Few people can doubt Gervinho’s ability yet it would be fair to say that he has become one of the more frustrating players at the Emirates Stadium since his arrival. However, following an impressive start to the new season, Steve Bould claims that he is incredibly pleased with what he is seeing from the Ivory Coast international and claims that he could become a top player.
Gervinho joined the club last summer in a deal worth a reported £10.8m. From the moment he signed it was clear he had all the pace and trickery in the books but like many players, his lack of final product was a worry. For the most part, Arsene Wenger deployed him on the wing and this meant that he could only manage four goals during the 2011/12 season.
However, this has been a completely different affair. Wenger has pledged his trust in the 25-year-old and has utilised him as a lead striker and this move seems to be paying dividends, with the player already notching five goals.
Following his impact in the recent win over Olympiakos in the Champions League, Steve Bould issued praise on the player and said he is constantly improving. He told the press, “He is scoring goals so his confidence is sky high. He is a danger with his pace and movement – he could be a top player. He is learning his trade there [centre forward]. I don’t think he has played there an awful lot. His link play is gradually improving. I think he has set Santi [Cazorla] up quite a few times over the last few games. Good players can play anywhere – left, right, centre forward. He is scoring goals and improving with every game.”
The Gunners’ victory over Olympiakos means that they move to the top of Group B and look odds-on to progress to the latter stages of the competition.
