The case FOR Iwobi by GunnerJack
To start off some of you will know I have been one of Iwobi’s biggest critics. However, I am writing this seriously as a counter to all that. Towards the end of the last campaign, I did notice an improvement in him and of course hope he continues along that path.
First off, so far he’s been played out on the wing which some have long debated is not his best position (although I don’t know his own views on this – perhaps someone could enlighten me?). A move to midfield would probably enhance his game and if so I see him as a box-to-box man rather than either a defensive stopper or a playmaker. Let’s see why:
1) He’s got abundant stamina to get up and back down the field as necessary.
2) He’s got the bulk to tackle and also to hold onto the ball and fend off players while retaining control of the ball while doing so.
3) He’s got the skill to beat people and the confidence to give it a go – unlike some in our team who meekly pass the ball backwards whenever confronted by an opposition player. If some players are named Galacticos then some in our team are the Patheticos.
4) His passing is better than most would think. If more of the CHANCES he created had been CONVERTED into goals his ASSIST record would, I think have been quite impressive – although I’m not into stats so cannot prove it. Maybe one of the stats men on here could let us know?
5) All the slagging off he’s received has not bothered him. The phrase ‘water off a duck’s back’ comes to mind. He has certainly not let it get him down and his confidence always seems high, even after sometimes losing the ball or finding his final ball going nowhere. His attitude seems to be ‘Ok that didn’t work – let’s go again!’ and I admire that. Confidence + Persistence cannot be undervalued.
5) When brought on in the final against Chelsea he was arguably one of our best players. Operating both on the left and in midfield he gave their defence a hard time, one of them getting booked I think, and then capped off an excellent display by showing great confidence, skill and much-improved shooting ability to volley home a cracker – and from the position of an attacking midfielder.
So there you have it – 5 reasons why I think he should definitely NOT be sold … but repositioned.
Unlike most of our previous pre-season games against the usual cannon fodder, we have some excellent opposition coming up this time. Why not chuck him into the middle of the action and see what happens? Young Bukayo Sako can take over on the wing, AMN could also make the move into midfield and promising right back Jordi Osei-Tutu can be given a chance there – he could not be worse than Lichtsteiner and Jenkinson.
In fact, with Freddie’s promotion, I am hoping for great things – especially the demotion of the pretty useless non-performing ‘Old Guard’, the installation of the Young Guns and maybe UE making some better decisions with Freddie’s help.
So will we see Iwobi as the new Ramsey or, better still, the new Abou Diaby without the injury problems? Will he stride forward and score the EPL title-winning goal a la Michael Thomas? Ok, I’ve aimed pretty high there and some will be itching to scoff but I hope Iwobi is at least given the chance.
After all, who knows?
Arsenal News 24/7
Sorry Martin doesn’t matter what he’s got
It matter what he produces
And one decent goal against chels after the game was over doesn’t cut it
Secondly So spuds are about to sign ndombele for £65 m
After building a 1billion pound stadium
Anyone feel shortchanged
I agree with GunnerJack that Iwobi could thrive as a box-to-box CM/ half winger/ mezzala in 4-3-3 formation or as a no 10 in 4-2-3-1 formation. He has the strength, the height and the ability to dribble past his markers, but without too much of end products
He is similar to Oxlade-Chamberlain. That is why the Ox excelled as a wingback at Arsenal and he is very good as a box-to-box CM at Liverpool. We would never know Iwobi’s real potential until he plays centrally in at least five consecutive EPL matches as a starter
Sadly I predict he is going to be another utility player like Welbeck and might never get the chance to play in the middle of the field. Oxlade-Chamberlain had to move to get those chances and Iwobi could be shipped out as well if he doesn’t play well as an RW in the upcoming season
He played in the middle for Nigeria today but not very well.
1st half was below par but picked up in the 2nd half. He hasn’t played that role in a long while. Going in to have a blast in that role was going to be difficult. I’ll rate him a 5.5 for thr game.
quit making excuse for the lad, I watched the match, and he was poor overall , he played in the number 10 role most people have been clamoring for. he looses the ball easily and its obvious he’s just not good enough as you people on here see him … as a squad player , YES !!! But definitely not a starter for me .
he was even better in the first game after musa came on and iwobi had to play from the middle (no 10 role) , but the second game , he started in the middle and it was really annoying . ya”all should just stop making excuses for him
He must play more often in the middle to get used to it
Omg the excuses already ,.
