Is Guendouzi’s attitude going to ruin a promising career?

Matteo Guendouzi Transfer Rumours Shows His Value. by AI

Matteo Guendouzi is likely leaving Arsenal Football Club this off-season – and not for his performances on the pitch.

It is a bit of an irony with him — you’d want your wonderkid to be mentally strong and have great leadership qualities. You’d want them to give every bit on the field for ninety minutes, and while Guendouzi might be positionally errant on the field, nobody can accuse him of not being passionate, of not being invested, of not giving his all every time he’s playing.

As a young coach given the keys to the club, it is obvious that Mikel Arteta will want to establish his authority in the dressing room. It is important that a coach is respected and well-regarded by his players and that everyone is pulling towards the same goal. Unity is vital, harmony is key, and Matteo Guendouzi has allowed his hot-headedness to fracture that relationship with his gaffer.

I am a big admirer of Guendouzi’s self-confidence. It may come across as off-putting to some, but I sincerely believe that that self-confidence is needed if a player is going to be one of the best in his position in football. It may be quiet like Cesc Fabregas or Lionel Messi or it may be more brazen like Ibrahimovic’s or Cristiano Ronaldo’s. However, it is unmissable. Confidence is key to elite performance. You are going to be doing things most other professionals dare not. Without inherent self-belief, many a talented player regress into the average.

Good management is wanting to protect or build the confidence of a young talent. Serge Gnabry needed a year of regular football at Hoffeinheim to reach superstardom at Bayern Munich. On the other hand, Reiss Nelson, who also played really well in the Bundesliga at Hoffeinheim has looked frightened at times under the floodlights of the Emirates. That explains all those late 10 minutes introduction. Arteta wants him to come out of his shell and fly as a fully-born player. His last cameo against Southampton was instructive: Reiss Nelson came in and played with great confidence and zest. That is what you want your young player to have.

Guendouzi is an anomaly. He has so much self-confidence that it’s excessive, and almost toxic. Of course that has allowed him to jump straight from Ligue 2 to Premier League football, to debut against Chelsea and Manchester City and win Player of the Month for Arsenal in his first season. It has allowed him to almost will a game under his control at moments this season. He was brilliant against Tottenham, a one-man midfield, dragging Arsenal level through sheer effort and will.

Data analysis of Guendouzi shows that he’s the best ball progressing u-21 midfielder in Europe. In fact, he compares favorably with the likes of Granit Xhaka, Rodri, Thomas Partey in that deep midfield role. Capable of also playing in a box-to-box role and unlocking defenses with incisive passing, Guendouzi has it all.

While still immature at some other aspects of his game, with his overwhelming mentality, Guendouzi is destined for the very top. It is an incredible waste that he has allowed himself to lose his head against the wishes of his coach. According to information from The Athletic, Matteo Guendouzi is not responding well to discipline and is refusing to admit that he has been wrong. That is not the attitude we want at The Arsenal. No young talent in the world should be able to hold a club of our size and history hostage. And this why he is leaving to another top European team.

The rumours prove that elite teams are aware of his talent, but the attitude is unfit for an elite talent.

Good riddance, then.

Agboola Israel