Arsene’s next reclamation project. The case for Yoann Gourcuff
The name Yoann Gourcuff brings out polarizing views among football fans. Some consider him to be an excellent passer of the ball while others think of him as an injury plagued, introvert who never deserved to be consider Zinidine Zidane’s successor.
Gourcuff has had an up and down career one that has been hampered by injuries and questions about his mental state. However all this has been mixed with moments of absolute brilliance where his quality in central midfield has made lofty comparisons to French greats (like Zidane) seem fair.
Yoann as a player is an accomplished passer of the ball and has over the years primarily operated in a 4-2-3-1 system as the central midfielder. He has greatly developed his passing range and can seamlessly go from switching play to providing a key pass down the middle. For an attacking midfielder, Gourcuff does score a lot of goals and his dead ball ability is excellent. However throughout his career he has been dogged by allegations of having a poor work rate as well as being mentally fragile. More recently however, his poor injury record has left him with fewer opportunities that have greatly affected his confidence and his overall game.
With that being said, can Arsene revive Gourcuff’s career? Or better yet, should he? That is a question a lot of Gooners seem to be asking themselves this summer as Gourcuff’s name has once been linked to Arsenal as a possible AM option.
Tactically, Gourcuff would fit seamlessly into right midfield in the 4-3-3 system at Arsenal similar to how he has operated for France at an international level. His versatility should also greatly impress Arsene as he could play anywhere in central midfield (has played at defensive midfield as well). While his biggest success has been playing central in a primarily 4-2-3-1 system he would invariably have similar success in our system due to the fluidity of our structure especially on attacking designs.
The attacking midfield position in itself however will be an intriguing position for Arsenal this coming season as it could easily be seen as one of our weaker or stronger areas depending on your perspective. Rosicky who primarily played in the position last year cannot by himself be expected to carry the load for a full season. Ramsey’s poor form on the other hand will raise doubts as to his place in the squad. Jack who has by many touted to take on the ‘Cesc’ role is coming back from a long term injury himself and as such will need to be bedded into the squad slowly. And finally, The Ox could also be given opportunities in central midfield but Arsene will be careful to limit playing time based on age and experience. All this means that while there is possible depth in the position, a strong case can be made for needing veteran reinforcements thus paving the way for Yoann Gourcuff. Our overall lack of goals from midfield also means that he would be a welcome addition to the squad.
However if Arsene does consider bringing in Gourcuff to add to the fold, he may not necessarily get the game time he needs to bring his confidence back up. It’s a similar concern many fans share about Chamakh as they feel like he could have done better with more game time. With there being questions surrounding his fragile mental state and our depth in midfield, he may also find it hard to break into the first team and make an impact.
There are also concerns surrounding his poor work rate and attitude. Although Arsene has never been one to shy away from signing and moulding tougher characters in the past, Yoann may be seen as a player that is at this point too broken (emotionally and physically) to fix. Ultimately the biggest concern surrounding Yoann are his injury problems. Coming off ankle surgery last summer, it has not felt like he has fully recovered as yet. Even Blanc (current French manager) in his assessment of Yoann after cutting him from his final Euro squad noted that too many question marks surrounded Gourcuff’s fitness levels.
To me, Gourcuff is a fascinating case and is a player that I am extremely fond of. His passing range, eye for the key pass and his ability to take on defenders is a joy to behold. However his injury record means he may never be able to get back to his old self.
Regardless of his poor form, I personally would love to have him at Arsenal as he would give us depth at AM without needing to break the bank freeing funds for a possible ‘star’ signing in a more worrying area (DM). His versatility in midfield would also be an asset and his mature reading of the game means we would have someone in midfield that could control games (something our young midfield has lacked in close games) and see them through.
I do however worry about his mental fragility and with his injury record; he may have a difficult challenge coping with the physical nature of the Premier League, one that has not been too kind to a number of our own players. While his attitude may be a concern, I have confidence that Arsene would be able to rectify this and that Gourcuff should be better able to integrate himself at Arsenal with a big French base (along with possible Chamakh still in the fold).
Watching France whimper out of the Euros I could not help but feel like France sorely missed having a creative hub unlocking defenses. Someone that would let Benzema stay in more forwards positions while allowing Ribery to attack on the flanks as opposed to trying to play off Benzema due to a lack of attacking options. That creative hub was meant to be Gourcuff and while some believe that his time has passed, I hope he is able to regain his form not just for the sake of France but for all of Europe.
And with that being said, I do believe Arsene is the right man to help revive Gourcuff’s career. Yoann thrived under a manager that believed in him (Blanc) and I can see Arsene having the same (if not greater) impact. Whether all this does actually pan out is not for me to speculate but I do know one thing; Gourcuff with the ball at his feet is like an artist (a flawed artist) and watching him go through his reads and directing play is a beautiful sight, one that has sadly not been witnessed in a long time. So it is my honest hope that Arsenal fans everywhere are once again able to enjoy Yoann Gourcuff the way we he deserves to be.
