Laurent Koscielny ready to take on more responsibility.
Arsenal defender Laurent Koscielny says he wants to become more of a leader on the pitch.
The France international centre half has become a key player for boss Arsene Wenger since arriving from Ligue 2 outfit Lorient in 2010.
“I try to talk more,” the 28-year-old told the Daily Mirror.
“One of my faults is a lack of communication so I am working on it.
“When you’re in defence it only takes one word to solve a problem.
“This year I feel much more at ease in the club, even with relation to mastering the language.”
After arriving from the French second tier, Koscielny says the intensity of the Premier League has helped him improve his game.
“Playing big games over and over again in the Premier League helps you to gain experience.
“Sometimes I make mistakes, a bad clearance, poor positioning, but I rarely fall short during a whole game.
“It’s just after you’ve made a mistake that you have to keep it simple.
“Let’s say I limit the time I’m not with it following the mistake. Before I wouldn’t be with it for about five or 10 minutes.
“It’s less now.cSo to get yourself going again you keep things simple: win the next tackle, make the sure the first pass is good, the first control.
“By nature I’m quite a calm, thoughtful, serene person, maybe that helps me on the pitch not to put too much pressure on myself after I’ve made a mistake.”
The player also said his compatriot Arsene Wenger had player a big part in his improvement.
“The trust of the coach helps as well. It means you can play freely and that, in case of an error, you’re not on the bench the next game.
“I sense that I’m getting better, improving in several areas. I’m nore confident in my tackling, I feel that I’m going in harder.
“You have to become more aggressive in every domain: your speed, controlling and passing, winning headers, anticipation. In general I’ve gained in physical strength.
“But you’ll never hear me saying I’m guaranteed a place, whether for club or country.”
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