BascoVanVeli:
Will Arsenal fans ever fully appreciate Alex Iwobi?

Date published: Tuesday 1st January 2019 5:32


Even as Alex Iwobi represented the only discernible difference between Arsenal and Fulham on Tuesday, the critics would not be silenced. The end product of a winger with more assists than the excellent James Maddison this season was questioned; the development of a player with fewer than 150 first-team games was mocked.

A first half in which the Nigerian was by far the most dangerous, most effective and most impressive player was merely the exception that proved the rule. Iwobi’s assist for Granit Xhaka’s opener, his clever flick to help set up the Swiss again and his sumptuous near-post cross for Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’s header: each was an example of his inconsistency rather than his intelligence.

Opinions have long been formed on Iwobi, the sort which can only be confirmed but never refuted. As easily as his excellent first half was forgotten, a more wasteful and frustrating second stuck in the memory of many fans. His hold-up play, awareness and skill played a crucial role in Alexandre Lacazette’s goal, but did you see that slightly overhit pass for Sead Kolasinac in the 76th minute? Not good enough; never will be.

He has certainly gone off the boil a bit in the second half but at times it seems like in the area of the Emirates where I sit Iwobi can do no right. I'm not really sure what some fans expect from him.
— James Benge (@jamesbenge) January 1, 2019

His partnership with Kolasinac down the left-hand side was the key to victory over a Fulham side who had Arsenal’s defence against the ropes at times. Iwobi, as the only capable dribbler behind the two strikers, was integral in stretching the Cottagers. Yet a handful of sloppy passes after half-time were used as sticks to beat him with. In truth, he simply dropped a little closer to the standard of his teammates.

For a player who thrives on self-belief, it must be increasingly exasperating. Before this season, much of Arsenal’s squad only ever knew the influence and coaching of one manager. Arsene Wenger is one of the sport’s greatest ever minds, but so many players were bound to benefit from a different perspective, a fresh outlook.

The problem was that the squad was never really given a universal clean slate. Many appreciated that certain players would improve under a different manager and a different system, but some were simply considered beyond help. At the age of just 22, Iwobi somehow fell into that bracket: he wasn’t good enough for Wenger’s Arsenal, so what would change under Unai Emery?

“I’m more positive and more confident with the ball,” Iwobi reflected upon his self-improvements in October. “The boss has basically told me that if something doesn’t work, just keep going and don’t dwell on it.

“He’s told me to stop being so critical and to just keep trying no matter what happens, no matter if things don’t go as I want them to.”

Emery might come across as a more authoritative, disciplinarian figure than his predecessor, the more expressive football aficionado. But a different voice has been crucial. The Spaniard might not put an arm around his players, but he encourages them in his own way. To remind them that perfection is not attainable has clearly made a difference.

But some sections of the Arsenal fanbase – as with any team – do not make the same allowances for mistakes. Iwobi was thankfully applauded for his contribution by the home fans when he was substituted with seven minutes remaining; so many others chose to focus on the negatives.

Perhaps that is because the positives were less obvious to the naked eye. He had the fewest touches (24) of any Arsenal player in the first half, yet created the most chances (3). Such quiet efficiency will never please everyone.

While Emery is one of the majority who can appreciate what Iwobi offers, that will not be a problem. His detractors will one day accept and embrace what he is and could be, rather than bemoan what he isn’t.

https://www.football365.com/news/will-arsenal-fans-ever-fully-appreciate-alex-iwobi#

Curtisaxel7:


Are you seriously kidding me?.

So Modric of Real Madrid, Lovren of Liverpool, Perisic, Kovacic of Madrid, Mandzukic of Juventus, Rakitic of Barcelona and co are average players?.

Honestly, for this football blasphemy you just spouted, you deserve to be tied to a rock-filled giant football and cast into the middle of the River Niger.

mostob:
modric ,mandzukic ,rakitic and maybe periodic are decent players. Others are just above average. Am not saying we were better than them o but they defeated us due to Rohr's tactics and formation.
On your last paragraph, I will just IGNORE... lol

mostob:
average players make a good team. Croatia us an example.

InSanety:
Bleacher's Report African Team of the Year

tbaba1234:


With all those players, Croatia did not overrun us at the world cup. In fact, if not for silly mistakes, that was a duĺl 0:0 game.

We are just underrating our players.

Odunayaw:
Was Sweden, Russia & Japan not average? How many from these teams can bench the boys in SE

Danielnino00:


Your continuous tagging of Nigerian players as average and below average simply means you don't support them.. How can u support the super eagles when it's players don't even look good to u?
Do u even really support the super eagles? You think I have forgotten your posts on the team prior to the world cup especially your criticism on Musa?
We have always had good players over the years... a lot of them just don't live up to their potentials.. doesn't mean that they are totally useless.. A few years ago,Iheanacho was easily rated among the best goalscorers in Europe.. today he is struggling, that's life for u...