I’m sorry Gunnerjack you seem like a nice chap but iwobi is proper shit ,my opinion though and i realise you have yours .
If he’s played in the staring 11 this coming season then we are in big trouble
The Ox comparison is a good one. Not necessarily because they are similar players but because they are/were young players who flattered to deceive at Arsenal.
What I find most interesting though is how much flak Iwobi gets from some quarters compared to the Ox. For me Oxlade-Chamberlain was the much more frustrating player as he continually gave the ball away in dangerous positions.
But as a young Arsenal player he always had my support and thesame same goes for Iwobi.
That’s a good point Trudeau, I remember The Ox conceding possession in dangerous areas that lead to the opposition team scoring the winner/equaliser. I remember the look on Koscielny’s face… Spoke volumes!
Martin didn’t write this article, @GunnerJack did and obviously before Iwobi’s game for Nigeria today as apart from one decent shot he was very poor. Also @GunnerJack I agree about Jordi but he’s gone on loan to a German second division team.
Probably the best thing for Jordi at this stage Declan although given what we have at the moment in that position I would not have minded giving him a go there.
I read that the whole U23 team were amazed at Emery favouring Licht and Jenks over Jordi with the outgoing Cohen Bramall saying on behalf of the youngsters ‘… that decision was one that didn’t make sense to any of us”. Not exactly enamoured by Emery’s decision making then!
I’d also prefer we didn’t persist in (mis)using AMN there either.
Declan I didn’t see the whole Nigeria match as you correctly surmised but I’ve watched the 10 minute highlights and thought Iwobi did ok.
If you, or anyone, cares to watch it then Iwobi at:
2.17 gets into a great position but doesn’t get the ball
3.24 again gets perfect position on edge of box but again not seen by the glory hunting winger – 3.33 illustrates this. I noticed the striker wasn’t too pleased either.
3.48 again took up a good position
4.00 got his shot on target from outside the box
5.46 was involved in a good Nigerian move
5.52 had a decent long range effort, not brilliant but not terrible either
6.11 got into another great position but the so-called Leicester wonder boy Ndidi didn’t happen to notice him
7.15 took another shot which was again on target from the edge of the box
Admittedly I don’t know if his overall game was up to scratch but I do know he took up some great positions and that his shots were mostly on target.
Certainly he seemed better than your comment ‘he was very poor’
Spurs smashing their transfer record I feel like o got screwed
I think what is interesting here is the state of this purchase. ndombele is 22yrs old. By the time he is 25yrs old and as expected he flourishes then someone bigger will come along and offer 85m for him. That’s how purchases should be done.
We got torriera for 27m I would argue he is worth 40m in the current market. 22yrs old too, turning 23 and by the age of 25yr is torriera potential to worrh 65m? Yes.
We could make 38m if he is sold for 65m and then spurs making 20m on ndombele. It’s not so much about the money. But the money does need to be considered if one day we want to spend 65m. Buying and selling is how we previously done it, we need to get back into that cycle..
I would add, leno is worth more then the 22m spent on him.
Gendouzi is worth considerably more then the 8m spent on him.
Laca is worth 55.
Auba 70m.
Holding is worth 45m
Bellering 45m
M.Niles 35m
Nelson 25m
Iwobi 25m
In truth we need to bring in more value which means we can buy and sell. So if Saliba is 27m at 18yr but we can get 7 years and sell him for 60m so be it. Go buy another few players.
Buy Tierney for 20m and in 4 years sell him for 40m…
This is how it should be..
Holding got injured during his break through season. Okay he’d been there for a year already but he didn’t really become a starter until the last campaign. I don’t think he’s worth £45 million just yet. He’d have to have a few more consistent seasons performing against the best to command such a high fee.
Just my opinion.
