Arsenal: Alex Iwobi showing just how ill-equipped this club truly is

Having faith in youngsters is part of what makes Arsenal great, but is there a limit to the faith in Alex Iwobi? Because we should be nearing it.

In order to compete with the best teams in the Premier League, Arsenal need to have a staff of players that can line up across the board in the same category as their direct competitors.

Gabriel Jesus, Alvaro Morata, Olivier Giroud (sad face), Erik Lamela, Lucas Moura, Adam Lallana. These are the names of all the players on our “rivals” that didn’t crack their respective sides’ starting XI’s this week. And this isn’t even factoring in injuries to the likes of Raheem Sterling.

Every single player on that list is light years ahead of Alex Iwobi, who can frequently be found in the Arsenal starting XI. Not even on the bench. Not just an injury fill-in, Iwobi is a regular starter. He’s started 21 total matches this year, amassing two goals and four assists.

In between those two goals and four assists, he has been horrible. There is nary a game where I think to myself “I’m so happy we have Alex Iwobi.” Don’t get me wrong. I think the lad still has loads of potential. I think that, when he is in his element, utilizing his strength, that there is something really special at work.

But he is not Arsenal quality, he hasn’t been for two years, and if we keep doing this without trying other methods (like a loan, for God’s sake) then nobody is benefiting. Not the team, not the player, not other players.

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Everyone loses if we keep turning to Iwobi to fix a problem that he is causing. I have been critical of Iwobi all year, but I don’t think it’s ever gotten this bad. He can’t be in the team anymore. He needs to be sent out on loan or we will keep living the lie that he is good enough.

The problem, of course, is that the only alternative right now is Danny Welbeck, and don’t even get me started on that dude.

We had such a positive January transfer window, but turns out we are still, still, unprepared for the task of competing in the Premier League. Meaning this summer, we need to make some serious changes and they need to be ruthless. No one is safe, no one can be safe, because safety promotes complacency and that’s how you end up losing 2-1 to Brighton.

Next: 5 Things Learned Against Brighton

Of course this isn’t even mostly Iwobi’s fault. It’s mostly Arsene Wenger’s for endlessly sending him out there when he is proving ineffective. This is pure desperation from a “top tier” club.

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