Italian media react to Leeds United winger Wilfried Gnonto performance in win v Ukraine
Italian media were frustrated by Leeds winger Wilfried Gnonto for his substitute appearance in their 2-1 win over Ukraine on Tuesday night.
Gnonto came on as a substitute after 58 minutes and earned himself a 6/10 rating from Corriere Dello Sport (13 September) for his performance.
But the Italian media picked up on one moment late on where he raced through on goal to potentially make it 3-1 before he opted to go backwards and the move broke down, although they were optimistic about what they saw overall.
“He had the ball at his feet to make it 3-1, but he goes back,” they wrote. “But the dynamism on the right is increasing.”
Growing
The raw talent and ability that Gnonto has as a footballer is clear for all to see, and it’s obvious that he is only going to get better in time.
His raw pace, dribbling ability and decision making for just a 19-year-old is extraordinary and it explains why there was so much interest in taking him away from Leeds this summer.
But Italy are one of the biggest footballing nations in the world and they need players to perform immediately, especially after missing both of the most recent World Cups – despite winning the last edition of the European Championships.
Gnonto is still learning his game and there needs to be patience around him, whether that is from his national team fans or at Elland Road where he can sometimes do the wrong thing.
There is a huge talent there and someone who could go on to be a real game-changer at the highest level in the future, so it’s exciting to watch him develop at our club for now.
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