Arsenal: Alex Iwobi a grand undertaking for Unai Emery
By Josh Sippie
Unai Emery has rightly indicated just how many resources Arsenal already have. One of which is Alex Iwobi, if only he can figure him out.
I really appreciated what Unai Emery had to say about his new calling. He was quick to point out just how many resources Arsenal already have, and how they won’t need to make too many summer moves to get the best out of themselves.
The main thing they need to do is maximize the talent that they have, and that’s a big reason why Unai Emery was undoubtedly chosen to do the job – because he recognized what was already there.
They are already looking at spending a chunk of the summer budget on extending Aaron Ramsey, so they say. And that is superb. This club doesn’t need wholesale changes, they need to inspire what they already have, because on paper, the club is pretty remarkable.
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Speaking of resources they already have, how about Alex Iwobi? The young Nigerian has such amazing abilities. He has the strength to shield the ball, he has the speed to play on the wings and he has the delicious first step that allows him to really drive from the midfield.
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Emery has been quick to highlight a lot of the resources the club have, but Iwobi could be his grandest undertaking when you think about the kinds of things Iwobi could do if only he can be “figured out.”
And figuring out his best position is only half of the struggle to getting the best out of him. The other half is getting him to deliver with consistency. Isn’t that always the keyword? Consistency?
On the bright side, after Arsene Wenger announced his retirement, Iwobi was one of the guys that was clearly sparked into better performances. And that has been a big part of the speculation of his career. Most everyone does much better when they feel their job is at risk.
Without Wenger there to protect him, Iwobi could hit new heights. But he is also going to need to be given a direction. I’m not convinced that he is best as an attacker, but I’m not sure that a complete transformation to a deeper midfielder is the best answer either.
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It’s a big ask, to take someone with so much talent and funnel him into a finished product. But that is what Unai Emery is going to be asked to do. And if he can do it, his job will be that much easier.