2022/23 Alex Iwobi

[BlueToff]

Which is precious little. And the small bits that are come from scoring goals which he'd probably do more if he was able to shoot on his left foot easier.

His crossing is absolutely abysmal.

Iwobi scoring 5 goals as a full time player is not some crazy stretch. He got a handful for Arsenal as a bit part.

But he isn't a quick player and he has no right foot so he's so predictable on the right. Also, all of his goals have come from him finding or creating space on the left and having confidence because it's his stronger foot. That goal the other day is the prime example, whereas against Villa he was on the other side of the box and didn't shoot because it was on his right.

As for his crossing, it's pretty much his best asset and how he creates all his chances. His crossing against Villa was excellent. The other day it wasn't great. But he would be so, so easy to stop on the right. He might get one off - and he'd have to make it count. He just looks so much more comfortable on the left and I can't understand how anyone who actually watches us play could think otherwise.

Iwobi's not scored more than twice in a season for us in four years here so unsure why you're going back to when he was at Arsenal (playing with much better players).

Also, I'm pretty sure the majority of goals he has scored for us have come in games where he, ironically enough, started on the right side of midfielder, either centrally or wide.

 

[roydo]

We had to sell a player by the end of June mate.

I doubt we will ever know the full story, but its quite likely a big sale was part of the PL signing off the accounts/covid losses the previous accounting year. Like the £1.5m transfer kitty was.

 

[Neiler]

I mean it wasn't really coming from our media mate. Leeds and Burnley lodging their appeal was a real thing, the PL had our backs, but we had to bring in a big sale.

We should be okay this year - we've had Gordon and Kean money come in (whether it's already been used is another thing), but in terms of books that should make 22-23 accounts look a tad better.

We had to sell a player by the end of June mate. I don't know what else to tell you. It was either gonna be Dom or Richy and after the season Dom had in 21-22 there was only one realistic option.

These idiots in charge made it happen.

Ah i understand all of that mate, perosnally i think it was softening up and it was just passively accepted, loads on here were trying to tell me it was a brilliant deal - it wasnt. I just dont accept the events needed to happen - were we were forced with 0 leverage into dealing with Levy, it was desperate, he was goign for me - i know he had to be talked into staying by Beneitez the summer before and thier was an agreement in place he could leave last summer.

So we had a year to plan that, there was a good £40 mill of revenue came into the club before the Richarlison sale, if that was managed we wouldn't have been in a low leverage situation and could have turned the screw for a far better deal without a deadline - he was always worth more then 50 mill to us. In my opinion anyway. Alternatively and with the benefit of hindsight we could have sold Gordon. I accept it was overall bad management and maybe we agreeing on the same thing - we had to sell him through bad management as opposed to passively just accepting he had to be sold the way we did - maybe we're agreeing really! lol But the deal was a manure show.

This current year mate, i have us well in profit, only enabled by selling anything not nailed down mind.

 

[TheBigIguana]

But he isn't a quick player and he has no right foot so he's so predictable on the right. Also, all of his goals have come from him finding or creating space on the left and having confidence because it's his stronger foot. That goal the other day is the prime example, whereas against Villa he was on the other side of the box and didn't shoot because it was on his right.

As for his crossing, it's pretty much his best asset and how he creates all his chances. His crossing against Villa was excellent. The other day it wasn't great. But he would be so, so easy to stop on the right. He might get one off - and he'd have to make it count. He just looks so much more comfortable on the left and I can't understand how anyone who actually watches us play could think otherwise.

Iwobi's not scored more than twice in a season for us in four years here so unsure why you're going back to when he was at Arsenal (playing with much better players).

Also, I'm pretty sure the majority of goals he has scored for us have come in games where he, ironically enough, started on the right side of midfielder, either centrally or wide.

Because he was coming in off the left lol

He's predictable and easily stopped on the left. His crossing is only good if you ignore all the blocked ones.

 

[BlueToff]

Because he was coming in off the left lol

He's predictable and easily stopped on the left. His crossing is only good if you ignore all the blocked ones.

Yet all of his goals and good moments for us have come there and when he's played on the right he's been absolutely atrocious.

He's a very average player. He's slightly less average on the left, as he has been his whole career. He isn't a right winger just because he 'profiles' like one. The actual evidence when he plays there is very, very bad.

 

[TheBigIguana]

Yet all of his goals and good moments for us have come there and when he's played on the right he's been absolutely atrocious.

He's a very average player. He's slightly less average on the left, as he has been his whole career. He isn't a right winger just because he 'profiles' like one. The actual evidence when he plays there is very, very bad.

I'd rather take the time and develop him into something that could work than to do the thing he's bad at now because he's ever so slightly less bad.

 

[degsy]

I'd rather take the time and develop him into something that could work than to do the thing he's bad at now because he's ever so slightly less bad.

Doing a bit better, not worth his massive wages nor a new contract either*

*insert the usual 'all bets off if he scores the goal that keeps us up' proviso.

 

[BlueToff]

I'd rather take the time and develop him into something that could work than to do the thing he's bad at now because he's ever so slightly less bad.

At the start of the season sure but we aren't there now.

And 2 of his 3 goals for us have been winners and worth six points, which right now are the difference between us being bottom by far and where we are.

He's better on the left, has been his entire career.

 

[TheBigIguana]

At the start of the season sure but we aren't there now.

And 2 of his 3 goals for us have been winners and worth six points, which right now are the difference between us being bottom by far and where we are.