Tom, I would love to have my house valued by you, based on your valuation of some of our players. I would definitely sell it if it fetched the sort of fantasy figures you assume for SOME(only) of our players. Holding at £45 mill and Bellerin at £45 mill are a triumph of hope over realism. To be clear, I rate Holding as a good prospect but to fetch that money while he has done practically nothing is fools gold. And Bellerin , a defender remember, cannot defend at all. I will expect you at my house anytime you like to value it and will even make you a cuppa or get you something more substantial to taste. You more than deserve it IF your valuations should prove anywhere near accurate. I would not quibble with your two strikers valuations though.
Spurs saved for 3 windows, remember? They can sell Eriksen too. Madrid spent 300m and will spend more, because for last 5-6 years they spent less. So? We dont have a single sellable player that we want to get part with, not Spur’s problem. Their owner is invested and runs the club as he would any other business, profit is the priority but so is the club.
Now back to Iwobi. I just cant imagine we will sell 10 players and buy 10 new ones in one window. There are many ahead of him who deserves a cut from the team. Ozil, Mkhi, Nacho, Mustafi, Kos, Elneny are either not interested in the club anymore or not able to perform at top level anymore because of physical restrictions. Let us figure out a way to get rid of some of these players and keep Niles, Iwobi along with new signings. Giving our youngsters more years do not hurt a cash-strapped club, especially when no one is going to pay similar fee that we got for Ox for Iwobi (not being English).
Better than Ozil, should still not be starting and is acceptable squad player.
Iwobis got the skills and also has good physique… Had some good moments last season… I wouldn’t complain about him being in the squad when there are some other Hippos we should concerned about
I’m happy for Iwobi to stay and I agree he performed better than Ozil. He is useful
But he isn’t of starting Quality in my opinion. He is a bench warmer or Squad player.
He’s useful as a sub or in FA/League Cup early matches
He’s still young and will improve though hopefully
Yes i agree with you, i think they should give him a chance, he will bring a great change in our midfield.
Iwobi is the least of our worries. didnt cost us a penny and is not earning anywhere near the amount that some in the team earn. He also helps with the homegrown quota so for what we would make selling him is nit worth it anyway.
As a sidenote, if our young players do get a chance in the first team next year, as a lot of people have suggested, i just hope they dont get as much stick as Iwobi gets of they arent superstars straight away!
Exactly, he has not prevented us from buying a better player. He also has as much input as the high earners.
Good comment AMM and I too hope to see the youngsters at least given the chance to show what they can do. The ‘Old Guard’ for me have had more than enough chances and have come up badly short.
I’d love to see the two youngsters Saka and Nelson on the wings, cutting in and attacking the box, with such as AMN/Iwobi bombing through from midfield into good positions to receive their passes. All four of those mentioned (plus Laca/Auba of course) love to SHOOT – unlike some in our team who try to PASS the ball into the back of the net.
Iwobi right now is a gamble, he might come good or continue to struggle to hit the top class.
Ozil right now commands almost same wages as that of Leroy Sane, Bernando Silva and Fernandinho.
Guys, who would you back considering past, current and future factors to setting up your team?
I’d pick Ozil though…lol
Where did u get that stat from I doubt city are not stupid as we are to offer anything near to what ozil is earning to those players last I checked Leroy sane is on 60k a week bernado Silver on 120k and Fernadinho on 180 so where did u get those ridiculous figure from just to make ozil’S wage like it’s normal weekly wage good players earn ozil is rubbish working light ant eating like elephant
We are on same page bro, you obviously didnt get the sarcasm there. Add the wages together for the three Citizens, its 360k while our guy gets 350k. Wouldn’t you thrash him to get the other three? If he’s got any dignity in him, he should just quit and stop robbing us.
Arsenal dropped form and points immediately Unai reintroduced him to the team at the end of the season costing us top 4. Europa league final, he was shocking. I don’t know what else fans enjoy from him, really i dont know.
As regards Iwobi, he should be loaned out to give space for a proper winger.
Top 4 is a must for us this new season.
He plays because we lack options on wing, not due to any magnificent talent or progression.
As a winger Iwobi is rotation/squad player based on his production. Not sure how he’d fare in the middle, but AMN did a real job there when he played, and Pogba even praised his performance.
As for the young players(Saka, Nelson, ESR) I hope they’re given as many opportunities as Iwobi has been given.
