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Marsch should take inspiration from Arteta when it comes to Gnonto
Wilfried Gnonto staked a further claim for his Leeds United debut on Monday night as he scored the only goal in the under-21 win against Sunderland.
Gnonto is yet to feature for Jesse Marsch’s men following his deadline day move. But he has made a positive impact for Michael Skubala’s youngsters since arriving.
Plenty of Leeds fans want to see Gnonto get his chance. Of course, the obvious argument is that the forward is an Italy international. If he is good enough to start for the Euro 2020 winners, then why is he not playing for Leeds yet?
The problem for Gnonto is that Leeds’ next opponents are Arsenal. And in truth, plenty of supporters will be particularly pessimistic about coming up against Mikel Arteta’s men.
Certainly, there seems a good chance that Gnonto will have to wait a little longer to make his debut. And that may frustrate a portion of the fanbase.
But perhaps, Marsch should take inspiration from the man who will be in the opposite dug-out on Sunday.
Marsch should take inspiration from Arteta as Wilfried Gnonto awaits Leeds debut
Mikel Arteta has silenced all of his doubters and critics with the work he has done at the Emirates. He has got the Gunners playing scintillating football. And it has taken them to the top of the Premier League.
One of the stars of the show has undoubtedly been Gabriel Martinelli. Martinelli is cementing himself as one of the first names of the team sheet.
But it has not always been that way.
In fact, Arteta really took his time before pulling the trigger on Martinelli and making him a focal point.
Martinelli made an electric start to life at the Emirates before sustaining a serious injury. And upon his return to full fitness, Arteta frustrated a lot of fans by really holding Martinelli back.
That decision has proved to be a masterstroke. And Arteta deserves huge credit for sticking to his guns and delaying Martinelli’s full return to the side. His job seemed to be under real pressure at times. And yet, he stuck to the plan.
Of course, Marsch cannot ignore Gnonto if he keeps impressing for the under-21s. But, despite playing for Italy, he remains a raw talent. He left Zurich having scored one goal in 12 games this season.
He has the attributes to make a real impact if he gets the chance. And Marsch himself said he had been ‘‘.
But he may not yet be the solution to Leeds’ problems. And with that, Marsch needs to resist the urge to deviate from the plan for Gnonto until he is really ready – no matter how much the Whites struggle in the meantime.