Ask Mina: Neymar and Jesus possible reunion, how good is Gasperini and Gyokeres at Arsenal?

In her weekly Q&A, The National's resident expert addresses topics from around the sports world

Neymar's relationship with Jorge Jesus soured at Al Hilal. Getty Images

Each week, sports reporter Mina Rzouki answers a selection of readers' questions submitted via social media. If you have a question for Mina, you can ask her on either X or Instagram – both @MinaRzouki.

Q: Who is going to take the Brazil job – will it be Jorge Jesus or Carlo Ancelotti?

@Elissa.Johnny via Instagram

A: Brazil are looking for a new coach after the departure of Dorival Junior. The Brazilian FA have long made it clear they want Ancelotti, but the Italian has consistently batted away questions on the topic, insisting that he never wants to leave his true love, Real Madrid.

In recent weeks, Jorge Jesus, the coach of Al Hilal, has become the favourite for the job, which could make for an interesting storyline considering Neymar’s feelings towards his countryman.

Neymar suffered an ACL injury soon after his arrival at Al Hilal in a record-breaking move in August 2023. Once he regained his fitness, he was given hardly any playing time and was left out of Al Hilal's Saudi Pro League roster by Jesus, who said that the former Barcelona star “can no longer perform at the level we are accustomed to”.

Al Hilal coach Jorge Jesus has seen his side fall behind in the Saudi Pro League title race. Reuters

“Obviously, I was very upset with Jorge Jesus’ words when he said that I wasn’t in the same condition as the team,” Neymar told Caze TV.

Neymar's time at Al Hilal was ended in January with the club terminating his contract, and Jesus has since backtracked on his criticism, lamenting the player’s bad luck with injuries.

The 70-year-old’s contract with Al Hilal ends after the Fifa Club World Cup this summer and there are rumours the coach is open to this new adventure.

Al Hilal won the Saudi Pro League and the King’s Cup last season and Jesus has been successful because of his light touch with his players. He has been known for fostering a great environment within the dressing room and developing good relationships.

The Riyadh club have struggled to replicate that success this season, however, with rumours suggesting Jesus's time at the club could be up.

Q: Are clubs losing the ability to stick with projects and managers through tough spells, such as Tottenham Hotspur or even AC Milan?

Sheivin Goyal via Instagram

A: Football is a microcosm of society and in a world ravaged by its desire for instant gratification, we say we want a footballing project but few have the patience to wait for results.

With Tottenham, I think a lot of the fans are happy to wait to see if they can genuinely progress under Ange Postecoglou, signs that the ‘project’ is blossoming and will produce results in the future. But I’m not sure we can see evidence of this progression.

There is a remarkable passage in the book The Artist – Being Iniesta that spoke of Pep Guardiola’s early days at Barcelona and how much he suffered in trying to execute and translate his ideas. He was facing huge criticism, but Andres Iniesta told him to keep going, believing they were on to something.

“Don't worry, mister. We’ll win it all. We’re on the right path. Carry on like this, OK? We’re playing brilliantly, we’re enjoying training. Please, don’t change anything,” wrote Iniesta.

These are the signs of progression that notify management that it’s worth sticking to a new project. The fans may not always know what transpires inside a dressing room but it’s up to management to study the developments.

With regards to Postecoglou at Tottenham, I fear the worst at times. It became convenient to continue blaming the injuries for why the team wasn’t playing well enough.

Despite several players returning, there has been no improvement on the pitch. Several players are being played out of position and the coach isn’t getting the best out of each individual. Son Heung-min is a case in point. Is he being put in the right system to maximise his talents?

I would say that a coach who has lost 16 out of his 31 league games and who reacts to the Tottenham fans airing their frustration by seemingly mocking them, as he appeared to do in the defeat against Chelsea, is a cause for concern.

At Milan, their project is seriously struggling to hit its sporting objectives but has improved off the pitch commercially and financially in comparison to where they were six years ago. But the fans aren’t any happier, simply because Milan have a reputation of being a giant of European football, and unless they are winning a trophy each year or at least challenging, they will be deemed failures.

Q: Can Gian Piero Gasperini be considered a great coach and would he leave Atalanta?

@ZackLowy via X

A: Any coach who has disciples – up-and-coming coaches who want to emulate his style of play and his way of coaching – is a good coach. Last season, Gasperini’s Atalanta won the Europa League despite spending significantly less than their peers to create a team that comprehensively defeated the only invincible side in Europe, Bayer Leverkusen.

It’s rather incredible when you think that last season, the club had only the eighth highest wage bill in Italy and yet managed to win a European trophy. Renowned for a style of play that appears so exhausting, man-marking all over the pitch, Guardiola once famously remarked that playing against this Atalanta was like visiting the dentist.

Papu Gomez, who played under Gasperini for five seasons at Atalanta, told The National during a visit to Sharjah earlier this year: “I think Gasperini is the most important person in Atalanta. Since his arrival, he has changed the mentality of the team and the city. Atalanta isn’t a small club any more. Nowadays it's considered as one of the big clubs in Serie A. So thanks to that. I believe Gasperini deserves so much credit.”

Gasperini was brilliant at Genoa, creating an attractive style of play and developing players. His time at Atalanta has only served to further highlight his genius. It must be acknowledged that La Dea’s upper management is excellent, and they have always stood out as a club for their academy and their ability to spot and nurture talent. But this sporting project has excelled largely because of Gasperini’s ability to turn average players into stars, allowing them to sell players for huge sums of money, like they did with Rasmus Hojlund and Teun Koopmeiners.

His tactics inspired coaches like Thiago Motta and Raffaele Palladino while England’s national team coach Thomas Tuchel is a known admirer.

Gasperini has his faults, too. He has fallen out with far too many players and the manner in which he attacked Ademola Lookman’s penalty skills recently demonstrated just how much he struggles with prioritising the well-being of his players over his desire to communicate his critical thoughts. Can Gasperini say the same? A very good coach certainly but the next great one? Not yet.

Q: Is Viktor Gyokeres the right fit for Arsenal as they need a striker?

@Scott86y via Instagram

A: These are always hard questions to get right as we never know how well a player’s strengths will translate in different leagues. Is he a good player? Absolutely. But is he the elite striker Arsenal need to convert Premier League title challenges to actual trophies? I'm not sure.

This season, Gyokeres has scored 31 goals and registered seven assists in 25 starting appearances for Sporting in Portugal. We know he’s a lethal finisher, aggressive and physical who knows how to stretch defences.

His stamina and strength are what have stood him in good stead in Portugal, not to mention how much he excels in open spaces. Great at shielding the ball and overwhelming defenders, he’s proven unstoppable this season.

However, he is a player who prefers to make his runs out wide, who excels in the wings. Arsenal are primarily looking for a player who sticks to the centre. Arsenal love to cross into the box, so can he take advantage? The Portuguese league can allow strikers ample space to work, and the Swede excels in exploiting that, but his work in tight spaces needs to be reviewed. He doesn’t have the greatest first touch and he won’t be able to bully his way past Premier League defenders the same way he’s managed in the Primeira Liga.

I’m not sure he’s an all-rounder, but maybe he doesn’t have to be. Arsenal have lots of players who are technical and can operate in tight areas. What they really need is a lethal finisher – and Gyokeres is very much that.