My thing with Iwobi has been 2 things over his last 2 yrs
1. Final shot is weak still; no improvement
2. Decision making in final third is horrendous; no improvement
Sure he dribbles, but he has not shown progression in other areas that need developing if he is to start.
My comments are based on watching his performances, not consulting with coaches, managers, or scouts.
I think all our comments are based on what we see Durand, as we don’t have access to coaches etc.
What I see is that he can beat people, unlike say Kolasinac, but having got near the goal line out on the wing his final ball often let him down. If he was in the centre and he could dribble that far he’d be in a position to have a straight go at goal, instead of having to make a sharp right turn and find someone to pass to.
I also think he improved on his final ball sometimes, particularly when he seemed determined to help Auba get a hat trick … I can’t remember who we were playing but it did stick in my tiny mind as one of his better displays.
Nice one Gunnerjack but I won’t say he is good for Arsenal at the moment. I only think as our product he should be supported considering he is not doing any worst than the high earners
As you say Nifty he’s not too good at the moment. However a switch in position might just work the oracle so maybe we could give it a try, especially pre-season, and see what happens.
This should be iwobi’s final season to prove himself, his end product, that is shooting and final passes were laughably poor last season. He has great feet and work rate but somehow manages to bottle the most important moments. Would be surprised if we could sell him for more than 15 million. If he can improve this season, then great, if not, sell.
I see it the same as you do. He had had a number of seasons around the first team already and in my experience, a player aged 23, with the games behind him he has already had, would have already shown far more, were he ever to become a top quality player. I would only on balance , because of our poor midfield squad, keep him ONE more season and then make a final decision on him. But I remain extremely doubtful, as he has so many holes in his game and in his decision making. He works hard and is physically quite strong but that hardly adds up to a new Viera. Does it!!!
Isn’t it about time he improved? Been waiting for what seems like an eternity!!
Yes his goal was good in the final (about the only thing that was) but his goals are sparse!
Hi Sue. Yes it’s time he improved but I’m not sure that will happen out on the wing. From the little I’ve seen of him Bukayo Saka would do a better job.
My view on Iwobi is that he would be of more use in the middle, especially in a position where he was free of any responsibility to either defend or create. To my mind he’s neither a Torreira nor an at-his-best Ozil.
Unencumbered by either of those two roles I see him as more of a free spirit who would gladly battle for the ball all day long in midfield, take on defenders, stride forward and have a crack at goal. He seems to have the confidence/self belief to relish such a task and of course it’s easier to shoot from in front of the net rather than from a wing position. If he cocked it up a few times I don’t think he’d worry about it and he’d just have another go when the chance came. To keep on keeping on when things are not going right is I think a valuable quality. I remember reading about the great Babe Ruth who apparently struck out an alarming number of times but never gave up and went on to achieve fame and fortune.
So I would not sell him just yet – just give him a go as a box to box this coming season. If it didn’t work out then at least he would have been given the chance and we would all know he wasn’t good enough and he could then be sold.
We have far worse players who I would happily get rid of before Iwobi and if we sold him right now I would be worried that if someone bought him and gave him his chance in midfield he could come back to haunt us. For instance the Wolves manger seems to know what he’s doing and I wouldn’t like to see Iwobi lining up against us there.
Thanks for the reply GunnerJack.. I wasn’t being funny to you, with my comment, I just find watching him play very frustrating!!
But then what do I know, I’m not the manager!
Yes you’re right – there are a few players that need to be sold asap.. I believe Iwobi will be here next season, whether he plays most games, I don’t know. But if he doesn’t improve his decision making etc then surely we should move him on….
Sue I sense your frustration and I didn’t think for a minute you were being funny at all.
Perhaps if Iwobi was coming through from midfield i.e. ending up directly in front of goal rather than in front of the corner flag, then there would not be a great need for too much decision making – either shoot or pass the ball to a better placed colleague and, like other youngsters, he does like to shoot.
The other person to frustrate me was Ozil who had many chances to shoot during the season but practically always did not take that responsibility and instead chose to pass. Will be interesting to see how Emery uses Ozil next season, if he’s still here. I was very disappointed with him in the final as I was expecting much more, having supported him throughout.
