Who exactly is Gerson?

VN: Firstly, what sort of player can Viola fans expect to see?

Gerson is really a hit or miss player, but I think this primarily has to do with the lack of continuity he endured in Rome. There’s moments where he flashes brilliance, as we saw against Fiorentina, and other moments where he looks invisible on the pitch.

VN: With Gerson still having limited experience in Serie A do you believe he has the qualities to make it in Italy?

I do think he can make it in Italy but he needs consistent playing time. I am actually quite surprised he opted to join Fiorentina as I thought it’d be best for him to join a smaller club, perhaps even a newly promoted side. If he’s given consistent opportunities by Pioli, I think he could come good.

VN: What would you say his strengths and weaknesses are?

For me, his biggest weakness is his mentality. There’s moments throughout a match where he is struggling and when this happens, he tends to pout or he’ll get “too low”. He needs to build-up his character and I think if he’s given trust by the manager, this could help. As for his strengths, his dribbling is quite strong. I would also say his versatility could be a strength, given that he’s played as both a winger and mezz’ala at Roma, though, he did struggle at time in the midfield.

VN: Do you believe selling Gerson is a good move for Roma?

I think it could be a good move if Fiorentina plan on utilising him consistently, but if not, it could be a disaster. Gerson had the opportunity to join Empoli but he rejected the chance in the hopes of joining a bigger Italian side. I thought Gerson joining a small side would allow him to gain confidence and continuity so I am skeptical, but let’s see. I do think he is worth a risk.

Big thanks to John, for his time. Hopefully Pioli will be able to squeeze the potential out of the Brazilian- if so he may just have a real talent on his side.