2019/20 Alex Iwobi

[Tubey]

You got any reasoning or no?

No goal threat, mishits far too many passes, hasn't got the pace to play out wide.

He looked decent for precisely two weeks when he first played. Added some enthusiasm at a time the team was at a total low. But that's it. He's done nothing since, before and after injury.

Sure, you might feel he'll come good, you're entitled to that view, but I find defending him and saying he's been "fine" to be simply odd, as he just hasn't been.

 

[Goat]

I was more talking about Pulisic at Chelsea. I thought that's what the other guy meant when he said Chelsea overestimated the Bundesliga.

Anyway on Iwobi, he's not playing so well, but he's also not playing poorly either imo. No one seems to care that he's really good in the middle third even when he's struggling in the final third. Which is odd, because with guys like Gomes and Bernard who have fit that description at times it is never a problem. The giving the ball away thing isn't supported by the numbers, which I know everyone hates, but whatever it isn't true.

I actually appreciated that he got a couple of shots away last game even if the first one probably was the wrong choice. Too often we rely on Dom, Richarlison and set plays to be the goal scoring. We're going to need complimentary scoring and that requires other guys to shoot. Just needs to be at the right times.

He should play with Bernard. It's been a loooong time since they have, and I think that it worked well before.

Yeah he did mean Pulisic, as for answering your question I havent seen anything in the press, I just think people are seeing him not even making the side and considering him a flop.

 

[BillBrasky]

Iwobi is meh city.

A dime a dozen player. Decent between the 18s but a liability inside or around either box.

 

[TheBigIguana]

Yeah he did mean Pulisic, as for answering your question I havent seen anything in the press, I just think people are seeing him not even making the side and considering him a flop.

Lampard fwiw is a very silly manager. And that's on more than just the Pulisic front.

 

[TheBigIguana]

No goal threat, mishits far too many passes, hasn't got the pace to play out wide.

He looked decent for precisely two weeks when he first played. Added some enthusiasm at a time the team was at a total low. But that's it. He's done nothing since, before and after injury.

Sure, you might feel he'll come good, you're entitled to that view, but I find defending him and saying he's been "fine" to be simply odd, as he just hasn't been.

I got everyone crossed up lol. I was defending Pulisic from a poster who in passing said he wasn't doing well.

Anyway Iwobi's been alright. As I said to Goat people seem to ignore the good work he does between the lines in the middle third while simultaneously rating players very highly because of the same thing.

 

[Archie Knox]

Wish we could just send him back

 

[Zezti]

I got everyone crossed up lol. I was defending Pulisic from a poster who in passing said he wasn't doing well.

Anyway Iwobi's been alright. As I said to Goat people seem to ignore the good work he does between the lines in the middle third while simultaneously rating players very highly because of the same thing.

To be honest though, all the good works he does is worthless when he blazes shots well wide/over. Still, he's only just come back into the side and maybe Ancelotti will get a tune out of him.

 

[Carlito]

Oh yes.

I underestimated how bad DAS SPL is sadly.

I couldn't believe what I saw from Haller at Goodison.

It was like watching Rudy Gestede.

 

[TheBigIguana]

To be honest though, all the good works he does is worthless when he blazes shots well wide/over. Still, he's only just come back into the side and maybe Ancelotti will get a tune out of him.

Yeah he does need to show a bit more composure and accuracy no doubt. Getting the shots off is at least half the battle though so I appreciate that he can do that when he gets to the positions. They'll find their way in at some point.

 

[Carlito]

My thing is I can follow the logic of his signing. If I can put myself in the management's shoes and see what they were thinking I'm not going to say it was panicking. To me that implies a degree of brainlessness as opposed to just making a mistake. I try to avoid thinking of people that way.

I can understand why you want to defend Iwobi's ability, since he hasn't really had a chance to prove that he's definitely crap yet.

However, it's very difficult to make the case that he wasn't a panic buy resulting from the Zaha debacle. It was a lot of money to pay for a player who wasn't a starter at his previous club, and who wasn't exactly in demand, but that's what happens when you get to Deadline Day feeling as though you simply have to make a signing.

 

[TheBigIguana]

I can understand why you want to defend Iwobi's ability, since he hasn't really had a chance to prove that he's definitely crap yet.

However, it's very difficult to make the case that he wasn't a panic buy resulting from the Zaha debacle. It was a lot of money to pay for a player who wasn't a starter at his previous club, and who wasn't exactly in demand, but that's what happens when you get to Deadline Day feeling as though you simply have to make a signing.

It's not that difficult but for you and the hundreds of others who have had your minds made it won't matter. There's a pretty easily discernable line of reasoning for his signing that even makes sense in the context of Zaha being the first target.

 

[Goat]

It's not that difficult but for you and the hundreds of others who have had your minds made it won't matter. There's a pretty easily discernable line of reasoning for his signing that even makes sense in the context of Zaha being the first target.

Hes nothing like Zaha tho, surely even you would concede that?

 

[Carlito]

It's not that difficult but for you and the hundreds of others who have had your minds made it won't matter. There's a pretty easily discernable line of reasoning for his signing that even makes sense in the context of Zaha being the first target.

I'll bite.

Where was he going to play in Silva's 4-2-3-1?

 

[TheBigIguana]

Hes nothing like Zaha tho, surely even you would concede that?

Not exactly, but I think the idea was to get someone who could move the ball from one end to other. Both players are very strong in this area but in very different ways. Zaha had proven more ability in the final third (when arsed) so he was preferred.

 

[TheBigIguana]

I'll bite.

Where was he going to play in Silva's 4-2-3-1?

This is my assessment of the Brands/Silva thinking as far as what to do about signing an attacking midfield player in the 4-2-3-1:

They looked at the end of last season team and saw the players that they had to fill those positions were Bernard, Sigurdsson, Richarlison, Walcott and Lookman. Lookman was good as gone so that necessitated a replacement for depth at a minimum. Of the remaining players none were very good at transitioning the team from defense into attack. Bernard is ok, but largely relies on linking with the LB and doesn't bring much else. Sigurdsson gave us actually zero in that department because he's too slow to dribble and not active enough to get it done passing. Richarlison is ok at dribbling but the passing wasn't/isn't there and he was maybe a striker anyway. And Walcott is a reserve player ideally. Also aside from Gomes, who is average in this area for the most part, and possibly Gbamin, no one in the deeper midfield was taking up this role.

So they set out to bring in someone who could do that job and who had some level of positional flexibility, as they were probably only signing one more player. Zaha was the first name because he is very good at making dribbles from deep positions into the attacking third. He's also (when he cares to be) a dangerous player in the attacking third. Another option on their list was Iwobi because he is decent at dribbling up the field and a far above average forward passer for a winger/#10. And his ability to either be a LW or #10 meant that he gave them a bit of the flexibility too.

It obviously hasn't gone 100% like they wanted. He's had little final third impact and that's a problem. But I think the stuff in between the lines and in the midfield has been largely what they were looking for when he came in. Unfortunately a combination of factors has made this unseeable for our fans. The nature of the transfer, where he came from, his somewhat awkward style and whatever else have totally clouded everyone. It is strange to me because a decent player in the middle without enough final third impact is exactly what Bernard and Gomes were most the time last season and some of this one, and no one worried about them.

Anyway if you read all that I think you'll understand why despite the disappointment in his performances for most of this season I still think there was some actual thinking and reason behind bringing him here. And also why I think there is still enough about him to keep trying to work it out for the next few months and into next season.