There used to be a time when Arsenal lacked any quality defensive midfielder. The sale of Patrick Vieira and Gilberto Silva meant that the Gunners lacked an imposing presence in midfield.
The lack of a defensive midfielder, someone who could shield the defense effectively was evident in the 2008-09 season when the Gunners were forced to use Denilson and Alex Song as defensive midfielders. The inconsistent performances of the two meant that many saw the defensive midfield position as an area that required massive strengthening in the summer with a wide range of names linked to the club.
Eventually Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger chose to show faith in his existing crop of players and it would suffice to say that his faith has not been misplaced especially by Alex Song who has matured into one of the league’s best defensive midfielders.
The 2009-10 season saw Song show vast improvement but it was the 2010-11 season in which he truly cemented his place as an indispensable component of the Arsenal midfield as he formed an impressive partnership with Jack Wilshere as Denilson’s place in the Arsenal team was taken over by the Englishman.
But last year, the Gunners struggled in the absence of Song as Denilson proved to be an inadequate replacement. Several times when Song was injured, the Gunners had to contend with Denilson in their midfield who lacks the same defensive abilities as Song and the absence of the Cameroonian was there for all to see.
But this year, it is evident that the Gunners will not face the same problem as the duo of Francis Coquelin and Emmanuel Frimpong have ensured that not only does Song have two solid back ups, he also has rivals for his starting place, something that has been missing for the last couple of seasons.
The 2010-11 season was meant to be the year Frimpong broke through the Arsenal ranks but an injury prior to the Blackpool match saw him miss the entire season without making a single appearance for the senior side. His lively form in pre season had raised hopes of Arsenal fans but the injury meant that he would have to endure a frustrating wait to get first team opportunities.
Coquelin on the other hand was loaned out to French side Lorient, where he impressed in his season long loan deal. Many expected Frimpong to make the impact but it has been both the youngsters who have shown that the defensive midfield area is a position in which the Gunners should have no worry.
Both the youngsters were given a chance to make an impact far earlier than most including the players themselves might have been expecting. First was the suspension meted out to Song for a stamp on Joey Barton in Arsenal’s season opener away at Newcastle. His suspension meant that Frimpong was handed his first Premier League start against Kenny Dalglish’s Liverpool, a team widely considered by many to be a team on the rise.
He put in a superb shift against the Reds and more than made up for Song’s absence with an action packed display including some superb tackling and tireless running. He did get red carded in that very match, but that shouldn’t take away anything from his performance. He is indeed still very young and with experience under his belt and the knowledge gained from that experience, he can very easily mature into the hard tackling midfield presence that Arsenal fans love to see.
Frimpong’s red card meant that Coquelin was handed his first start for the Gunners against Manchester United at Old Trafford, a very tough task indeed. To his credit, he performed admirably. With injuries and suspension having wrecked the spine of the team, Arsenal faced wave after wave of United attack and while they eventually did concede eight goals, it was only after Coquelin’s substitution that the team truly fell apart.
Against Shrewsbury he put in a master class performance at the heart of the midfield alongside Frimpong as he made a number of crucial tackles to prevent the unfancied hosts from taking a shock two goal lead. He showed remarkable tackling ability in a performance that showed Arsenal fans that Frimpong will have serious competition from the Frenchman, who has the benefit of experience on his side.
Against Tottenham, he was indeed Arsenal’s man of the match. He held fort superbly at White Hart Lane and deserved every ounce of credit that he got.
But the chances of them cracking the first team this season are slim. That’s not because they lack the quality, no it’s far from that. It’s just that the player keeping them out of the first team is a player of vast quality. Song is seen as underrated by some, but amongst Arsenal fans he is very highly rated and most understand his value to the team.
The advantage of having a quality defensive midfielders and having solid backups is a huge advantage for the Gunners as they suffered last season in the absence of Song.
