Arsene Wenger has praised Alex Iwobi after the 19 year old bagged a goal for the second game in succession, and put in another assured display.
He’s made just 15 appearances for the club, but he’s making a big impact having been given a chance by the manager, and the Frenchman says the desire to produce players from our academy is something that shouldn’t be overlooked.
“We have values in our club that are maybe not rated always, but one of them is to give a chance to young people and educate them,” he said.
“Every year we bring players out and not many players can say that. I’m happy Alex is one of them. He arrived here at the age of seven or eight. He’s completely integrated in the way we want to play football.
“He’s worked with us since the start of the season and it shows because when he came in he was used to the way we want to play.”
For such an inexperienced player, he plays with real confidence, something Wenger was quick to talk up also.
“It’s one of his qualities. He’s also very mobile and is a midfielder with creativity, but is also a finisher. The quality of his receptions is very good because he gets into good spaces.”
He’s been a bright spot in recent times, and the way he works with Danny Welbeck is also very impressive.
Let’s hope this is just the start of something beautiful.
Exciting times, can see him taking Tomas’ role on the team and even Ozil’s in time.
Still v young but so much potential.
Says a lot that the boss has played him in ozils position ahead of more experienced and bigger names
Including for large parts of the game yesterday, Özil himself.
Picking him ahead of Walcott said it all
big difference is that Alex keeps his head up when he has the ball. Walcott’s only move is to knock the ball past a guy and hope he can run faster to get it.
He’s being groomed into a striker. Henry/rvp style.
I’m very impressed at the way he shields the ball when in possession. a very tough skill to master. not afraid to shoot, and looks like he’s got one helluva shot. very exciting.
Its done….Iwobi oncmy shirt next year
Don’t forget to wait for number confirmation. I am predicting a few number switching next season with the midfield shuffling.
Iwobi7? Makes me sad for TR7 though.
I’m guessing it’ll be Alexis7 and Iwobi17 – but I’ve never been right much.
Worth a try!
I think he likes the 45 number it goes with his gun celebration 45 is slang for a gun in london
Just keep him in the side and don’t allow the buy for big money brigade get to you. Coq, Ellen, bellerin and Coq cost us how much, yet they have been amongst d top performers.
He can only get better. Kudos to him
Exactly. People bemoan Arsene for not spending money, and while I understand that, I think he does if the player’s right, a la sanchez/ozil. Given the choice between spending £30m on lamela or nothing on a home-grown iwobi I think I know which one I’d go for
Also kos the boss was 500k now best defender in the prem…
Koscielny cost £10m
How many managers can say they signed one of their current starters at age 9?
none
How many managers were at the same club when their starter signed at age 9?
None
Just one of the benefits, I guess.
One
One.
Well….Costa acts like 9 year old?
Gold
Great. Let’s hope fans stick with him when he’s inexperience and age will inevitably affect his form at some point
Can’t wait to see our front 4 in a few years, Akpom supported by Iwobi, Jeff and Willock/Malen.
Pace, skill, power
Who needs billions to spend when you give youth a chance! Love this club so much.
For all the stick Wenger gets, no other manager in the modern game has 1/2 as much trust and ability to bring up players from the academy at a young age and integrate them knot the team. That’s also why bellerin made the move to England and it’s paying massive dividends. Would the next manager be able to replicate this part of Wenger? Doubtful. Credit where it’s due Le Prof. One of the glaring differences with him and Maureen. Can you name one player, just one, that Mareen has groomed into WC? I’ll wait……….
Tbf one certain manager of that that lot – Pochettino – he brought a lot of youth from the academy into the squad and they are (to our dismay) playing quite well… I wonder if Van Gal will be given the chance to replicate what Ferguson once did with academy players (he has some record with that – kickstarted the careers of Thomas Müller and some others during his tenure at Bayern). It’s not like Arsene is the only one who gives youth a chance (or where would all the new players in the game materialise from? 🙂 ) but… Read more »
You are right but I think the point was more concerning the top clubs…… And if you look at the prem, there are not a lot of managers willing to give youth much of a chance.
Liverpool nearly did it! Oh well, next week maybe then. 2 points closer still
Where is fatgooner?!!
Why? Because we beat frigging Watford all is well?
We’ll still end the season trophyless.
Fatbanana?
I’m genuinely surprised by how Iwobi has taken his chances. What a player!
I was equally impressed by Elneny.
