Ex-Spurs boss claims £110k-a-week star is killing the way Arsenal play

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Former Tottenham Hotspur manager Tim Sherwood has criticised Arsenal midfielder Jorginho. 

Jorginho has proven himself to be a useful squad player for Arsenal since his £12 million arrival from Chelsea in January.

The £110,000-a-week veteran is able to bring a measure of composure in possession when he is on the pitch, and Mikel Arteta will also value Jorginho’s leadership skills in the dressing room. 

The 31-year-old has perhaps played more so far this season than he would have expected to. Due to Thomas Partey’s injury, Jorginho has started six times for the north London club, and has made twelve appearances in total across all competitions. He is likely to feature again at the base of the midfield against Sevilla in the Champions League this evening. 

Arteta has been open about how highly he rates Jorginho. Ahead of the upcoming clash with the La Liga side, the Spanish coach said of Jorginho, “he is an incredible player, he is a leader, he is a very intelligent player for us, and he has the quality to make the team better,” as quoted by the club’s official website. 

Arsenal must offset Jorginho weakness

All that being said, Jorginho is not a flawless player. Tim Sherwood has now highlighted a weakness in the Italy international’s game. Speaking to Premier League Productions (06/11/23, 17:05), the ex-Spurs boss said, “Jorginho, for me, he slows the game down too much,” said Sherwood. “He wants to play backwards and sidewards too much. He doesn’t see that forward pass often enough.”

Given how Arteta wants his side to play, with progressive passes between the lines driving his team up the pitch, this is a major weakness for Jorginho to have.

Whilst the former Chelsea man is safe and secure in possession, he does have a tendency to lack penetration with his passes. His teammates around him need to be aggressive and creative in their own play to offset this. Failure to do so can easily lead to Arsenal’s build up play becoming slow and ineffective. 

Sherwood is not the first person to spot a deficiency Jorginho’s game. Ian Wright has also highlighted a problem with the player.