UK Evening Standard Gushes Over Iwobi

[Polly]

Alex Iwobi's leading role with Nigeria shows Arsenal that he can thrive with freedom

https://tinyurl.com/y9mqxr3w
JAMES BENGE
2 hours ago

Nigeria may have found themselves on the wrong end of a convincing 2-0 loss at the hands of Serbia on Tuesday night, but for Alex Iwobi there was cause for optimism even in defeat.

Though unable to fire Nigeria to victory at The Hive, it was clear the international break has freed Iwobi to show what he can do rather than what he feels he ought to for the good of the team.

There is an obvious reason for that. Nigeria head coach Gernot Rohr may have an exciting young squad to take to Russia but he hardly has creators on a par with Mesut Ozil and Henrikh Mkhitaryan. Iwobi is perhaps the nearest the Super Eagles have to a playmaker, and certainly looked like their best hope of a goal as they laboured against a disciplined Serbia.

Twice in the first half the 21-year-old went close, a fine touch and turn in the box teeing him up for a goal-bound volley that was well blocked by Aleksandar Kolarov. Even in a low-intensity second period Iwobi shone as his close control on the right flank brought Nigeria out of trouble and freed his team-mates to counter.


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It was a far cry from his displays at Arsenal in recent months, where the player who was man of the match in a 3-0 win over Chelsea in September 2016 looks inhibited, even reluctant, to do much beyond feeding Ozil and tracking runners.

"With us all the time he’s very good, already in Poland [where Nigeria won 1-0] and he was fantastic tonight," Rohr told Standard Sport.

"Perhaps some times [he did] a little too much individually, he wanted to make a show. We prefer collective football.

"But when he can eliminate his opponent it’s very good [for us]. He’s with us all the time in confidence. He’s free when he has the ball.

"I don’t know what the tactical options of Arsene Wenger are when he’s with Arsenal but with us he’s free offensively and he can show all his qualities."

Nigeria may have come away from Barnet licking their wounds, though it was largely to do with a youthful defence incapable of taming Aleksandar Mitrovic and the woeful display of Ahmed Musa as a central striker.

For Iwobi this was a reminder of what made him such an exhilarating addition to the Arsenal side two years ago. A willingness to engage opponents, this short, sharp passing and direct running: all traits of the youngster’s bright start but now all too rarely been spotted.

Both the player and Arsene Wenger would do well to remember that, for all the defensive discipline that has made Iwobi a valuable option against top-tier opposition, there is a vibrant creator waiting to be unleashed.

[Damunk]

Iwobi will take a lot of heart from this.
And Musa will take a lot of heartache.

[Ugbowo]

Iwobi was good in spurts and was growing into the game when they scored.

I keep saying it, that first goal was against the run of play.

I am not worried about this team.

[Tobi17]

Musa is useless, he should never be in that team.

[john12]

Musa wasn’t bad in this game stop lying. The problem was from the midfield and defense

[icee]

Iwobi was good in spurts and was growing into the game when they scored.

I keep saying it, that first goal was against the run of play.

I am not worried about this team.

Iwobi came into his own when Rohr changed the formation. He removed Moses, pulled Joel Obi from that 10 role, and moved Iwobi to the center right where he came into the CM mid role. Then he started strutting his stuff. I still think he over did it a bit BUT he is the Mikel replacement when played in that role.

[Ugbowo]

Iwobi was good in spurts and was growing into the game when they scored.

I keep saying it, that first goal was against the run of play.

I am not worried about this team.

Iwobi came into his own when Rohr changed the formation. He removed Moses, pulled Joel Obi from that 10 role, and moved Iwobi to the center right where he came into the CM mid role. Then he started strutting his stuff. I still think he over did it a bit BUT he is the Mikel replacement when played in that role.

There was no tactical switch. There was definitely personnel switch with Musa moving left inplace of Moses and Iwobi staying on the right. Iwobi just started coming in more and was doing the roaming VicMo normally likes to do. Somebody said both of them cant play together....I'm not dismissing that comment. Will have to look more into it.

