Arsenal Owe It To Coquelin To Bring Gilberto Silva Back

Arsenal have extended many an offer to members of their Invincible squad, but Gilberto Silva may be the most vital return of them all. Bring him back!

Arsenal’s approach to their most recent coaching appointments makes complete and total sense. Fill the coaching staff with all the minds that helped compose the greatest campaign in club and EPL history. Why not? These are the guys that made the impossible possible. These are the guys that embodied the club and made them immortal.

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That has been the model that Arsenal have been following lately. Thierry Henry was appointed as a youth coach, where he is having a tremendous impact. Freddie Ljunberg also recently returned in a coaching role and Robert Pires has been seen around the grounds from time to time as well.

Not to mention the fact that Patrick Vieira has begun his coaching career as head coach of NYCFC.

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The point is, anyone on that Invincible side that wants to impart knowledge on current players should have every right to do so. And by that token, who could be better than Gilberto Silva?

Silva is not one of the headline grabbers from the Invincible season. Vieira, Henry, Pires – those guys grabbed the headlines. But Silva played that all important defensive midfield role that Arsenal have become so opposed to since the Brazilian’s departure. In fact, one could even argue that Francis Coquelin is the first true Gilberto-Silva-type player to grace the Emirates since Silva left in 2008.

Coquelin is still young and there is plenty of time to continue his growth. But given how vehemently Arsene Wenger shies away from the defensive midfielder role and how few of Coquelin’s type are in the squad, having Silva back around the grounds would be immensely beneficial.

Coquelin was thrown into the role and has had to learn as he goes. He may not have the size that Silva does, but he most certainly has similar abilities. In order to hone his talents, a mentor may be the perfect avenue.

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The Frenchman has been such an enormous boon to this squad that any help that can be procured, must be. He was a last ditch option and he filled the void better than anyone could have ever imagined. Silva has even mentioned how impressed he was with Coquelin’s contributions to the squad.

“[Coquelin] is getting to know his position well and that’s important because his role is to allow those up front to play while protecting the back four. He will be very important for Arsenal in the final third of the season,” he said, as quoted by the Metro.

Silva made mention of a return to the Emirates in a coaching role, although he made it pretty clear that no contact has been made yet.

“I will do my badges and I want to learn more and more about football not just on the field but off it,” he said, as quoted by the Express. “I haven’t spoken to Arsene or someone at the club about working together but if something happens of course for my feelings for the club I would think carefully in a very good way.”

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For the time being, Arsenal missed out on Patrick Vieira. They cannot afford to miss out on Gilberto Silva as well.