A true fan support his team and its players through thick and thin and not rubbish them all the time..

Danielnino00:


we have Ndidi,Kalu,Aina,Omeruo, Ekong and Chukwueze and Iwobi playing for top clubs in Europe top 5 leagues and they are starters.
They aren't world class,but by world standard,they aren't below average either...

isan:
African team of the year

andrew444:


Bros why you dey lie ?

So if them call top club you for each leagues you go call Leicester udinese leganes ?

Lol

EEGA:
We didn't concede any goal from open play.Croatia's 2 goals came due to our inability to defend corner kicks.

jihday:
to all those saying we have above average players, I can only say Ndidi and to a large extent iwobi even both are debatable all our players are average, they have the potential tho but they always fail to reach the height. Even in Africa you can barely mention Naija players

andrew444:


Stop giving excuses bro

All matches requires mistakes for the other opponent to win the game ,this is football

jihday:
2019 will be a very busy year for our football, all our male national teams from U-17 to Super eagles will be playing the nations Cup, wishing them all the best. N.b there's no news about the U-23 nations cup/ Olympic qualifier, what's the gist about it? the Olympics is just next year o. Cc: tbaba1234, icon4s

tbaba1234:


There are no excuses.

These so called world class players did not play us off the park. They simply capitalized on our own mistakes.

It was not brilliance from one of their players.

My point is that our underrated players matched them for the most part.

tbaba1234:


There are no excuses.

These so called world class players did not play us off the park. They simply capitalized on our own mistakes.

It was not brilliance from one of their players.

My point is that our underrated players matched them for the most part.

wayodude:


Matching them for parts of the game is to be expected after all our players are professional players. The bottom line is that we didn't create anything going forward and they did BECAUSE they were better than us in all aspects of the game. These is no other way of dressing this up.

Krmaric molested Shehu for as long as he was around.

The pony tail defender Vida was like 3 men, our players got confused at the sight of him.

Modric and Rakitic were mostly unopposed in midfield.

The respectable scoreline and the fact their goals came via set pieces is what is tarnishing our memory of how that game actually unfolded.

wayodude:


Matching them for parts of the game is to be expected after all our players are professional players. The bottom line is that we didn't create anything going forward and they did BECAUSE they were better than us in all aspects of the game. These is no other way of dressing this up.

Krmaric molested Shehu for as long as he was around.

The pony tail defender Vida was like 3 men, our players got confused at the sight of him.

Modric and Rakitic were mostly unopposed in midfield.

The respectable scoreline and the fact their goals came via set pieces is what is tarnishing our memory of how that game actually unfolded.

bazooka1:


Your narrative was very apt. The Croatia game went the same way our pre world cup friendlies went.
The Super Eagles were so bad on the day that they couldn't even force Croatia to shift gears to beat them.
The Croatians played the game as if they deliberately were conserving energy for more demanding games ahead in the tournament.
That game was a bad advertisement for Nigerian football. We didn't make na impression at all.

tbaba1234:


Croatia played 90 minutes with 1 shot on target and they were conserving energy

We were simply undone by mistakes. That was a boring 0:0 game if i ever saw one.

Nigeria neutralized Croatia in that game fairly easily. It was a poor game from both teams.

We just lacked invention going forward.

tbaba1234:


Croatia played 90 minutes with 1 shot on target and they were conserving energy

We were simply undone by mistakes. That was a boring 0:0 game if i ever saw one.

Nigeria neutralized Croatia in that game fairly easily. It was a poor game from both teams.

We just lacked invention going forward.

tbaba1234:


How many chances were created by Croatia?

Croatia had only 2 shots on target, same with Nigeria. One was the penalty.

So in 90 minutes, Croatia had 1 shot on target in open play.

I did not see that dominance. We lacked creativity and a decent striker but they did not dominate anything.

elyte89:



,we don pass dis stage bro,we no longer attack personality again,we attack d message not d messenger

Oasis007:

Dannyxy:
profiling a player as being world class, excellent, very good, good or average is contextual... I agree with you.. It's also based on personal opinion..

Now I am of the opinion that there are very few world class players , as there are also quite a few excellent players..

But now there are very good players , which I believe the Nigerian players being termed average fall under, and this opinion is formed based on their talent, and the teams they play for..

So now oga MI. Without emotive bias and an attitude of negativity, on which contextual ground would you say that Wilfred ndidi, Alex iwobi, kelechi iheanacho, Samuel chukweze, Isaac success, Samuel kalu etal are not very good players?

Mickael2:



Bros not to argue anything at all as I won't be available to reply but you need to go and watch that game again. If you say we matched the Croatians then....well then I guess I now see why you are an Arsenal fan