by Andrew Gibney
The wise old cliche advises “You don’t know what you’ve got till it’s gone!” Toulouse boss Alain Casanova must be dreading this summer as he tries to keep hold of his star players after what has been an excellent season for Le Téfécé.
In the recent 2-1 defeat to Lille Toulouse and Casanova got a glimpse as to what life will be like without midfield maestro Etienne Capoue. Without the Frenchman’s presence in midfield the away side were played off the park in what was a scintillating first half performance from the Champions.
Capoue’s importance to the team has never been so apparent as much as at has been at times this season. Now in his fifth season with Le Téfécé the midfielder has steadily grown in confidence year after year, playing over thirty league games a season since he was 20 years old. The former France U-21 captain received the greatest compliment when coach Alain Casanova called Capoue “the greatest player the club has seen in the last 20 years.” – high praise indeed for a player who recently played his 130th game for the club.
One of Capoue’s greatest traits is the versatility he shows all over the pitch, not just in the positions he can play but the skills he has to be able to adapt to suit whatever role his coach asks him to fulfil. This season alone he has played in central defence, central midfield and as TFC’s midfield anchor. For anyone to get the best out of Capoue the smart thing to do is let him roam the midfield, his intelligence and leadership will make sure he’s in the right position at the right time.
When Capoue takes the field, what catches the eye apart from the wonderful afro with blond flash is his confidence and ability on the ball. However, what seems to go under the radar are his excellent defensive side and the overall contribution that he makes to the team. Never afraid to throw himself into a tackle, usually with great success he is not just a ball playing midfielder. His style is more geared towards anticipation making him very astute at intercepting opponents passes, breaking up the play and pushing his team forward into attack.
There are not many midfielders in Europe, never mind France who possess the complete package so it is no surprise that whispers of links to Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain and most recently Arsenal have begun to surface in the gossip columns.
Arsene Wenger’s side would benefit immensely from signing up this extremely talented 23-year old. There’s no question that he ticks all Le Professeur’s boxes. He is young but already very mature, the fee would not be astronomical and he would easily add a steely grit combined with a creative influence to an Arsenal side that can, at times, lack in these areas.
Various media outlets have linked Wenger with a move for fellow Frenchman Yann M’Vila from Breton side Rennes. M’Vila is touted as being one of Euro 2012’s breakout stars, and with good reason. However the 21-year old will surely command a huge fee, something in the region of €25 to 30 million. It is very rare that Wenger pays that much for just one player. Capoue would be a much cheaper option and in no way is it a drop in quality.
On May the 10th Laurent Blanc will name his provisional squad for Euro 2012. After his form this season it would be a great reward if the player was given the recognition by Les Bleus and called up for the pre-tournament friendlies. Outside of central-midfield he has the ability to drop deep into central defence and also playing further forward as a playmaker so in calling up Capoue you are covering three poisitions from one player, versatility at a tournament can always be an advantage.
It looks a little far-fetched for the midfielder to break into Laurent Blanc’s 23 man squad so soon before the tournament, but if he continues to improve and dominate games like he did in the 1-0 win over Marseille recently, there is little doubt that in the near future Capoue will once again represent the country of his birth.