It’s Not Racist To Say Iwobi Is Rubbish !!!! by Dan Smith
I was at the Emirates on Sunday when a debate began regarding Iwobi. Some Gooners were getting frustrated by his final ball while others couldn’t understand how one of my friends could possibly suggest that Xhaka should be MOTM ahead of him.
Of course, the most important thing is that Arsenal won and it’s a shame a section of our fan base have their own agendas. These conversations are prominent on match days with it suggested the Nigerian is unfairly picked on. I heard some say the pressure comes from him being an academy graduate, others accuse English fans of resenting him for not wanting to represent the Three Lions.
Predominately though, on social media (where it would be – because a coward wouldn’t say this to your face) if you suggest Iwobi is not good enough for Arsenal, it’s you not liking him because of the colour of his skin. Now I could point out we have had players from several diverse backgrounds. I could point out that many of the most adored Gunners of all time are not all white. But should you have to defend you’re not a racist just because you happen not to rate an African player? For 10 years Ramsey divided opinions, Mustafi is often a scapegoat, think about the Ozil saga. Are those views there because they are white?
Yet it’s got to a point where if you don’t point out an Iwobi assist, you must have a vendetta against him. Yes, Iwobi contributed to a goal against Southampton but he doesn’t do it enough, not for this level. The stats back up the fact that his end product in the final third is not the requirements of a team who want to be in the Champions League. It’s as simple as that, an opinion based purely on football – not how he looks or where he’s from. If you can’t finish and can’t make goals consistently then you are not doing your job as a creative midfielder.
Emery hasn’t helped him at times by having him as our sole attacking midfielder. Mentally he can’t handle that responsibility especially when he’s preferred over Ozil. In 2019, we should have freedom of speech. Some players you rate, some you don’t. It’s a shame it’s getting to the point where you can’t give your thoughts on a player out of fear of offending people.
Dan Smith