A very good observation, however I think generally they would occupy the same slot on the team sheet, thus the comparison.
What do you reckon? I guess it all boils down to opinion.
Interesting to note Matic has also become more of a box to box (well; that’s my understanding anyway) since kante joined Chelsea. He was for a time ‘the’ premier league DM.
Yeah I suppose you wouldn’t necessarily want Kante AND Coquelin in the same team, but I think they’re different players for different types of team. I think they both have their strengths and value.
I’m perfectly happy to have Coquelin in our team, I think he gives us something we haven’t had since Flamini’s first stint decade.
@Trion
Ah the old injury caveat. I don’t buy that tbh, You can only judge a player on what he puts out in terms of performances otherwise you can throw in a load of pointless exceptions when it comes to player comparision.
Check the stats, Kante in 15/16 averages better than Coq 14/15 & 15/16 per game in inceptions and tackles won but more importantly Kante blows him out of the water when it comes to shots, assists and chances created which indicate offensive ability and efficiency in the final third. (And also negates your caveat of injuries and match fitness)
You don’t think it’s a good measure because YOU keep on expanding it to examples which aren’t apart of the discussion. Sakho and Kos or Sagna and Debuchy are completely different situations because they have different styles as players, different qualities in the dressing room and have varying level of exposure in the media and with FFF coaching staff where as Coq and Kante were very similar in terms of many aspects when it comes to NT selection pre Euro 2016.
It’s no surprise Coq didn’t get a call up in 2015 based on half a season of good form, he was doing a job but he wasn’t playing world class and there were valid question marks over if he even maintain his form. Arsenal fans hyped him up because we hadn’t been exposed to that type of combative midfield protection for a long time. But you can be sure he was looked at extensively by FFF coaches.
From the POV of Deschamp: Who do you drop, from a massive talent pool, for a limited ball winner in Coq? I don’t see it as anything personal, the guy is too limited to really add anything the French NT they don’t already have. I’d argue there are few names ahead of Coq in terms of current contention for selection too.
Where did I say they’re miles apart? What I’m sure about is that Kante is definitely the better player mainly because he can do what Coq does at the same, if not at a better rate, plus he offers more offensively.
So if Arsenal had won the league instead of coming 2nd, Deschamp would have magically seen the light and picked Coq ahead of Gonalons, N’Zonzi, Rabiot and Kondogbia because he had a PL medal? That’s just simply untrue with no real evidence to support that claim. What is that assumption even based on?
It’s not the PL medal in itself which is the accomplishment but the performances and the form of Kante which were undeniably major cause for the title. Like I said the medal is the culmination of his contribution that season. It’s his stats from that season which i’m using to show Kante has alot more in his locker than Coq
How can a player put out in terms of performances if he is injured?
You are comparing a players’ whole season stats with someone with lesser matches and expect me to take it at face value.
I am actually quite curious to check their stats which blows coq out of the water. But am lazy so have to rely on you.
Also @sevchenko you call Coquelin limited.
Isn’t Kante limited as well?
Apart from running around & making safe passes, what are other attributes of Kante?
He is not a great dribbler, not a great passer, not a goal scorer, not a creative distributor as well. So what makes him not limited but Coquelin limited?
Kante got benched for France for exact the reason that he was limited & was affecting their creativity.
Coquelin was impressive not just for half a season but for entire of 2015 till Nov when he was injured. That’s more than enough time to call someone for National team considering players get called up for less.
Heck Kante proved himself for exactly 8 months as well and got called up before that.
So if France can accomodate limited Kante then they can certainly accomodate limited Coquelin.
Let’s be real, @Trion , if Kante were an Arsenal player you’d be calling him the midget Vieira and claiming he was France’s best midfielder.
you’re right, you didn’t. But, “any suggestion that he is even close to” and “miles apart” are not expression that are… miles apart in what they mean 
I completely agree with that.
Says a guy with “Sanogo better than Giroud” in his resume.
Desperate riposte.
And, for the millionth time, Sanogo was better than Giroud, during that short period of time when Giroud was in full shit mode.
Who are you kidding?
You were never referring to that short period. You were clearly talking about Sanogo being better then & in long term.
That’s true. But still, I was half right.
Anyways, pure desperation, this was almost 3 years ago already. Should I start naming all the shit you’ve been wrong about? We can start with Ox being better than Theo (which you were already saying when I joined this forum 4 yrs ago), and Theo being utter shit blah blah. Then we can go on to about 50% of the things you say. 
If we are going by half rights.
Theo being utter shit remains true.
Ox still got this season to prove me right
Here’s praying.
And this is precisely my gripe. If Stones played for Arsenal he’d be heralded as the best young CB in Europe. Likewise if Kante played for Arsenal people would ridicule the suggestion that Coquelin was as good as him.
Still there is nothing ‘definitely better’ about comparison between Kante & Coquelin which was the initial discussion.
I would really like to know how he is definitely better apart from silly suggestions of him winning PL & National team selection.
Lmao no he wouldn’t. The first times Stone’s fucked up while wearing a red shirt he’d be called shit and would be in thrown in the “sell on in the summer” pile. Kinda like how Nacho hasn’t put a step wrong for maybe two years but now since he’s had a couple rough games because of not having defensive cover the question is being asked if he’s past his prime.
If you have the time would you mind helping us understand your view point RE kanye.
Edit: sorry, texting and commuting don’t mix. Kante
Calmly asking whether someone is past their prime isn’t really equivalent to proclaiming them to be shit and saying they should be sold.
I’m not sure about that, I think they are similar. Coquelin does press high up the pitch, win the ball back and put in key passes off the back off his interceptions. Both recover their position very well when their team loses the ball. Kante isn’t playing as much of a box to box role for Chelsea or France as he did at Leicester and he doesn’t look nearly as good this year. I reckon if Coq was at Leicester he’d likely have a bit more of an attacking role to.
At Leicester and to a degree at Chelsea Kante had a DM covering for him, while Coq typically has a slower Cazorla covering for him.
Kante probably has a bit more stamina, while Coquelin has good stamina. Coquelin has a better close control and a better range of passing. Both are very quick and great ball winners.
As for performances, last year Kante was better, this year Coquelin has been better, the year before last year hard to say given Kante was in Ligue 1 but Coq’s in his 3rd year of very good performances.
