Former Chelsea midfielder Andy Townsend has shared his verdict on Arsenal veteran Jorginho.
Arsenal spent £12 million to sign Jorginho from Chelsea in January. He has since established himself as a useful squad player at the Emirates Stadium.
Whilst Jorginho is never going to be a regular starter for Arsenal, he brings a lot to the dressing room. With his vast experience and leadership skills, the younger players on the books at the Emirates Stadium can learn plenty from the £110,000-a-week ace.
He can also still contribute on the pitch. The 48-cap Italy international was handed a rare Premier League start last time out against Manchester City and was excellent in the middle of park, dictating the pace of Arsenal’s play in possession, as his side went on to secure a 1-0 triumph.
Mikel Arteta will greatly appreciate the qualities that Jorginho brings to the squad. Whilst the 31-year-old doesn’t represent the future of the north London club, he has a crucial role to play at this time.
Jorginho’s major fault
However, the midfielder isn’t perfect. Pundit Andy Townsend believes there is a key flaw in Jorginho’s game.
Speaking on TalkSport (17/10/2023, 06:52), Townsend said, “Jorginho…brilliant footballer, but can get exposed a bit in the middle of the park when people break on you very quickly.”
Pace is certainly not one of Jorginho’s strengths. He needs the security offered by the likes of Declan Rice and William Saliba around him to offset against this weakness. As long as he is protected in this regard, though, he can be supremely effective when on the ball.
At times this season, Arsenal will find themselves needing to protect a lead. In these circumstances, Jorginho is the ideal player for Arteta to turn to. Rather than bringing on additional defenders and inviting pressure, Jorginho can help the Gunners stay on the ball and preserve their lead by keeping their opponents at arms length and out of possession.
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