Yes I’m totally with you – Ozil has been very frustrating! I’ve been gutted at some of his performances.. I just hope next season, he picks himself up & shows us what he’s capable of.. about time we saw it! That is assuming he’ll still be with us next season (I hope so ?)
@ Sue .Really
And we have been waiting on Xhaka for how long now .
Ozil has done what for how many seasons now.
You see where i am going with this.
i get you ,KEn1945, Phil dont like the player but it almost seems like its for reasons not relating to football .
Xhaka needs to be sold asap!! I’m done with him!
Ozil needs to step up next season – same with Iwobi..
I’m fed up with hearing this – it has everything to do with football – he’s a very frustrating player to watch! Don’t you agree? Or are you happy with his decision making??
If he improves this season, I’ll hold my hands up & admit I got it wrong, but to be honest Gizzle, I won’t be holding my breath!
@ Sue
I hope for Iwobi comes good else he should be sold as well .
We saw this in gervinho and he was sold and i didnt shed a tear for him .
Nice one Gizzle!
You mean you don’t miss that forehead?! ?
“Reasons other than football”.And what in your tiny mind are these reasons?
YOU PAL need to be very very careful.If you are insinuating racism here then you will be very true to form.
Let me tell you exactly why I do not,and never will rate Iwobi.Its very very simple.He is a useless footballer.And when you read
through the posts on this article I don’t see too many actually saying he is anything more than a squad player.
Some say he will improve if played as a CAM.ARE THESE PEOPLE F***ing BLIND?
He can’t shoot properly
He can’t pick his nose let alone a pass
He has NO FOOTBALL BRAIN
Zero ability
FFS some said watch him tear up the ACON when moved to a CAM position.Well he played there last night didn’t he?And his performance I am hearing was SLAP BANG AVERAGE.WHAT A SURPRISE.Against a team even worse than Nigeria ( if that’s possible ).How many more chances does this player have to have?
So there it is PAL.In MY OPIOION I am talking about a very very average footballer.And he is doing his very best to prove me correct.
@ Phil, you lack the knowledge of African football,it is more physical than skill,moreover, I don’t know why you’re so obsessed with Iwobi and his football pattern, Calling one of our player names is not a good way to support as a fan.
Finally, stop your useless comments about our players.
“Stop my useless comments about our players”.I cannot believe you are so ridiculously telling me to stop.Who are you to try and tell me to do anything PAL.Do you own this site!Then remember who you are and do not get ideas above your true standing in life.
Your own countrymen continue to rubbish this player after yet another ACON performance described as totally inept and frustrating.Now where have we all heard that before?
As I will continue to say-a two Bob player who will have a season watching Reiss Nelson overtake him in the squad before he is off the the Championship or Division One (at best) which as everyone knows (but few care to admit) is his true level
@ phil glad you justified my point , i haven’t insulted you but you felt at ease to do so .
I am the holder of a BSc , MSc and a Phd .thats how tiny my brain is .I haven’t even said anything about racism and its perfectly normal to dislike someone and we aren’t friends so don’t call me pal .your just ignorant and whether a player is average or not as long as he puts on an arsenal Jersey he should be encouraged ,most especially a player from our youth academy.Permit me to ask a few question.
Is JEsse Lingard a better player than Iwobi ?
Did IWobi play better than Ozil last season ?
Did a host of other players do worse than him ?
what ever your answers are that’s your problem .
I don’t believe you PAL.Send a copy of these qualifications to Admin Martin.
And you were intimating racism.Look at what you wrote and if you were not then tell me what you were inferring.
And even though you seem ever unable to answer anything I will gladly do so.
Lingard is a far far better footballer than Iwobi.If you believe differently then say so and I will get a poll up.Lets see how intelligent you look when those results come in.
Emery played Ozil over Iwobi when MO10 was eventually fit.That shows the manager rates Ozil more than Iwobi does it not?And let’s face it he is the one responsible.Or are you too unintelligent to understand this?
Lichstiener had a bad season.He was brought as a stopgap player.Other than that Iwobi pretty much was true to form-useless.
There-questions answered.Hope to receive your thoughts PAL but even you will find it difficult to make yourself look more unintelligent than you already have.
Gizzle, I have just found this comment and wonder exactly what you mean by “reasons not relating to football”?
