Alex Iwobi is a very divisive figure at Arsenal, he has his supporters that swear by him and believe that he can be a great, then you have his detractors that believe he is a total waste of space and should be sold.
That is all well and good, we all have our opinions but this article is not about his talent, whether he is good enough for Arsenal or whether he can be our best player if used right. No, this article is about his attitude.
Now, I will say in advance that as sure as night follows day there will be comments about his talent and what he is good at or not good at. That is a simple waste of time because the focus of this article is not about any of that.
Iwobi has been speaking to Goal.com about the prospect of Wilfried Zaha or Yannick Carrasco coming to Arsenal and competing with him for a place in the team and his future at the Emirates.
“I don’t have any idea of going anywhere else, I’m an Arsenal player” He told Goal
“For a big club like Arsenal, you mentioned two great players so it will be exciting to have them.
“I don’t know anything that’s going on behind closed doors.”
Iwobi then gave his impression of Unai Emery and what it was like to work under the Spaniard
“It was good, he demanded a lot from us,” the winger said.
“We enjoyed working under him but we marginally missed out of the Champions League and unfortunately, we were unable to get the result we needed in the Europa League final.
“You can see there is a big progression, everyone is enjoying it. We look forward to next season.”
The Nigerian international then spoke about his own involvement in the team last season
“I was involved quite a lot last season,” he continued. “Obviously you want to start as many games as you can but it doesn’t work that way when you have a team like Arsenal, you just have to do well and whenever the opportunity comes, do your best. I just have to say thank you for the opportunity he is giving me.
“I’m happy to play anywhere [for Arsenal], I’ll play wherever I’m told to play. I’ve always seen myself as a midfielder, like an attacking midfielder but I’ll always give my best whether I’m told to play in the middle or somewhere else.”
Finally, the 23-year-old admitted that there was a mental issue last season.
He added: “On a good day, we’re able to beat any team as we showed last season.
“I think it’s more of a mental thing, make sure we are mentally ready for every game and we will be able to do well.”
Now, say what you like about Iwobi but if there is one thing you cannot fault, is his attitude.
He does not care where he is asked to play, he will not sulk or throw his dummy out of the pram, no, he will do what he is asked to do even when he knows he is being played out of position and will probably get hammered by the fans.
He remains very positive, he is open and honest about the failings and he has no fear of new signings.
And he has no intention of leaving the club, he wants to prove his worth and fight for his place.
If that attitude flowed through the entire team then our season will have ended on a far more positive note, that I am certain of.
[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MYc-Utu17To[/embedyt]