It was announced today that Laurent Koscielny will be part of the France national team squad for the friendly against Brazil on 9 February.
From Tours FC in Ligue 2 to Lorient in Ligue 1 in France to Arsenal and the French national team in less than three years, Koscielny’s rise has been meteoric.
Koscielny's rise has been meteoric
This latest accolade is nothing less than he deserves for a remarkably strong first season in England. His inclusion on the international stage will only serve to improve his experience and that is certainly a good thing for both the player and his club.
Well done Laurent!
Thoughts?
Have your say on Koscielny’s promotion to the French squad by leaving a comment.
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Wenger should try and sign a referee during the next summer transfer window. As we know, Manu has 2-4 referees under their bet.
Early days still, but if he continues the current trend, then Wenger will be chuffed with pulling another diamond from the rough.
Scoring crucial goals is certainly a way to win over the fans – it worked for TV.
@ Tony – What does that have to do with this article?
Koscielny wo-o-o-o
Koscielny wo-o-o-o
He scores to win the game
And we can’t spell him name
Great news for him ! keep it up Koscielny 😀
Happy for him but a very great risk for our season! With Arsenal’s penchant for injuries, an already injury-ravaged back-line, three-quarter of our defence (Koscielny, Sagna and Clichy) involved with another ‘meaningless’ friendly which claimed RvP and Vermaelen last season…I’m not very excited about it and I wont celebrate it until I know TV5 is back to ensure that Arsenal’s season doesn’t go up in flames due to some ‘meaningless’ friendlies!
Koscielny, Koscielny, Koscielny. Well done Laurent!!!!!
Well done Koscielny! You are the best!
Sure Gooners should be happy. For Koscielny and for ourselves. Further proof that Le Boss & Arsenal have the one of the best talent and scouting organizations in the world. We’ll be done the Carling Cup at the end of the month, but we have 14 league games to play to try and pick up as many of the 42 available points as possible, the FA cup, and some team from Spain in the CL round of 16. Is it really “certainly a good thing for both the player and his club” that he is included in a meaningless Friendly in our crowded hour? I don’t want to see ANY of our players on a pitch in anything other than the Arsenal kit until let’s say….after May 22nd. Yeah, that would be good.
1NTTA
@ 1NTTA – I see where you’re coming from with the injury worries but you removed the crucial part of my comment from your quote: “will only serve to improve his experience and that is certainly a good thing for both the player and his club.”
it’s no wonder talented young players choose arsenal
@AW, point taken, and I stand corrected, but still agree with Steven. Let me put it this way then: I don’t want to see any of our players improve their experience for the benefit of themselves and the club unless they’re wearing our kit:) Unrealistic of course, and no one should turn down an opportunity to play for their country, but I can just taste victory, and I hate to see an unnecessary match thrown into the shortest month of the year with Barca and Cup final looming.
1NTTA
Hope he does well. He may not feature though, depending on who else is in the France Squad.
What a header from him?. Still can’t get that away from my eyes.
Hopefully Arsene has commented that he knocks everyone in the team. I felt that after he did that to Everton.
Arsene always looks 4 row talent & makes them stars! Look at Cesc, Walcot, Song. & now Koscielny!
Koscielny has looked better and better every time i see him, and for those who keep screaming for Vermaelen, pls remember when crosses come into our box were at our worst, so we need height and physical presents that’s why for me Koscielny and Djourou is the best combination.
I know every player wants to play for their country and arsenal are powerless to stop this, But arsenal have been so unlucky with injuries its amazing. Hope he didn’t have to go.
This is a crucial time for us we have to win all the easy games AND i hope we won’t have to pay for not buying a new defender as i predicted.
quote by Andy
@ Tony – What does that (comment) have to do with this article?
but a good one ……….. 😉
@billi – I agree for it 🙂
An old Arsene Wenger quote: “there is no such thing as a friendly”
I’m all for patriotism and recognition of our players, but it is fact for all clubs, not just Arsenal,
that the clubs pay the players and any time any player gets hurt, it is the club that suffers the loss(and the player, of course)
Just hope all of our internationals come away unhurt from every international window. They wouldn’t be internationals if they weren’t excellent players and Koscielny has sure looked the part this season!