Before I reply, can you explain EXACTLY what you are referring too and then I will give you my views on the player.
If you don’t reply, I guess it will sum up the gist of you and your post, utter BS!!!
By the way, I have NEVER given my views on the player to date, but have joined in the discussions about mistakes and comparisions, so I await your reply and thank you in advance.
@ken1945
IF your wondering if i called you racist i have not as if i wanted to i will say it plainly .
i meant you dont like him as a person it can be for his lifestyle it can be for anything else but to judge the boy so harshly in a poor team where he performed better than half of the squad raises a few eyebrows wont you say , especially with the passion at which you bash him .lol.
I asked Phil a few questions so i will relay them to you .
Is JEsse Lingard a better player than Iwobi ?
Did IWobi play better than Ozil last season ?
Did a host of other players do worse than him ?
Was Zaha better than Iwobi at his age ?
So now your adding Zaha as a question- my answer? Off course he was.There is only 3 years age difference.You believe Iwobi is still a youn* player when he is clearly not.
So back the questions I asked.
What were you implying in your comments if there was no racial intent?And I was not the only one to pick up on this was I?
Isn’t it time Ozil quit too and stop robbing us? How many years have we been waiting now to produce the same 1st season?
Ozil = 350k/week, Sane+Fernando Silva+Fernandinho = 360k/week.
Isn’t this heart wrenching enough?
Really pity this Iwobi guy. He should just leave for the likes of eleven Ozil in the 1st team and make you guys happy.
yes yes yes… i guess ozil did better?? laughable !!!
There is so much pre-occupation with Iwobi and Ozil. I thinks as fan we should putting some pressure on our board members to release more funds for the signing of players that are better than what we have already. These analysis and comparison is getting too much.
I am sorry to have to disagree with goonerJack. Iwobi does not have the speed of thought nor the speed of foot movement to be a good midfielder. His passing is not accurate enough and he really does not tackle well enough and loses most tackels he gets into. Personally, I would sell him and use the funds to bring in someone who already has the attributes Iwobi is lacking because we really need to find a midfield dynamo like Cazorla or Silva or Bernardo at City who can control a game in the middle of the park.
I get where you are coming from Jeff but I would still love to see him TRIED in that position, just so we can see what he can/can’t do. Maybe in pre-season?
This time in pre-season we face some decent teams so it would be a good test, unlike the minnows we normally play which just seem to be shirt selling promotions.
I can clearly remember how fans were slagging off Ramsey in the years past. And I can clearly remember that we’ve all regretted him leaving the club at the end of the last season.
Now, what does that tell us? Maybe we should wait a bit more before going “off with his head” on Iwoby. One thing we cannot ignore about the lad is his age. He’s 23, he’s talented, he can dribble. Give him a season to improve, and if he does, extend, if not, sell.
I afraid his time is over-you Watch Reiss Nelson take his place this coming season.He will be integrated slowly into the team and then we can all watch Iwobi rip it up in the Championship.
Not your favorite Ozil again? Its now Nelson, you make me laugh read hard anytime i read your bitching comments here. Enjoy man…
Ozil = 350k/week, Sane+Fernando Silva+Fernandinho = 360k/week.
Isn’t this heart wrenching enough?
Really pity this Iwobi guy. He should just leave for the likes of eleven Ozil in the 1st team and make you guys happy.
PAL-where does Ozil come unto this discussion?Oh yeah of course.Its you Africans (well mostly) who seem to feel there is a comparison between the two.Let me enlighten you-there isn’t.Yet it’s you and your like who blindly believe there is.And Reiss Nelson will prove the end for Iwobi who will soon be the end for Iwobi-and like many I can’t wait to have a TALENTED ENGLISH YOUNGSTER in the team.Yiu keep Iwobi PAL-seems to be ripping it up in the ACON tournemount doesn’t he?HA HA.Even being slagged off by his own Nigerian press for being poor AGAIN.And against WHO EXACTLY?
So proving inadequate for Nigeria but YOU want him at Arsenal?
God help us
@ Phil for someone who cares about being called racist you do say racist shit.lol
“ITS YOU AFRICANS (well mostly)”.
