Arsenal: Reiss Nelson can put Alex Iwobi where he belongs

Alex Iwobi has been struggling mightily yet he keeps getting the run-out for Arsenal. Perhaps it falls to Reiss Nelson to put the 21-year old where he belongs.

Arsenal were naturally thrilled when Alex Iwobi burst onto the scene at the end of the 2015/16 season. He was deployed on the wings and showcased incredible attacking instincts, while still having the strength to be something different.

That has all derailed. Iwobi has been terrible as of late and there doesn’t seem to be anything that Arsene Wenger plans to do about it. Even after being busted partying in the wee hours of the morning, he was still given the start.

This isn’t doing him any favors. There have to be consequences, not just to breaking the rules, but to being ineffective on the pitch.

I’ve talked at length about what might be going wrong with Iwobi, and part of the problem is that we still don’t know what position best suits him. He has been used as a winger, a No. 10 and a straight central midfielder.

It’s a recurring problem, this whole not knowing where to play a guy. But there may be an easy fix right in front of us. And it’s Reiss Nelson.

Nelson was finally used in an attacking role against Nottingham Forest and among all the rubbish that Arsenal was wading through on that day, Nelson provided optimism and he provided a spark. He created half of the total Arsenal chances and completed more dribbles than anyone else.

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So rather than letting Iwobi drive himself into the dirt, throw Nelson out there. Because there are three potential outcomes. Maybe Iwobi can’t cope and Nelson takes over, in which case we learn that Iwobi isn’t good enough. Maybe Iwobi feels the pressure, steps up and retakes his throne. Or maybe Nelson is so effective that Iwobi is spared from being a winger and an attacker and can focus his talents on being a deeper midfielder.

Whatever the case, Arsenal, Reiss Nelson and Alex Iwobi win.

The alternative is that we keep Nelson on the bench and keep Iwobi doing what he’s doing and Nelson misses opportunities and the Gunners struggle to overcome Iwobi’s ineptitude and Iwobi himself never gets out of the mud.

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The point is that deploying Nelson where he should be playing will put Iwobi where he belongs. Whether that be on the bench, fighting for his place or someone else on the pitch, we don’t know. But it will finally be where he belongs, as opposed to whatever the hell is going on now.

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