Heh, I'll be honest, I'm not confident he'll make it as a key man for us. Siggy and Davies are playing a big role this season. You're right, they may not be the future, but if many (including myself) had got their way in having them punted our season may have been different. Now, the obvious retort is "yeah, better as we'd have replaced them", but I think you'll see my point even if you don't agree.
Follow along with the video below to see how to install our site as a web app on your home screen.
Note: This feature may not be available in some browsers.
- Status
TheBigIguana
Player Valuation: £100m
I wasn't considering Sigurdsson so much because he's played further up.
I don't think Tom was ever as bad as people made out either so I think him coming around is just the natural progression of a young player helped by finally getting into a consistent role.
I don't think Iwobi has played well. What I think is that there is a way for him to play well but we've put him in a role where he's being asked to take guys on (which he's OK but not great at) and to cross (which he's objectively not good at). We also play a system that is poor at linking the front players which hurts him because it is basically the thing he's best at. My feeling is having him play as a midfielder or #10 would be best with a role on the left where he can come inside on his strong foot also decent but we've done the exact opposite and it is never going to work.
I also understand it, he really is the only guy in the squad who has any chance of holding width and being effective on the wing, but he's not actually good at it so you get more bad games than good.
I think they've both made a good contribution this year but they're not so important that I would be disappointed if we sold either or both of them tomorrow.
Iwobi I would pay for his taxi.
Mate, he can afford a private jet. Save your money!
We have asked him to do a wingers job because that is what he was meant to be. He never played anywhere else for Arsenal really.
You probably weren't around for the Bilyaletdinov days but he was another useless winger that people constantly suggested would suddenly become a player in the number 10 role. What I'm saying is, some of us blues have done this before with players and realize that putting a bad winger in the middle to give them time doesn't fix the problem.
You talk about him coming inside on his strong foot. That's what he tried to do on the left and he was useless at it.
The only way he can beat a player is with a lucky burst of pace and knocking the ball around them.
He doesn't have the ability or decision making to be effective in the middle.
Sorry Iwobi. I forgot Delph existed.
TheBigIguana
Player Valuation: £100m
I disagree, in fact his best game for us was doing exactly what you're saying he can't. We've of course never tried it again because that is what Everton do, but that's the fact of it.
Arsenal never asked him to be a get your head down and cross it player though. They've always been a team with a strong passing setup so even their "wingers" function closer to midfielders. Ozil spent time playing on the right for example. If we were playing like that then it would be fine but we don't, Gylfi played "#10" but his involvement in the game never matched that spot and we don't push the DMs on so our passing combos are reduced to a lot of fullback/winger combos. That really isn't him on the right or left.
It's just the wrong fit. I wonder how his career goes if he gets another season at Arsenal because I believe he was about to break out but they decided Pepe was a better idea.
Hahahaha if he had stayed at Arsenal another year he would be on loan at West Brom.
Zatara
Player Valuation: £100m
Hes been here 2 years of a 5 year deal....
£27mil would mean FFP breakeven of £16.2mil
Id snap someones hands off for half that.
TheBigIguana
Player Valuation: £100m
I'm not really sure how that's the conclusion you draw but the hahas show me you aren't serious anyway so NEA with going further.
messymascot
Player Valuation: £35m
Thats even better I thought we paid £35 million. If we get £6 million for Bernard only need £10 million. Happy days. If we also make profit on Kean and sell Kenny might not even need that. My calculations are we need £6 million to break even on Tosun and £3 million Delph is that correct?
Zatara
Player Valuation: £100m
The last thing i want to think about at 1126pm on a friday night is Cenk Tosun and FabDel...but yes, i think thats correct
messymascot
Player Valuation: £35m
The last thing i want to think about at 1126pm on a friday night is Cenk Tosun and FabDel...but yes, i think thats correct
Ha ha. I'm now confident I understand!! Don't forget about Bolasie and Besic in your late night musings.
Barnfred 55
Player Valuation: £80m
You could add Bernard to that list too. As recently as the January window many people would have been quite happy to lose 2 or 3 of those players. My argument all along is that we need them as squad players at the moment. We have 1 or 2 positions in the starting XI that need sorting before we start looking at the squad. Ultimately, over the course of the next 2/3 years I can see all of them going, with the exception of possibly Davies if he continues his fine development under Carlo. But not yet.
Bernard may go this nexr window, and possibly Iwobi if we bring in the much needed right winger and bring Gordon back into the fold. But we'll need a slightly bigger squad for Europe hopefully.
As regards Iwobi specifically, he's 25 soon so in theory creeping towards his prime. Although I've seen a slight improvement in some games under Carlo, I think he's running out of time tbh. Not completely given up on him but it's likely he'll be nothing more than a fringe squad player going forward, and my preference is that we reserve those positions for young up and coming players with a higher ceiling potential.
- Status