I hope Reiss Nelson gets a run in the team as he is also from the academy .IWobi probably spent his whole life in Newham as he played for England U15 -U18. well England most patronize a lot of talentless youth then .lol
Everyone is allowed to dislike a player . Squillaci and Senderos gave me nightmares but dont you think your a bit extreme on the hate .If i had never watched arsenal or IWobi one will think he was ballboy by the way you describe him.
Reiss Nelson had a 8 goals and an assist . We needs to improve as i compared him to Sancho , i still do.
Iwobi has 6 goals and 9 assists having played a lot more games than Nelson .That is if your stats kind of guy and back to the African thing Mane , MAhrez,Auba,Salah are all African so that should tell you the type of footballers that come from the continent. Try be objective next time PAL
The article does focus on Iwoby being played centrally, though. So, maybe Iwoby pushes 350zil out of the first team and Reiss Nelson takes the vacated flank. I’d like to see that and I’d like to see 350zil played in the reserves for the remainder of his Arsenal career.
Or maybe we look at Iwobi’s performance as a CAM for Nigeria last night and realise he was ridiculed by THE NIGERIAN PRESS for yet another ineffective display against the mighty nation of WHO EXACTLY?
He is a two bob player PAL.Just accept this fact.
He might be all you have for your National Team which explains everything as far as I’m concerned but thank the lord almighty we do have options with the young TALENT players we have coming through.
A very mediocre player who cannot even make an impact playing in the very poor ACON tournament against teams equivalent to Leyton Orients Ladies Team.
@dotash-I would like you to explain why you feel I have a very low knowledge of football.I look forward to your reply
The problem is Phil, they never seem to reply.
I’m still waiting on one from Gizzle, let’s see who answers first.
If one can’t back up their posts with replies, I fail to see why they bother coming on a site like “justarsenal”.
Ken-This is the problem isn’t it.They seem blinded in their adoration of Iwobi who had what I would suggest was an okayish sort of season.Yet they honestly believe he will improve when in reality he just does not possess the skills or football intelligence to get any better than what he is.
Let’s look at the teams in the Premiere league next season and ask them to honestly say which are likely to have him in their side.He is not good enough to get into Watford’s side so go down the League from them.Brighton?Probably yes but not definite.Villa?Not likely.Southampton?Again probably but not certain.Anyone else other than teams likely to struggle?No.Yet some believe him to be worth a place as not only a first team starter but as a Midfield Creator in an Arsenal team that is crying out for quality.Deluded and obsessed.A bad combination
So I am a Rascist?A deadly white supremist? I can live with that PAL even though you could not be furter from the truth.
But it hurts me when you say I know nothing about football.?
And yes I do want English players at my Club.But is not Iwobi classified as English! He played for the England youth sides before realising he had no chance of ever getting recognition in the full international team so ran off to where he was guaranteed a game if you had a pair of your own boots and could take your own kit home to be washed.
But if that makes me a racist and white supremist in your mind then who am I to argue.
White supremacy on here that’s a new one ?
Admin you need to
Get round these posters that come out with this shit .
I’ve been told to hang myself in the
Past because I said Iwobi was shit .
Why we seem to talk about football some on here raise issue where there is none .
But that’s it in a nutshell Dan isn’t it.They simply fail to defend Iwobi in footballing terms so out comes the racist remarks.For what?Wanting English players at my Club?Why wouldn’t I want English players.Nelson,ESR and Sako.All English.Why would I not want them coming through.
Go onto She Wore A Yellow Ribbon and read this mornings headline about what is an English player and if you do I suppose all who agree are racist and members of KKK for agreeing are they.
It’s always the Africans on this site who play the racist card yet have no justifiable reason other than I do not,never have and most likely never will rate Iwobi as a footballer.Yet they have no answer when I suggest they read the Nigerian press that slaughtered their own player for consecutive mediocre performances while playing in the ACON.
They see what they want to see.They seriously need to remove the blindfolds
No need to regard him anymore really, he couldn’t hide it anymore. Even said “English players at my club”. Laughable!!!
Maybe he inherited the club from his grandad.
@phil, learn to grow old happily. Leave this football millionaires and find real happiness with real world.
Yeah -I have running water in my house so doo brush my teeth (and floss) regularly.Its called personal hygiene PAL