Iwobi set to start season in Arsenal first XI

So it seems more than likely that Alex Iwobi will be in Arsenal’s starting XI next season, and most certainly in the early stages while Mesut Ozil, Alexis Sanchez, Aaron Ramsey, Olivier Giroud and the other Gunners are recovering from their extended holidays after their tournament exertions this summer.

Iwobi was picked to play for the Nigerian team in the Olympics, and was hopeful of going far in the tournament, but it now appears that Arsenal have blocked his participation so that the youngster will be available to start the season with Arsenal. It is telling that Wenger has allowed our new signing Takuma Asone to play for Japan, which indicates he will not be rushedinto the squad.

His agent, Emeka Obasi explained the situation regarding Iwobi. “We held talks with Arsenal to see if it would be possible but, in the end, the decision has been made and we just have to move on from it,” Obasi said.

“Of course I think Alex would have gained a lot from a competition where the likes of Barcelona’s Neymar want to play in. I’m sure the standard will be high and as I said Alex was keen to go, but it’s not his decision to make.”

Nigeria’s U23 coach Samson Siasia also fully understand’s that it could be to Iwobi’s advantage to concentrate on his Arsenal career at the moment. “He’s a smart, passionate, enthusiastic and dedicated boy but the fact that it’s not a Fifa tournament Arsenal are within their rights to stop him.

“Alex has a chance to establish himself in the Arsenal first team and if he could manage that this season then it will outweigh the potential gold medal.

“His father [Chuka Iwobi] has made strong efforts, the boy has done his bit as well to be with us but Arsenal pays his wages and makes the calls.”

Let’s hope that Iwobi continues his improvement from the last campaign, when he was the only breath of fresh air in a very depressing end of season….

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18 Comments

  1. Iwobi should be going to the olympics in Rio so as to gain a bit more experience as well as develop more but the fact that he’s being told to stay is more of an indictment on Arsenal and shows how weak our squad is!

    1. Or it shows how talented he is ??! Did you watch him play last season ? The guy is more mature than Wilshere and Ramsey on the pitch

      1. Yes he’s talented but even Lionel Messi who’s more talented at the age of 20 went to the olympics with Argentina in 2008 so as to gain more experience,to depend on Iwobi at such a young age shows our squad as a whole is not good enough

  2. I am really excited about Iwobi, and can’t wait to see what he does this season. It’s amazing to think that’s he’s only been around for about five minutes, yet most Arsenal fans, including myself, would already have him ahead of the Ox, and Walcott! I just pray Iwobi doesn’t end up like those two.

    1. I just don’t know what’s wrong with me.I just hate to sit when lies are being thrown about.Today I will settle this.I will use > and Alex Oxlade Chamberlain=Wellington>Alex Iwobi>Joel Campbell>Theo Walcott.Ospina<Wojciech SzczesnyGabriel>Hayden>Chambers>Mertesacker.Note am talking in terms of potential and better than.

  3. Honestly speaking I honestly think Iwobi is built like a lone striker and to me he should start there.He would do very well there.Please I want to ask a question.Why is that that sometimes according to statistics a player we all know is not better than another player is actually proven to be bettter than him using stats.Rkw you using stats on the fact that Giroud is a good backup but why is it that we choose to use statistics sparingly but not in all cases.Infact we decide to use statistics only when it favours us.Look at Coquelin’s statsistics last season.If you went buy that you would say he is part of the top ten best DM’s in the world.Yet people ignored that and said he is still behind many in terms of quality.But you clearly used statistics in defending Giroud.Now I say this when we want to use statistics we bave to use them on all players and not be bias in our analysis of players.Statistics are so deceitful they can even make you believe a player is world class.I for one use what I see on television together with statistics to judge a player.If we were to go by that you would have to be honest and truthful to yourself that Giroud is average.

    1. Using stats it’s easy to show that Giroud is average,in a 38 game EPL season Giroud will never be good enough to score 20 league goals,his best league tally is 16 goals that he got last season and even he himself described that measly tally as his best season at Arsenal!

      1. My brother people some think he’s even good enough to lead the line and those who think he’s not even good enough to lead the line and call him average think he’s backup quality just because of statistics.From that logic I can conclude that all backup strikers are average and because of stats Giroud is the best backup striker right now in the world.You see the thing is that I don not even see him as backup quality let alone a starter. Ok so his stats are good for a backup yh i get that.But listen if watch his game television you will see that he is so bad.Let me ask a question.What if Arsenal bought a world class striker and he got injured before the league started.Many people in the world who are Arsenal fans would start wailing.While’s those are the same people saying that he is good enough for backup.Is the backup striker not to cover up strongly for your injured starter.So why would people wail when they say he is backup and is more than capable of doing a job.This is contradiction at its best.

        1. Who would you like to see us sign as a back up striker Kev?
          Meeting the below criteria of course:

          -better than Giroud
          -under £15m (this is a back up remember)
          -low wages
          -willing to sit on the bench for 75% of the time

          If you can find this man then your talent is being wasted, you should be our chief scout or even director of football?

          1. Given the same chances at Arsenal Javier Hernandez can do far better.To me he’s better than all the Arsenal forwards from 2010 except. Van Persie.If Giroud was at Man Utd,Man City,Chelsea,Liverpool or even Tottenham he wouldn’t last one season with them.That’s a fact.I cant imagine all those teams if they had signed Giroud in 2012 keeping him till date.He’s just average the earlier you accept it the better.It’s all part of life.

            1. The same Javier Hernandez that was unhappy warming the bench at Utd? Who now leads the line for Leverkusen that are in the Champions league? Who earns circa 80k per week? And who would demand a fee of approaching £20m with two years left on his contract?
              Nice try though

      2. Dee ease, if you look at minutes played per non penalty goal in the premier league last season, the stats are
        Aguero 118
        Giroud 162
        Kane 168
        Vardy 165
        Lukaku 186

        So using these stats, giroud is actually slightly better than kane and vardy. Giroud played a lot less time as he was often used as a sub. Also Arsenal were only awarded two penalties in the PL, compared to leicesters 11.

  4. Iwobi is as good as coman
    campbell is as good as douglas
    ozil is as good as muller
    ramsey is as good as vidal
    santi is as good as alonso
    bellerin is as good as lahm
    koscienly.is as good as boateng
    mertz is as good as martinez.

    We are just missing a lewandowski

  5. Those who know much about football and are true to themselves and to the world at large would know that watching Giroud on TV is the same as watching an average player.The thing is its not his fault that he’s average.That’s just how some are.That’s just how life is but people refuse to get that fact.In life in terms of soccer we have average players and world class players while some fall between the two.That’s just how life is.The earlier people accept it the better.Life is just that way so deal with it.Its agonizing anytime I watch him play and I for one can confidently say that the day he’s sold people would not miss him.When he goes to his career would take a downhill that’s why I see him as lucky player with Arsenal just given him 1000’s tof chances to score on a silver platter.He would look so normal playing in an average team to be honest.

  6. In an ideal world iwobi should go to the olympics, it would help his development. However we have the copa america and euros this summer. Lots of our players have gone far in the tournament and need a rest. Even those who went and hardly played will have been training and getting themselves emotionally geared up to play so need a rest.

    First game up is liverpool so I think the correct decision has been taken, Iwobi needs to join Arsenal for pre season and hopefully play in the early matches. It is an opportunity for him to cement his position in the first team.

  7. I strongly believe that Iwobi should go to the olympics to continue his development as a young player, However, i understand the reason why he wants to stay with arsenal and i do not think it has anything to do with the players we have out from the various tournaments, but as to do with the chance he may lose his spot in the squad to one of the other youth stars

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