Rio Ferdinand has revealed that Gabriel Magalhaes messaged him after he criticised the Arsenal star’s performances last season.
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The Manchester United legend has been critical of the centre-back a few times in the past over his occasionally ‘rash’ decision making that has, or nearly has cost his side valuable points.
This includes back in April, when Gabriel gave away a penalty in the 2-2 draw at West Ham that derailed Arsenal’s title challenge, with Ferdinand saying: ‘I’ve said this about Gabriel a few times. He’s rash, he makes mad, wild decisions.
‘As a defender you’ve got to be calm. There’s no need for him to do what he did. It was a rush of blood, he needs to eradicate that, get that out of his game quick.
‘As a manager you don’t want to see that. Because those types of things ruin the head too many times, it starts becoming part of their make-up, and you’re going, “hold on, can I rely on this guy?”.’
Four months on, it seems that Mikel Arteta has had those doubts, with Gabriel failing to start the opening three Premier League games of this season, and though there have been rumours of a transfer, he is likely to stay at the Emirates because of the injury to Jurrien Timber.
Many are surprised to see Arteta drop the Brazilian and while discussing the matter on the FIVE podcast, Ferdinand revealed that the 25-year-old contacted him last season over his comments.
‘I said that last year,’ the former defender said when asked if Gabriel being dropped was due to his past mistakes. ‘And he didn’t like it. He DM’d me. In the DM’s.
‘This is a big thing, for me, with players today, they can’t take criticism. Players today, not all of them, I have had quite a few players who have come through their agents.
‘I have said, “don’t you get your agent to speak to me. You get your player to come and chat to me and I will chat to him, no problem”.
‘Yes, he [Gabriel] come direct to me, which I respect. But, at the same time, I don’t think he saw what I was saying.’
Having conceded two sloppy gaols in a disappointing draw against Fulham last Saturday, Arteta may well be thinking about reinstating Gabriel back into his starting XI for this Sunday’s game against Manchester United.
Moreover, the Red Devils have received a huge injury boost ahead of the big clash, with £72million signing Rasmus Hojlund in line to make his debut.
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