Former Arsenal player star Paul Merson has slammed Nigerian International, Alex Iwobi’s performances for Premier League club, Everton this season.
Iwobi has been deployed in a variety of positions for the Toffees this season, playing as a wing-back in recent matches in the thick of the relegation battle.
However speaking with Sky Sports, Merson insists he is not a fan of the Nigerian but reckons he has seen some improvement.
“I’m not his biggest fan,if i am being honest,” Merson said.
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“I think he flatters to deceive.
“But I think he has turned up,he has done well and worked from a base.
“And his work for the team.
“What he does well is that he takes the team up the pitch.
“When you are in a team that aren’t great,Iwobi will get you up the pitch.
“He should get more goals and he should get more assists.”
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Iwobi has scored three goals and has recorded three assists in 30 matches in all competitions for Everton this term.
He joined Everton from Arsenal in August 2019 in a 34 million pound deal.
Everton are currently 16th in the Premier League this season with 36 points after 36 games.
Up next for the Toffees is a Premiership fixture with Crystal Palace on Thursday.
5 Comments
Well, he’s not wrong. How many Nigerians mourned when Iwobi could not participate in World Cup qualifiers against Ghana. No one! Instead, Ndidi was the absentee that most Nigerians mourned.
Iwobi is talented and technically gifted, but he is a lazy footballer. Watch him, when he doesn’t have the ball he strolls around like he’s in his parlor.
He plays short simple passes, sometimes incisive but oftentimes leading nowhere. He lacks attacking aggression, and rarely takes the responsibility of leading the attacking charge from midfield instead he squares the ball.
For the SE, Amoo is a better hungrier player, on the right side than Iwobi. Iwobi is a squad player, that you may need but isn’t essential.
@Tristan, God bless you for your objectivity. Most Nigerians have a sentimental mindset that has collectively held us bound from progressing. Any attempt to critique, they will start using words like “hate”. I was a huge fan of Iwobi when he burst into the Arsenal senior team, he was a proper baller! The game against Barcelona at the Nou camp comes to mind. Iwobi dominated the midfield that had quality players like Xavi & Iniesta. Unfortunately, he stagnated and even went into decline. He just hasn’t put in the required level of work over the years and that is the truth but we can now see how well he has improved when he saw relegation beckoning.
The real question is why hasn’t he put in the required work all this while? He has been short changing the clubs he has played for all this while. Nigerian fans must realize that criticism (especially objective ones) can be catalyst for performance improvement. The boy has so much ability but he has been wasting it. Iwobi is strong, if he shields the ball, no marker has a chance of getting the ball. Iwobi has an eye for the final ball (He has vision), he can pick a pass, albeit a short range one. Iwobi is a bundle of energy, with a good engine on him. Unlike his uncle, Iwobi has refused to improve his game. Below are some negatives he needs to work on:
1. Iwobi can not shoot to save his life. If his life depended on shooting then iwobi is damned for the hangman’s noose. The boy does not know how and he appears to be uninterested in honing his shooting skills.
2. He also has limited passing range. He loves to pass short most times. One good attribute though, is that with iwobi in the team, the passes become faster. This is important when trying to breakdown a team that has set up with a low bloc.
3. The boy has no Head! He is not a dominant player in the air that’s for sure! This is another area where he could influence games more.
4. Set pieces. Iwobi is abysmal in this area, in fact, he is so bad that as the SE attacking midfielder, he does not take corner kicks or free kicks. He is probably the first “number 10” that does not.
5. Weak defensively. Another area where Iwobi has proven to be below average.
If he would work on these areas, his stats would improve tremendously and his fortunes will change.
It’s high time people leave Iwobi and. Iheanacho alone. These guys are technically gifted yet always the first to be accused when their teams perform woefully. Seriously speaking they are not responsible for any wrong doing if you watch them week in and out.
God bless you @chima
Who is Paul Merson don’t even know him as one of Arsenal great other than being a useless pundit that criticise players that his level never match during his playing days. Imagine criticising and still extolling him simply cos the team is not doing. How could that have been Iwobi’s fault? And for those fans spewing trash aboved don’t know if you have watch Everton match of recent even their last match against Brentford and see how he is shoulder above all Everton fans. Did you and Merson knows more than Lampard?