He's better on the left, has been his entire career.

His best period of his whole career for me was after Dyche got sacked last year and he played exclusively on the right. We bought him to play there too as evidenced by where he started early this season. Unfortunately we had the worst PL manager since Frank De Boer so it was a train wreck. Now we have the attacking system of your average early 90s third division side so he has to play the left. The only path to an actually decent player remains letting him figure out the right.

If it fails that sucks but at least you tried something that could work.

 

[Lanolin]

I'd rather take the time and develop him into something that could work than to do the thing he's bad at now because he's ever so slightly less bad.

In the long run maybe (although I can’t actually see it working to be honest) but not now. Personally I think he’s just a very limited player and so is better on the left where his game can be simplified and he can just concentrate on doing a steady solid job. If we were moving him I’d be more inclined to see if he could play centrally to be honest, I’ve seen very little to suggest he can play effectively on the right.

EDIT - I’m confused now because I assumed we were talking about McNeil and I’ve just seen this is the Iwobi thread so just ignore me.

 

[BlueToff]

His best period of his whole career for me was after Dyche got sacked last year and he played exclusively on the right. We bought him to play there too as evidenced by where he started early this season. Unfortunately we had the worst PL manager since Frank De Boer so it was a train wreck. Now we have the attacking system of your average early 90s third division side so he has to play the left. The only path to an actually decent player remains letting him figure out the right.

If it fails that sucks but at least you tried something that could work.

I don't really agree at all.

I watched Burnley a fair bit in previous years when he broke through and he was very consistently decent for them on the left for around 18 months, then really dropped off a cliff in Dyche's final season.

Burnley fans - I know a lot - said the same as you - he should play on the right etc. But I don't think when he did he was particularly great. Yes, he stepped up a bit of form because Cornet was definitely a better option on the left and Burnley had a bit of rejuvenation but all of his best moments of his career, bar that one good goal against us in 2021, have come from the left wing, even when it's been him drifting in field to find space and it coming to him naturally on his left, like he did the other day for our goal.

Yes, he could turn into that but right now we simply don't have time and he's offering more from the left than he has done for us from the right, where he has been genuinely awful. All of his better performances and moments for Everton, which is what matters, have come on the left.

Iwobi, as this is the Iwobi thread, can offer from both right and left, as we actually do see week in week out. He's still creating chances, he's played right side pretty much all season bar that anchor role in the first few games (which is actually when he was brilliant, as he saw loads of the ball) and a few games he played LCM. Yes, he's better on the left but our other two wingers in Gray and McNeil are definitely better there and just ineffective on the right, whereas Iwobi is still finding ways to affect games from the right while remaining relatively defensively solid.

Hopefully when we have Dom back (big if like) and a bit more attacking confidence we could see some rotation in those roles but right now it's about simplifying things.

It's not that I'm saying McNeil definitely can't go on to play right side, it's just right now he'd need more time there to get used to it and has basically one trick in his arsenal and it's fairly easy to stop by doubling up as he has zero pace or ability to use his other foot. In a more attacking team with better FBs then it could open up space down that side for him but it's not there atm, so it has to be basics and eeking out what he is good at, which by and large comes from the left.

 

[BlueToff]

In the long run maybe (although I can’t actually see it working to be honest) but not now. Personally I think he’s just a very limited player and so is better on the left where his game can be simplified and he can just concentrate on doing a steady solid job. If we were moving him I’d be more inclined to see if he could play centrally to be honest, I’ve seen very little to suggest he can play effectively on the right.

EDIT - I’m confused now because I assumed we were talking about McNeil and I’ve just seen this is the Iwobi thread so just ignore me.

We were talking about McNeil yep, and I fully agree with what you say. It links to Iwobi because Ig insists we're limiting his game so much by playing him right side. Maybe we are a bit, but he's still effecting things, whereas McNeil's shown little that he can when playing RW.

 

[TheBigIguana]

We were talking about McNeil yep, and I fully agree with what you say. It links to Iwobi because Ig insists we're limiting his game so much by playing him right side. Maybe we are a bit, but he's still effecting things, whereas McNeil's shown little that he can when playing RW.

I think the total impact of Iwobi left and McNeil right is greater than the reverse even if McNeil does absolutely nothing on the right. You move the worse player to do a job.

 

[BlueToff]

I think the total impact of Iwobi left and McNeil right is greater than the reverse even if McNeil does absolutely nothing on the right. You move the worse player to do a job.

Iwobi hasn't ever been that good on the left, though. He was turbo tosh there under Silva in a system that should have suited him, and he's flattered to deceive on other occasions like the few times Carlo played him there.

Right now Everton need every player on the pitch to offer something of note and get through the season.

Then I'd like to have better wing options than any of our current ones and that includes Iwobi, but RW would have to be a priority so that yes, Iwobi could play LW - but that relies on an attacking LB that Everton do not have at the club to work, too.

 

[Charlie Sweet]

Iwobi hasn't ever been that good on the left, though. He was turbo tosh there under Silva in a system that should have suited him, and he's flattered to deceive on other occasions like the few times Carlo played him there.

Right now Everton need every player on the pitch to offer something of note and get through the season.

Then I'd like to have better wing options than any of our current ones and that includes Iwobi, but RW would have to be a priority so that yes, Iwobi could play LW - but that relies on an attacking LB that Everton do not have at the club to work, too.

Iwobi played for us under Silva?! My God I feel old....