The embrace with Francesco Totti told much of the story. No longer forced to take shelter in the shade of others for his own mishaps, Gervinho had finally found a home, two years after leaving France for greener pastures.
The double resurgence is either coincidental, ironic, or just the game’s funny way of doing things. Like Roma, Gervinho had only recently been labelled as not so much a sinking ship, but a raft all out at sea. The marriage between the Italian club and Rudi Garcia was initially as unlikely and unforeseen as any major club on the continent stumping up any considerable amount of cash for the Ivorian. But it’s working, the reunion with Garcia is exactly what Gervinho needed after a torrid time at Arsenal.
Garcia brought out the best in Gervinho at Lille to the tune of 15 goals and 15 assists en route to a league and cup double in the forward’s final season in Ligue 1. This time, Garcia is carrying out a reawakening on multiple levels though with the same desired effects. Roma look a different proposition, filled with intensity but crucially confidence, while Gervinho has been one of the keys to a spotless record in the league that has brought 20 goals and only one conceded.
Gervinho’s form in Italy and specifically under Garcia is proof that not every player can adapt to every club. There is often talk about players needing time to acclimatise to new surroundings and new leagues, no matter how good they are. Often, though, players don’t reach the end of the tunnel for one reason or another.
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At Arsenal, Gervinho certainly became a scapegoat for the team’s poor results at various points in his two-year stay. There were causes for optimism, but nothing like what is happening currently at the Stadio Olimpico. Gervinho was deployed as a centre-forward by Arsene Wenger early last season; the Frenchman hoping that Gervinho’s movement and pace in the final third would not only be the catalyst for good results but also for a clearly defined role for the forward. Of course that wasn’t to be, as Gervinho failed carry on his early promise of in each of the last two seasons. There were low points, monumental low points that signalled a stage of no return.
It would be wrong to label the frustrations and difficulties of foreign players in England as their failure to adapt to the Premier League. Gervinho isn’t the first to be an undeniable disappointment in the Premier League but a hit on the continent – and it isn’t because European football is in some way inferior. Diego Forlan left his inconsistent form behind when he left Old Trafford, scoring freely for Villarreal before going on to replace Fernando Torres at Atletico Madrid.
Maybe it’s also a case of managers, great managers in the case of Arsene Wenger and Alex Ferguson, failing to push the buttons of certain players and finding success in the way they have done with others. Gervinho in particular is not all that different from what Arsenal have bought in previous years. The potential was there, largely untapped due to the bigger clubs on the continent overlooking him. He’d done good things at international level and was in need of a step up from Lille. It’s also worth dismissing the pressures of the big time, as less than a handful of European clubs feel the heat in the way Roma do.
For now, though, the fire has been lit under Gervinho by a manager who knows him best and has an appreciation and understanding of his strengths.
Are Gervinho’s failures at Arsenal simply down to his inability to adapt to the club and its manager?
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