Manchester City don beat Porto 2-0 for Champions League for Estadio do Dragao, but na di Italian goalkeeper, Gianluigi Donnarumma, wey don carry di matter talk. Di keeper no get easy night as im dey struggle wit ball for im feet for di whole match.
After di game, Enzo Maresca, wey be di new Man City manager, don jump come defence of Donnarumma. But e still make some comment wey don raise eyebrow. E talk say, ‘I think a few times e no be Gigio mistake, na more for me di wrong decision to go back to Gigio. We fit go back to goalkeeper when we no get anoda option, but di players need to find di oda option.’
Wetin happun? For di match against Porto, Donnarumma almost don embarrass imself when im clearance rebound comot off William Gomes and go just dey bounce wide of post. E be like say di ball wan enter goal. And for last weekend, for di tight win over Coventry City, im almost don concede wen im let ball run under im feet.
Maresca still talk say e dey happy wit di Italian international, but na di same breath e don order im players to cut down di number of back passes to Donnarumma. Di manager dey try to protect im keeper, but e dey also put di blame for di team wen dem dey choose to pass back to am.
Donnarumma na big signing for Man City. Pep Guardiola, di former gaffer, don make big deal of bringing am from Paris Saint Germain for 2025. Im cost almost £30m and e don sign five-year deal wey make am one of di highest paid stars for di squad. So wen Maresca wey just dey dia for two minutes don start to talk say im no want keeper to get ball too often, some pipo dey wonder wetin dey go on.
Di comparison between Donnarumma and Ederson, di keeper wey im replace, dey clear like day and night. Ederson get confidence for di ball and im distribution na key part for Man City style. Donnarumma, on di oda hand, dey look shakey. But Maresca say e no be keeper problem, na di decision to pass back to am.
Dis kind comment fit cause wahala for di dressing room. E fit put doubt inside di mind of im teammates. Dem fit begin ask demsef whether dem fit trust dia keeper wit di ball. Joe Hart lose im job at Etihad for 2016 wen Guardiola take over because e no fit play di style wey im want. Andre Onana na anoda example for Manchester United. So, Maresca comments no go easy.
