he is too stubborn and archaic in his approach at times which ultimately harms the team. We're always 1/2 players away every season. It's just ridiculous now.
I think we'll struggle to keep him fit playing two games a week to be honest, but my point was that I think he's still good enough to play DM. As for cover, Wenger has said he sees Chambers long term position at DM, but personally I think he's a bit slow in that position. For me Chambers is a CB. The modern DM in a 4-3-3 needs to be mobile and tenacious and be able to play the ball skilfully out from the back, rather than the old style DM that used to just be a lump to break up play and rely on his fellow midfielders to do the creative work. Whilst I think it's a bit of a waste of his normal position, we could use Ramsey there. When we have Ox, Walcott and Ramsey back to fitness, then it gives us more options to cover the defensive midfield duties. This all of course, doesn't negate the fact that Wenger should have bought a DM in the summer. Several good players moved clubs and it didn't look like we were in for any of them.
http://metro.co.uk/2015/11/22/arsene-wenger-admits-francis-coquelin-has-severe-knee-injury-5518310/ Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger says Francis Coquelin’s knee injury ‘looks severe’ after he was taken off in the defeat to West Brom. Coquelin went off in the 14th minute at the Hawthorns during the 2-1 defeat, after injuring his knee during a 50:50 challenge with Claudio Yacob. He limped off down the tunnel and now Wenger has admitted the injury appears to be a severe one. ‘Coquelin has a knee problem,’ explained the Frenchman. ‘It looks a little bit severe.’
Is this an update on Saturday though ? I seem to remember Wenger saying this in the post match interview
The report doesn't say. But usually Wenger is quite candid when it comes to these things, so saying "severe" is a bad sign.
Yep it doesn't sound good. Let's hope the scan brings some good news though and it isn't as bad as first thought ...
