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Arsenal defender Laurent Koscielny feels that he has settled in well at the club now and is looking forward to progressing both individually and collectively next season. Koscielny said that he needed to cut down on his mistakes and be more consistent this coming year if he wanted to improve as a player.
Koscielny, who is a Frenchman of Polish descent, was signed from French side FC Lorient by Arsenal last season. Shrugging off the cobwebs of uncertainty and disregarding the fact that he was not well known; the player had a very solid first season at the club. He started more than 40 games (in fact, only Jack Wilshere started more games than Koscielny last season) and was very receptive to any mistakes he made.
He showed a good reading of the game, made innumerable last ditch tackles and was one of the few players who kept Lionel Messi quiet over the course of ninety minutes. In an interview with Arsenal Player, he said that he felt more at ease with his surroundings this season, after having got to know his teammates better and take stock of the surroundings.
He said-
“I feel different to last season because I was a new player then,”
“It was different but now I know other players, I know everybody so I feel better this year and I am more comfortable with the language and everything.”
He stated that he improved as he was given more game time last season, and expressed his desire to win more of the difficult and tricky games on offer next season, and leading Arsenal to their first trophy since 2006.
He said-
“I got better as I played games [last season]. I played more than 40 games and for a new player that is good news. Now I want to be more regular in the new season and more determined when the games are difficult.”
Arsenal fans will hope that Koscielny can carry on the good work from his debut season and move from strength to strength as the new season nears.