[marutimon]

Imagine if Onyekuru comes back and we have three ball hogs at one time in Iwobi, Moses and Onyekkuru....

Overall I agree - too many ballhogs kills the flow.
Onyekuru may be the best option though of the three, given his goalscoring prowess.

[ANC]

Imagine if Onyekuru comes back and we have three ball hogs at one time in Iwobi, Moses and Onyekkuru....

Overall I agree - too many ballhogs kills the flow.
Onyekuru may be the best option though of the three, given his goalscoring prowess.

Moses is a great player when he does less.

[maceo4]

Musa wasn’t bad in this game stop lying. The problem was from the midfield and defense

But what did Musa do in the time he was on?

[Cellular]

Sorry, Iwobi is not a starter on this team. Very unprofessional display IMO.

More effective starting off the bench.

[deanotito]

Iwobi is a year or 2 from being a good game changer/play maker. He still needs a bit of development, and needs to be a little less harried...but he's got the raw material

[Cellular]

Musa wasn’t bad in this game stop lying. The problem was from the midfield and defense

Your client is on the bubble.

He has been on the bubble for quite some time now. Still living off of the performance against Argentina in 2014.

Truth be told, he is not on the team on current ability.

[9jaMan]

Musa wasn’t bad in this game stop lying. The problem was from the midfield and defense

But what did Musa do in the time he was on?

Musa did A whole lotta headless chicken stuff

[metalalloy]

Iwobi was good in spurts and was growing into the game when they scored.

I keep saying it, that first goal was against the run of play.

I am not worried about this team.

Iwobi came into his own when Rohr changed the formation. He removed Moses, pulled Joel Obi from that 10 role, and moved Iwobi to the center right where he came into the CM mid role. Then he started strutting his stuff. I still think he over did it a bit BUT he is the Mikel replacement when played in that role.

Wasnt Ndidi in that no 10 role yesterday? He appeared to be playing ahead of Joel and Onazi.

[EMIR KONGI JAFFI JOFFA]

There was obviously an agenda to ruin Musa’s career but God will not allow it. How does a story on Iwobi as a playmaker turn into a Musa hatred joint? Even the useless reporter took a dig at Musa. What did his story have to do with Musa?

[metalalloy]

Musa wasn’t bad in this game stop lying. The problem was from the midfield and defense

But what did Musa do in the time he was on?

I wonder what he will call James Benge.

[maceo4]

Musa wasn’t bad in this game stop lying. The problem was from the midfield and defense

But what did Musa do in the time he was on?

I wonder what he will call James Benge.

The guy is something else, it should be easy to list all the good things he did since he wasn't bad in this game. But the guy will go into hiding and ignore the question...

[Ayo Akinfe]

Anyone advocating Musa being near the team should be tried for reason and unpatriotic acts in my opinion. He is a gift to Nigeria’s opposition!

[TonyTheTigerKiller]

There is an obvious reason for that. Nigeria head coach Gernot Rohr may have an exciting young squad to take to Russia but he hardly has creators on a par with Mesut Ozil and Henrikh Mkhitaryan. Iwobi is perhaps the nearest the Super Eagles have to a playmaker

Apparently, the Evening Standard has never heard oh Mikel John Obi


Cheers.

[zee]

Iwobi will take a lot of heart from this.
And Musa will take a lot of heartache.

I knew that clown(writer) knows zero about football when he called Musa's display .......woeful, that's another 'football-know-nothing' that has access to a big media outlet.

[zee]

Imagine if Onyekuru comes back and we have three ball hogs at one time in Iwobi, Moses and Onyekkuru....

Overall I agree - too many ballhogs kills the flow.
Onyekuru may be the best option though of the three, given his goalscoring prowess.

Onyekuru my a-se...................that's how you clowns promote KINDERGARTEN players that disappear when the big dance gets very HOT.

Left to you 'football-know-nothings'................Mikel Obi should not be in the SE since 2014.

[zee]

Anyone advocating Musa being near the team should be tried for reason and unpatriotic acts in my opinion. He is a gift to Nigeria’s opposition!

One word.........SHUTUP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!