Thursday, 10th November, 2011
Arsenal midfielder Francis Coquelin has warned Gunners boss Arsene Wenger that he expects to see more time on the pitch, otherwise a January exit may be on the cards.
Coquelin was handed a vote of confidence by Wenger at the start of the season as the Frenchman opted not to send his countryman back out on loan – the 20-year-old spent last season with Lorient – and even handed him a first team debut in the 8-2 drubbing against Manchester United.
The midfielder also played against Tottenham Hotspur, turning in an accomplished display that belied his inexperience.
But since then Coquelin has slipped down the pecking order – a state of affairs he is not prepared to tolerate.
"I thought I had a shot at playing, so I decided to stay at Arsenal", Coquelin told France Football.
"I played a lot at first, even in the big games, but with the return of the injured, I just disappeared."
And this has dismayed the 20-year-old.
"I am often told that I’m young, I have time, but I played a whole season with Lorient and today I get virtually no playing time.
"To go to nothing at all is really quite annoying."
The starlet also confirmed that, due to his situation, a departure in January was a thought that had entered his mind.
"Given my playing time, for sure, the idea of a departure in the winter is in my head."
Latest Features:
- – Cristiano Ronaldo and Portugal Headline Euro 2012 Playoff
- – Stoke City Face Eternal Europa League Dilemma
- – Cristiano Ronaldo at Risk of Fading into Barcelona Shadow
- – Juventus and Torino Hand Turin Footballing Renaissance