I’m really happy for him, really happy for another Arsenal international and when I think – as he does – that there’s still room to improve, I see some great years ahead of him. And seeing him this season, working that hard, constantly improving, becoming a vital part of this team, it seems that every step forward is some sort of natural reaction for him. With Koscielny, Vermaellen and Djorou all signed for a long time, I see a strong defense for our team years to come.
I see only more to come from him he can be called the future of arsenals defence every game he plays you see him getting more and more consistent with his game and growing a good understanding with johan. There can only come more from him with international experience and now that he’s becoming a farther he’s going to be more focused on giving himself a better name. So lets see how good he will be as he progresses in the season.
KOS THE BOSS
good for the boy hope he keeps it up and scores alot more for us in the near furture
@JJ Pittman
Well said, and I wish I could be as calm as sanguine. I’m getting more neurotic as the season progresses, and I have to work harder to enjoy the position we’re in – still competing in all 4 competitions. Booze, drugs? Any suggestions?
1NTTA
I’m afraid I am in the pessimist camp on this one. Our recent history of players getting injured in meaningless international friendlies means I am not happy at all. Can’t they just stick with Gallas and Mexes?!
Our fixture list is building up and it pisses me off that they throw an international weekend into the mix.
You’ve put me in a bad mood now Andy!
1Nil to the Arsenal – totally agree. it’s bloody stressful being a gooner these days. I keep thinking I should take my blood pressure while watching a game – but am afraid of what I’ll see!
And I live in Oz where the game times are usually 2am or if I am really lucky 6.30am – hardly the time to knock back a beer for me these days.
Hang in there, guys, this is the price of excellence. Sweat out the meaningless friendliest and even the Euro and World Cup qualifiers, hell, even WC matches. When Arsenal win, everything is wonderful, nothing can upset us(until next match) If Arsenal lose, nothing else in life can really be a problem we can’t deal with.
Several beers and a couple bottles of wine with an excellent meal with my wife and friends helped shape this comment.
Question: Is there any other team in any sport which you would invest with so much emotion?
Overall the prospect of playing internationals helps players to raise their games. Look at the profound effect that missing the WC had on Nasri and Walcott – if they hadn’t been sore about missing out, do you think they would have had the motivation to raise their game?
I understand the risk of getting injured (although that risk comes with any league game as well), but the incentive for players to raise their games and impress national coaches is a good thing. If only Denilson would take a leaf out of that book.
@ Terry – Don’t shoot the messenger! 😀
Well don’t expect me to come back all sweetness and light after the game if he or any of our other key players are injured!
From JJ Pittman:”…this is the price of excellence”. Wise words from someone who knows his stuff. There are good and bad problems to have, and this is a very good problem. I just echo JJ’s sentiments and hope we come through these internationals unscathed and fighting fit.
With the penultimate weekend coming up in another sport, I want to give a shout out to any Gooners who may also be Cheeseheads. Green Bay is not my team but I’ve always had a soft spot for them. Small market, truly community-owned, they are very special. I think Big Ben has had his day (3 Superbowls in 6 years) and it’s Aaron Rodgers time. The Gunners will triumph on Saturday and Rodgers will bring home the trophy for you this Sunday. Go Pack, and COYG!
1NTTA
Thanks for the kind words One-nil! As it happens, I have followed Green Bay since 1951, still have my Bowman bubblegum cards of Tobin Rote, Tony Canadeo and other pre-Lombardi era heroes. The 111,000 owners keep the Pack in a beautiful small town.
Have been a Gooner for 20 years less and have been to more soccer football venues than pro football. Gooners are my number one team, bar none.
First love is thoroughbred horseracing, though, 119 tracks in 14 countries, but while the horses are most beautiful athletes, the Arsenal transcends the decades. The great ones played 10 years or more in the red and white from the defensive era of your eponym to the wide open game of today. I started listing names but my wife interrupted and I didn’t want to leave anyone out.
