Reiss Nelson has still not made a competitive appearance for Feyenoord since he joined the Dutch club.
The Englishman joined them to get regular first-team football, something he couldn’t get at the Emirates, but he still can’t break into their team.
The club’s manager, Arne Slot, has now admitted that he was unfit when he first arrived at the club in the summer.
However, the England Under-21 star is beginning to show his capabilities in training and proving why he is at a top club like Arsenal.
Slot admits Nelson is a top player but insists that he is yet to hit a required fitness level and would need time for that.
However, there is little time to wait for anyone and he urges Nelson to get in shape fast.
“I have to say that we have not seen much of him in the first few months because he was not fully fit,” FR 12 report him saying in a press conference as quoted by Sport Witness.
“The last few weeks, you can see why he is under contract at Arsenal. He is very quick and can change direction quickly. He looks for the goal quickly.
“I think he is a good player, but he has barely played a game. So let’s give him some time before he is in his best form.
“We don’t really have that time, so he will have to get his game rhythm quickly.”
Nelson is now proving Mikel Arteta right for not involving him in games at Arsenal. Hopefully, he would return fitter and better prepared to challenge for a place at the Emirates.
Perhaps if MA had ensured he WAS fit, before sending him out on loan, WE might have seen what the player could become at The Arsenal?
@ken1945
RealTalk…
So, Mikel Arteta is to be blamed for his lack of fitness? He was training with the squad if I can remember. Nowadays, even when players are on holiday or at home, they keep fit on their own. If the guy is not fit, it simply shows he lack discipline. Unless if he was injured. He left in August, we are in mid October. More than one month of training and he’s not fit? Cone on, the coach is not telling the truth. Maybe he’s not good enough to display the people in his position period. It’s time we stop giving excuses for this guy.
@Sirjoe
Overall fitness and match fitness, are two different situations….IJS
Sir Joe, as the article intimated that MA was correct in sending him out on loan while unfit, I suggest that, indeed, it was up to MA to be able to assess whether or not he was fit in the first place – while training under the nose of said manager.
Of course, I might be wrong.
He managed 30 minutes today in a 2-2 draw 👍
Glad he got some game time at last. After scoring against Liverpool the season before last he got no opportunities. Should have gone on loan as MA was under pressure to make Pepe and Willian a success. That goal has failed and he missed a year of development. Good luck Reiss!
Common trend for over a decade, Arsenal players moving to another club and not being able to play because of a lack of fitness.
Arsenal is way to easy on players and there’s no pride in the players themselves. We are consistently one of the least fit teams EVERY year.
We are a club of zero consequence