Gabriel Paulista was allowed to join Valencia from Arsenal this summer, and the defender has come out to criticise his treatment before leaving North London.
The defender failed to secure a regular starting role in Arsene Wenger’s first-team, and the Brazilian claims that he was unfairly treated, and deserved more opportunity to prove himself.
The Valencia centre-back joined in January 2015, but was used sparingly in his opening season as he adjusted to his surroundings, but started the following campaign as a regular in the starting line-up. Unfortunately Gabriel failed to prove his consistency to the people in charge as well as those watching at home, and over time fell down the pecking order.
The 26 year-old believes his treatment was unfair however, although I would argue against his point…
‘I deserved more of an opportunity,’ he said. ‘Sometimes I played because my team-mates were injured. I did play and sometimes even after playing well, I’d go home sad, given that I was only playing because my team-mate was injured. I don’t think I deserved that.
‘I think I had the ability to play and to start games because I deserved to do so, or because I did well in training, but that didn’t happen.
‘Sometimes I’d play three or four games and if Arsenal lost, I’d be dropped and everyone on the outside would say, “It’s Gabriel’s fault.’
‘That wasn’t good for me. People thought, ‘When that guy plays, Arsenal always lose.’ When [Hector] Bellerin got injured, I played at right-back and Arsenal started to lose.
‘I think I played in four or five games en route to the FA Cup semi-final against Manchester City and I played brilliantly in that game. I played really well and I received plenty of praise. Then I think we faced Tottenham away and lost, I gave away a penalty in that game and lost my place in the team. I didn’t play again.
‘I played in the last Premier League game because everyone was injured, all the centre-backs were out… I was quite down about how it went because of these reasons and it didn’t sit well with me.’
Did Paulista have more than enough opportunities to prove his worth? Did he impress anyone? Was it just me or did he only begin to impress in a back three?
Pat J
i already forgot about him average at best, and him avoiding benteke everytime he went for the header is why you lost your place buddy, no cojones for someone who lived in the favela! i’m more keen on black friday and what random stuff ill end up buying and never using. COYG
He need to move on.
Well I actually agree him in some points. Some of the performances he was awful in were same for the whole arsenal team. I really liked him as he was a fighter,warrior and gave everything for the team. Remember when he was sent off at the bridge when he showed diego coasta his true place by kicking his **** when costa himself should have been sent off for what he did to koscielny. At that particular moment of time everybody dubbed him THE LEADER in our team in terms of the way he responded for his partner CB. I was among them and still am standing here in his praise-where are the others now?? Or were they just doing a sheep walk???? But let us now focus on what we have and try to have a great season with the defenders that rocked the spuds…
He was average. No offense to him. But we needed someone better. I was surprised, actually not surprised with Wenger, that we did not get a top CB to replace him since we are playing 3 at the back. Also, considering that Monreal isn’t a CB, Mertsacker is retiring and Koscielny is not as great as he once was. Also, we have quite a few injuries every season
But Wenger is not known for making wise decisions.
Don’t go away mad, just go away.
I agree with Gabriel absolutely 100%! Why did Wenger buy him if he was only going to sit on the bench? Why do people like Ramsey play everyday regardless of form when Gabriel only played when starters were injured? If Wenger didn’t trust his quality then he shouldn’t have bought him in the first place! All the best Gabriel in your career. You did the right thing to move!
Mugabe is out, now we get rid of Wenger.
Unfoetunately I dont think Wenger will go willingly.
Did Mugabe go willingly? Arsene will be forced out eventually.
You have the option of going to support the Spurs or Liverpool etc – where it is big investments and zero trophies in the last several seasons. Go check Arsenal records in the last few seasons and come back to me and tell me which one is your preference
If you are a real fan, as I should presume, you would not write that any fan has the “option of going to Spurs or Liverpool etc”. If you don’t like Barclays you can go to Lloyds Bank OR from Tesco to Sainsbury. But you can’t change your team and OUGHT to know that, IF you are a fan.
I agree with Gabriel. And I think Keown was right when he said Gabriel was one of our best defenders.
Why bother buying a player like Gabriel or Perez, uproot them, ruin their reputation and not give them a fair chance? As we saw with Kos it takes time for new CDers to form an understanding of each other. To me, Gabriel didn’t get that time.
i think he is right he is now an integral member of a back line who has won 9 out of 13 games played playing in a proper defensive set up so me thinks wenger is a fool
He had committment and speed but that was about all. He was rash, had poor positional sense, was a poor passer, mediocre at headers and was just yet another of our long, long, line of sub standard CB’s since Sol Campbell left. Wenger is virtually incapable of identifying top quality CB’s and buying them. He could have moved for Alderweirald, having been linked in the press, but typically dithered and lost him. Sorry Gabby, I wish you well but am not sorry you have gone.
Gabriel was/is a very average football player, prone to making stupid mistakes in the back. In addition, his English was very limited which made it a lot more difficult for him to communicate with the goalkeeper and other defenders. He had his moments when he played as a right back, and I will always remember him standing up to that thug Diego Costa but truth of a matter is that he got himself sent out, and we had to play with a man down. Brave but stupid. I guess that’s how he is best to be described as an Arsenal player.