Gervinho (cc licence)
Gervinho scored his fifth goal of the season on Wednesday and Arsenal’s assistant manager, Steve Bould even compared him to Thierry Henry.
Bould said: “His pace and movement make him dangerous. He can be a top player. If he gets anywhere near Thierry Henry we will take that all day long.”
Personally, I think that Gervinho disturbs The New Arsenal that is developing this season.
Arsenal can’t compete for the stars and therefore cannot play with the most talented individuals on the field. However, with Santi Cazorla, Mikel Arteta, Jack Wilshere, Lukas Podolski, Olivier Giroud, Kieran Gibbs and Alex Oxlade Chamberlain Arsenal can be the smartest team on the field – and that’s how Spain won all their titles, by being the most intelligent team on the field.
Gervinho doesn’t fit the smart player description. He has pace and sometimes sublime technique. His movement has also improved but he is still not the striker that can fit a smart team. His over reliance on speed and dribbling skills are a stick in Arsenal’s attacking wheels. His decision making is sometimes very poor and his first touch is horrible.
Gervinho has benefited this season from being fed by the smartest midfielders in the Premier League but in a way he is a throwback to a concept that failed.
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