Gary Neville believes Eddie Nketiah is making good progress and could be considered by the England national team manager for a call-up soon.
Nketiah has been filling in for the injured Gabriel Jesus since the World Cup and the Brazilian must be worried about his place on the team now.
This is because Nketiah has been in terrific form for the Gunners in the last few matches.
He scored a brace as Arsenal earned a 3-2 win against Manchester United yesterday, including the winner and Neville believes he could be named in the next England squad.
‘Nketiah, you look at him and the dearth of English centre forwards… I think he’s got a real opportunity at the moment,’ Neville said on the Gary Neville podcast.
‘But at the moment, the best thing that Eddie Nketiah can do is really just contribute to this Arsenal team and this very special run that they’re on, and this very special season that they’re having.’
Just Arsenal Opinion
Nketiah was asked to play for the Ghana national team at the World Cup, but he turned down the chance and it could be the right decision.
The striker is the top scorer in England’s youth national teams and has struggled to earn a senior call-up until now.
If he keeps scoring, Gareth Southgate will have no choice but to call him up in his next squad.
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I have to admit that I was doubtful Nketiah would be able to successfully to rise to the challenge of being the main CF in Jesus’s absence, but fair play to him, he really delivered against Man U and is silencing critics like me, so fair play and good luck to him. Arsenal still need another quality midfielder (Or even two maybe) and another central striker though.
Nkethia turning down his natural country of origin Chana invitation to play for the Black Stars at the last Fifa Mundial in Qarta 2022. Is a decision which he took. But his reason for that his decision making is best known to him as to why he has done so.
But if he took that his decision in preference to later play for England as a 3Lion. Good luck to him in his endeavour to make his dream comes true as a 3Lion.
But as a top Gunner that he is now as has become after he has meticulously worked hard over time to reach that top height playing for Arsenal.
Nevertheless, I as a Gooner implore Eddie Nkethia to always keep working hard in training sessions and harder in matches for Arsenal unrelenting. And constantly desiring to improved on the quality of his game for Arsenal to take it to a greater height.
But as for Folarin Balogun who has openly expressed his desire to play for Nigeria his Country of native origin. And he is ready honour invitation from the Nigerian Football Federation inviting him to play for the Super Eagles the nation football team.
I give Folarin Balogun much kudos for his wanting, desiring and ready to play for the Super Eagles if the NFF gives him a call up.
I therefore want to sintazise the NFF to give Balogun a call up to the Super Eagles in their next call up. But not keep him waiting to not give him a call up to realise his desire to star for the Super Eagles.
Nketiah has to overcome the inherent weakness of often missing goals that can be scored
U said this? Have u seen jesus? That guy can miss 100 chances and still not score 1
Nketia has done really well and this is because of the support he’s getting from everyone in the club, I mean everyone is backing him.
We also need to face the fact Arsenal is creating a lot of chances, I mean very few strikers will fail in that system. Am not trying to downplay Eddie’s impact but the chances we’ve been creating are just out of this world. He’s been one on one with the keepers more than anyone in this league
So once again Mikel has been proved right by giving the lad 100K/week and our moaners were moaning his salary increase.(but were very happy Ozil was on 350K/week). Our Sunday front 3 combined cost was 7M ! What a fantastic job by Mikel. Ask Klopp or Pep or Erik Tan Hag to replicate that achievement. We are so fortunate to have Mikel. I trusted Eddie and I had said earlier he will make it hard for GJ to get into the starting 11. Both goals were a beauty and both goals were needed.
Yeah I didn’t get that moaning about Eddie’s new contract. No matter what people think of his skills, that new contract PROTECTED his value if anything as he was about to be a free agent and we could lose him for free.
But here’s a dilemma for all fans, for next summer:
Balogun or Eddie sold?
But why can’t we have both? Their stature and playing style is very, very similar. It would be mad to have 2 similar players + Jesus on the roster, as this would no doubt mean benching the other and putting him out of form (remember AMN after the season we declined Wolves’ 20m offer? He hardly played).
Both are doing really well at the moment and their value will be sky high in the summer. Question is, which one will we sell?
Yes, the 100k a week looks like a steal. A great decision not only financially, but even more so in terms of assembling a strong team.
No one in their right mind can say, we have been less threathening with Nketiah starting.
I said at the time I thought it wrong *even if Eddie turned out to be good enough to justify it in the long run*, and I stand by that.
It’s about having the principle of *rewarding success, not potential*. I also said we could have offered a lower contract with the promise that we would revisit in a year – if he keeps up this form (and I’m sure he will), it would have been enough to justify rewarding him with another new deal at the end of the season, instead of before. That would have been fair and sensible,and something that could work for any similar situation in the future.
Just because it appears to have worked out this time doesn’t make it right.
The other side to it is: I don’t think his contract is as big as was made out. I think he’s on a fairly normal contract for any other relatively important squad player – I suspect the 100k pw includes bonuses, which all of them get, or even a signing fee, which they all get, although of course I don’t know for sure.
Anyway, whatever he’s being paid, I’m really happy he’s taken this latest opportunity and shown everyone he’s a quality player.
But isn’t any contract done in the hope or belief, that the player will be worth it in the future and not as a reward for past achievements?
I believe so.
Not sure how frequently it happens, maybe often, but definitely not always. Players don’t get big contracts later in their careers because of potential, it’s because they’ve proven they can perform to a high level, so you have confidence they will be able to keep doing it.
I think I was wrong to use the word reward though (to reward doesn’t necessarily include the expectation that they’ll continue performing), I’m meaning contracts should be based on track record, as it means that the risk of the player not meeting expectations is reduced. The incentive should be to get a bigger next contract, if you give the big contract first, the incentive is not there, and you have to rely more on the player’s own motivation. In Eddie’s case, that’s apparently OK, but I’d prefer a principled approach so we’re not guessing, and risking being stuck with an unmotivated player on high wages (again)
Neville……yesterday’s idiot pundit……..today’s top pundit 😂😂
When Mikel Arteta said he trusted Eddie and even apologized for not using him enough because of his work rate and “the things he does in training” , I said to myself OK let’s give it a try, but then he gave him the No..14 jersey that was when it came on me that MA might not buy another CF after Jesus . It as then I joined the folks that complained that Eddie as not going to be able to fire us to our said goal in this season.
I never minded the new contract but the over confidence Arteta had in him and the big boots he was supposed to fill, I think these two factors informed my decision to be sceptical.
Good one Eddie, Good job so far, he is looking more and more like our no.14’s every time I see him on the pitch.