Serge Gnabry is not ready to play Premier League football, according to Tony Pulis.
The 20-year-old German sealed a season-long loan deal to West Brom over the summer but has only managed to make two Premier League appearances for the Baggies so far.
And despite his potential and current ability, Pulis, who is a fan of Gnabry, believes the Germany Under-21 international just isn’t quite up to standards to play regularly for the West Midlands club:
‘Serge has come here to play games, but he just hasn’t been for me, at the moment, at that level to play the games.
‘He’s come from academy football and not played much league football.
‘Does academy football really prepare players for league football? And we’re talking about Premier League football here.
‘As a manager you pick a team that’s going to win a game of football.
‘You pick your best team, you don’t leave people out because you don’t like them, because of this, that and the other.’
Gnabry did have a number of Premier League clubs to choose from this summer, including Newcastle and Sunderland, but the German and Arsene Wenger agreed West Brom would be the ideal destination for the youngster to progress.
Wenger sent Gnabry out on loan to gain first-team experience, so Pulis’ current assessment of the winger will worry the Frenchman somewhat.
A loan move away from the Emirates this summer was the correct one to make but Gnabry should have gone to a Championship side instead of a Premier League one. Why? Well like Pulis said, Gnabry hasn’t had much league football experience in the past couple of years and his injury last season hasn’t helped his development either.
A season-long loan move to a Championship side last summer on the other hand would have worked more in his favour, in terms of his development and gaining first-team experience. Not only that, but it would have certainly got the German youngster ready for regular Premier League football next season, either at Arsenal or another club in the English top tier.
It now seems his loan move to West Brom is a wasted opportunity and could well work against Gnabry rather than for him.
as a west brom fan its good to see an Arsenal fan talking with sense and understanding on the situation. On some sites gooners are berating wba and pulis but he is always going to play what he considers his strongest side.
But then there’s the countless WBA fans wishing that Gnabry was playing because of the paucity of options Pulis chooses. What is it, 8 goals in the league this season?
He is a talent that’s for sure, no doubting that but Pulis knows what to do to be a solid team and any player in any position who doesnt do defensive duties is a weak link in his system. I get that to be honest and I dont want us to be like Villa who have a lousy defence but try to play expansive football…they are in serious trouble right now. Clubs like ours who have a proud history but no huge cash injector have to do what works to build. I believe that under Pulis we are building slowly but surely and after trying to get out of the championship (took 16 years first time !) I am more than happy to be in safe hands and wait until we can develop further.