Arsenal: 3 improvements Matteo Guendouzi must make to become star
By Josh Sippie
2. Decision making
This is a big problem in a lot of young players, but particularly players who make a big jump from a smaller league, like Ligue 2, to arguably the most competitive league in the world. Guendouzi has the mentality of wanting to get it all done himself, but this can lead to some problematic and unnecessarily precarious situations.
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How many times have we seen Guendouzi trying to dribble his way out of the back, dangerously near our own goal box, when a simple clearance would do? He’s lost possession back there, hung his head in shame, and it’s not been a good look.
The same goes for his passing. Particularly in those same situations, when he’s trying to create a counterattack when the smarter and safer option is to just hoof the ball away and reset.
These kinds of decision-making blunders leave the team susceptible to immediate repercussions and it all begins when Guendouzi doesn’t make the right decision. He needs to better learn how to assess the current situation and make the safer choice. At least until he’s a bit more reliable with those dicey decisions.