One thing having three defensive midfielders, all capable of starting is that it ensures basically that the Gunners have depth to deal with injuries. Injuries and Arsenal are synonymous with each other and it wouldn’t surprise me if Arsenal once again loses their stars to injuries. And instead of bringing on Denilson when the Gunners are trying to defend a lead, they can now bring on the likes of Frimpong and Coquelin who despite their inexperience already look better players in the defensive midfield role than the Brazilian whose trademark sideways pass would make most Arsenal fans cringe.
While Arsene Wenger isn’t one known too much for his tactical flexibility, having these three players does offer him the option of tactical variety especially when the Gunners are required to be one the defensive. Wenger used this ploy against Udinese at Italy as he played both Frimpong and Song for the first half. In the Carling Cup we saw Wenger use this ploy as he played both Coquelin and Frimpong alongside each other.
There has been call for Wenger to adopt a certain level of tactical flexibility into his side and while most calls have been for attacking changes, there is no reason why the Gunners wouldn’t have to adopt a defensive approach this season.
Unlike last season the Gunners won’t have to play the likes of Abou Diaby, in the defensive midfield role anymore. This is a huge positive for both the player and the team.
I rate Diaby as a good player who has never been given the perfect platform to achieve his potential. The departures of Nasri and Fabregas means that he can play in his more preferred attacking role on a more regular basis. With Wilshere injured and with Ramsey looking overworked, Diaby will have the perfect opportunity to play further up front.
In previous seasons he was often used as a replacement for Song and this not only accentuated his weaknesses but also limited his strengths as he struggled. Having Coquelin and Frimpong ensures that Diaby finally gets the perfect platform from which he can look to achieve his potential. The general perception among many fans is that Diaby is another player who lacks much quality and should be shipped off at the next possible opportunity. But when I look at Diaby I see a player so unfortunate with injuries that it isn’t even funny. Time and time again, he finds himself on the treatment table and it’s so frequent that he makes van Persie infallible to injury. I think he has potential but playing him in a position that does no justice to his talent isn’t doing justice to the player and I truly believe that if the manager gives him responsibility higher up the pitch, he can thrive.
The battle between Frimpong and Coquelin is one really to watch out for as the season progresses. Right now Song is first choice but all that can change in the matter of months. Last season no one expected Wilshere to be a starter and look where he is now, a player who the fans love so much that they dread when we don’t find on the teamsheet.
Between Frimpong and Coquelin I think that Coquelin is more ready to be Song’s backup with Frimpong very close on his heels. Frimpong guarantees you plenty of running and plenty of closing down. Coquelin’s tackling and reading of the game has really impressed me and he has displayed great maturity against Shrewsbury and Tottenham.
To be honest I expected him to struggle this season but I’m pleased to see that he surprised me.
Unlike previous seasons, Song has some competition for a starting place this season. There has been call for Coquelin or Frimpong to be given a more regular role and while I can’t fathom that happening any time soon, there is no telling what can happen three to four months from now.
In many ways this healthy competition among the players is superb. When there is no real competition for starting spots the player can tend to get a bit complacent. Now if Denilson was Song’s backup, even if Song does struggle a bit, there is no way the Brazilian will replace Song and so this could translate into a sense of security that can result in performance levels dropping.
But this season Song knows himself that if his performance does start to drop, then there are players who can step up. This will only encourage him to continue his remarkable upward curve and further improve his performance.
All this being said, there is absolutely no reason why the Gunners shouldn’t target Yann M’Vila. He maybe a defensive midfielder, but instead of being a replacement for Song, he can play alongside him. He adds a sense of dynamism and bite to the midfield, that I am longing to see in the midfield. Right now signing him would make me delighted and this one move I would love to see materialize in the transfer window. Wenger has shown interest in the Frenchman and it is imperative that the club snaps him up before his stock further increases.
The performances of both Frimpong and Coquelin are two huge positives for the Gunners and their value to the squad will be truly shown as the season progresses and the usual injuries start to kick in. Although I hope that doesn’t happen, we have to remember this Arsenal we are talking about.
Coquelin and Frimpong have the potential to mature into the next big thing for the Gunners and I don’t see any reason why the duo can’t go onto have great futures at Arsenal.
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