Former Manchester United captain Gary Neville has weighed in on Arsenal striker Gabriel Jesus’s playing style, suggesting that he needs to work on maintaining his central position throughout a game.
Addressing the tendency of some ball-playing strikers to drift wide or drop deep during matches, Wayne Rooney discussed his own experiences with this issue during his time at Old Trafford. In response, Neville commented (on Stick to Football via TBR Football):
“I think Jesus is like that at Arsenal, he hasn’t got the patience to stay there and be there.”
Elaborating on his perspective regarding Jesus, Rooney stated (before Neville’s remarks):
“I get it, you go from Van Nistelrooy, although he was a better player than he gets credit for I thought he was a good footballer, and you go from him to me drifting wide. I think that’s the thing with Rashford now when he plays as a forward, the hardest thing for me to learn was the patience with staying there.”
Questions regarding Jesus’s playing style arise despite Arsenal’s recent outstanding form, during which they have scored 21 goals in their last five games, winning each one.
Jesus has been sidelined since February 2 due to a knee injury, missing the team’s last three victories. In his absence, Leandro Trossard has made a significant impact, leading to discussions about Jesus’s goal-scoring contribution.