If it’s Gud enough for Ron...
BURNLEY’S Euro 2016 hero Johann Gudmundsson will not mind dishing out the Cristiano Ronaldo treatment to Arsenal at Turf Moor this afternoon if it helps maintain Burnley’s outstanding form this season.
Gudmundsson was one of the Iceland players condemned by Ronaldo for having a ‘small mentality’ after the island underdogs defended valiantly to pull off a 1-1 draw with Portugal at last year’s European Championship. Burnley, sitting proudly in seventh place in the Premier League, may go into their game against Alexis Sanchez and Mesut Ozil with the same attitude despite being level on points with Arsenal, and Gudmundsson makes no apologies for it.
‘Ronaldo was angry, he knew we’d played well. We were unbelievable defensively, what was he expecting? That we would come out guns blazing trying to play football,’ says the midfielder, who helped his country beat England 2-1 later in the tournament.
‘Arsenal are unbelievable at keeping the ball, and we have to try and frustrate them and mostly hit them on the counter-attack.’
Gudmundsson sees Burnley boss Sean Dyche a future England manager. ‘I think he has the potential,’ he said.