‘A bit pig-headed’ – Pirlo questions Juventus midfielder Arthur’s ability at the top level

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If Arthur Melo thought he was going to get a smoother ride at Juventus than that which he had in his final months at Barcelona, he can think again.

Since Andrea Pirlo took over at the Italian giants they’ve found themselves in a transitional stage, and the Brazilian midfielder will have to get used to Pirlo’s direct manner if he wants to become an important player for the bianconeri.

“He got a bit pig-headed today keeping hold of the ball and trying to find more direct through balls when he should’ve spread it wide and tried to spread the Ferencvaros defence,” the former World Cup winner said of Melo’s performance against Ferencvaros to Sky Sports Italia, cited by Football Italia.

“He should’ve opened up the game more to create one-on-one situations. If the ball moved too slowly, it allowed them to get back into position.”

If that wasn’t enough to get the Brazilian’s back up, Pirlo twisted the knife again when he was asked by studio guest, Fabio Capello, if Arthur had the ability or vision to split defences.

“Not much right now, but he’s learning,” came the reply, cited by Football Italia.

When Barcelona signed the player from Gremio, talk was that they’d found the new Xavi, but Arthur’s apparent penchant for the party lifestyle appeared to take his focus away from his day job.

From the directness of Pirlo’s words, we can infer that he’ll not suffer fools gladly, so if Arthur doesn’t buck his ideas up, expect to see another transfer in the offing.

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