“He’s mediocre” – Arsenal player heavily criticised, should not be with his national team
Controversial remarks in the Brazilian media today revolve around Arsenal’s standout player, Gabriel Jesus.
This time, Neto, a pundit from Band, has sparked discussion with strong comments regarding the center-forward’s inclusion in the current international break squad.
As reported by Torcedores, the former player questions the rationale behind Jesus’ selection, citing a lack of impressive performances for Brazil and highlighting his current injury.
“If the Brazilian national team belonged to the people, who would you call up in place of Gabriel Jesus, who isn’t even included in the Arsenal squad? Why is Gabriel Jesus with the national team? Because the national team belongs to the CBF,” said Neto.
“It’s not possible that a centre-forward who hasn’t scored a goal in two World Cups,” Neto began, saying that Pedro, Hulk and Marcos Leonardo would be better options.
“I can’t belittle Gabriel Jesus, but as a national team player he’s mediocre. He’s not a centre-forward. He’s not Careca, he’s not Ronaldo, Romário or Vavá. How can you call up a team that isn’t Brazilian, that belongs to the CBF? You call up an injured player. He doesn’t train. I saw it yesterday.”
Gabriel Jesus faced goal droughts in both the 2018 and 2022 World Cups, failing to score despite being Brazil’s number nine in the former and coming on in the second half of three games in the latter before succumbing to injury.
His overall goal record for Brazil is less than stellar, with just nine goals in 43 matches in official tournaments, prompting many to question the justification for his continued inclusion in the squad.
Compounding the issue, the striker was dealing with an injury at Arsenal, adding controversy to his recent call-up. He is currently sidelined for the upcoming game against Colombia, and reports suggest he is aiming to recover in time for the match against Argentina next week.
“He’s mediocre” – Arsenal player heavily criticised, should not be with his national team