On FSC before the Everton match they showed highlights of our boys thrashing the blues at the Bridge in September 1997. Two hours later, the boys of today should every bit as much character coming back from that gift goal.
I’m really hopeful this will be the year we win something, preferably two or three somethings, but I will always be a “Gooner Forever”!
@JJ Pittman: Very interesting. I’m sure most people can’t even conceive of the Packers prior to the Lombardi era. As for horse-racing, I just finished Laura Hillebrand’s amazing book on Seabiscuit. What a story! Also I plan to get the Secretariat movie DVD (I’ve had a major crush on actress Diane Lane for many years).
As for Arsenal, they are unique and most special. I’ve only been following them since the move to Emirates and for me too they are bar none my favorite passion in team sports. I wasn’t born a Gooner in Islington/Highbury, but I’ll die a Gooner in Canada. Is AW going to do a preview post for the Newcastle United match? I say 3-1 to us. Come ON Arsenal
Apologies to other Gooners who could not care less about horseracing! Lauren Hillebrand’s Seabiscuit was great. The movie, which could have been a 10 hour documentary on PBS was also excellent except for the Hollywood come from 20 lengths behind after Georgie, the ice man, Wolff played very well by hof jockey Gary Stevens tells Red Pollard to “go for it” . In reality, the question was whether Pollard had the courage to go through a narrow opening from the second flight with his shattered and not yet healed leg. Otherwise, the plot compressions were acceptable.
Wish I could say the same about the movie Secretariat. Strongly recommend the book by William Nack. I was very afraid of Diane Lane following the totally schmaltzy “Under The Tuscan Sun”, but she really captured Penny Chenery whom we know very casually from our Saratoga summers. My wife thinks she should get an Oscar nomination.
Movie made Lucien Laurin almost a clown and completely ignored Riva Ridge who won the 1972 derby and Belmont. In fact, Meadow stable had derby favorite two other times, one scratched days before the race. Unlike many other racing purists, I was not bothered by the alternate locations used for important races, but it was pure Disney.
In 1971 I visited my college roommate who was living in Sloane Square, a long way from Highbury, but we went there as well as to Craven Cottage. One of my sisters was engaged at the time to a man from Norwich who became a professor of Physical Chemistry and he helped me understand what it is to be a Gooner. Nick Hornby has nothing on me! Got the fever!
Gooners on FSC tomorrow, wife’s birthday, but she understands. Rest of the day is hers!
Hoping AW wins our gamble!
@Terry – 2:30AM kick off’s are the best for beers! It ensures you can have at least six to eight hours of drinking before kickoff.
Although my favourite is 12-12:30.
1:55AM kickoff tonight/tomorrow morning isn’t all that bad.
@JJ Pittman –
I’ve been a Manly-Warringah (Australian Rugby League) supporter for longer than I have been a gooner, even when Manly won the Premiership over here in 2008, it wont compare to Arsenal winning the League/ECL in 2010/2011.
Well done kolscheny
Nice for laurent to be playing 4 country….i think it was really a matter of time. ctry managers seem to always play those players arsene has….so that doesnt surprise me.
like many fears raised, the injury worries are smthin to reckon…its 2 earlty to get involved in worthless freindlies yet this month is very crucial to the title challenge on all 4s. anyhw, hiop lady luck is on our side, we dont need any other injuries with the number of games ahead.
Is this articule a joke or something.
Kos isn’t Arsenal quality.
I’ve said it before…..and I’ll say it again…..Wenger can’t coach/buy defenders. Was lucky to have old rear guard when first joining Arsenal. Sol Campbell is the only good defender he ever brought, just have to look at players like Pascal Cygan, Stepvonovs, list is endless. Oooh, and by the way Arsenal fans, mister wenger was a hairs breath away from selling a young Ashly Cole because he thought he wasn’t good enough LOL.
If this isn’t posted, will be very angry
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