He’s a very promising player. I’m glad he chose Nigeria over England so we don’t have to read over hyped articles every week in the tabloids. However it is frustrating that we’ll more than likely lose him when the Cup of African Nations comes around…
No he won’t, at least not this year because Nigeria failed to qualify.
Really…(fist pump)
But we will lose Elneny!
Great talent. Elneny reminds me of Pablo aimar but tougher.
Pablo Aimar was smart, fast and sneaky and a bit of a cheat.
The force is strong with you, Obi Wan Iwobi
Shame those values have had no effect on Walcott, Bendtner, Denilson, Gibbs, Ox, Senderos, and all the 100 + who fell by the wayside!
Good old Arsene basically saying Iwobi is down to him – shameless
where has Wenger said any such thing, below are the direct quotes from Wenger in the article, would you care to point out where Wenger says Iwobi is down to him, the only thing shameless is you using Wenger’s praise for a young players impact, to try and pedal your agenda against Wenger. the Wenger quotes in the article. “We have values in our club that are maybe not rated always, but one of them is to give a chance to young people and educate them,” “Every year we bring players out and not many players can say that. I’m… Read more »
Of course, you are right. La Masia gets credit for its success and nobody talks about the failures. We must hold Arsenal and Arsene to a higher standard because we are ……..what. BTW, Arsene isn’t the sum of the Arsenal standards. He understands that he continues a tradition. You, apparently, think he thinks he has become Arsenal and all that pertains. Do you pay attention or are you a troll?
Just expressing a long held opinion about the flaws in our boss if that is OK with you Don’t get personal or try to be clever it doesn’t add to your argument it weakens it I view this last gasp uplift in form and self promotion from Wenger as part of the familiar annual cycle of raising false expectations to keep us strung along I loved the win, love seeing Iwobi come through and love it that our £8M a year genius has finally ‘stumbled’ on a winning formation Oh and by the way it’s not me that thinks Wenger… Read more »
So you lost the first discussion and moved onto Wenger’s salary…will his stubbornness be your next issue Dan? Oh no because his stubbornness helps him “stumble” onto winning combinations…give the bloke a break can’t you?!!!
I think he won the first discussion, he rightly points out that there have been many more failures at bringing through youth during his time than successes, of which incidentally Iwobi may still be one of as he’s only played 3 games.
DanP also rightly points out that this is part of an annual cycle whereby our form improves when the pressures off.
You might not like what he says but it doesn’t make it wrong.
@ DanP You, and, every one here has a right to an opinion. If you want to have it taken seriously try using argument and where available fact rather than relying solely on bold (and negative) statement. First you imply that Arsene believes he is all things Arsenal, then you double down and state explicitly that it is the case. Would you care to show some evidence? If its so clear to you make it clear to me. Oh, and don’t try reversing the question and saying its up to me to show that he doesn’t think that. We all… Read more »
My view of the last 10 groundhog seasons: *Fail pathetically to buy obvious targets and keep quiet about long term injuries – tick *Play players out of position and not based on merit – tick *Talk about mental strength when we clearly have none – tick *Blame bad luck, financial doping – tick *Crumble whenever under pressure to perform in PL – tick *Play form players into the ground until they burn out / get injured – tick *Chance upon winning formations through fatigued injured squads when all chance of PL has gone *Get to last 16 CL then piss… Read more »
Reasoned argument nice to see.
You’re entitled to your opinion, it’s just that it seems completely irrelevant and a bit off topic on this occasion.
King in the North and West
Iwobi
Nwakali
Chukwueze
Could all play for arsenal and nigeria for years to come interesting times ahead
Three of them are all Biafrans,hahaha they wouldn’t always play for the Zoo republic
There will be no Biafra. If so they’ll have retired.
Awesome striking from Iwobi made me jump higher above my heaps celebrating for his goal. A wonderful win tonight
Le prof is right. When u see Iwobi play hes style emphasises what a supporter like me decided to share a bed with THE ARSENAL
So those who think they know better than Wenger.
Those who said Coquelin should get out while he could.
Or we need a Rback like Jenkinson because Bellerin won’t be ready enough.
Or Campbell was not Arsenal quality. (thank you Dick Law)
and now Iwobi.
The gaffer is good at talent development if you don’t already know it. That much he is brilliant at.
He also bought Gabriel and Elneny, Monreal and Koscielny.
But some people apparently know better.;)
i’m happy for this kid. hope he can learn and improve.
but i’m sad not to see more of that theo goal celebration.
you know when he half turns and palm to palms with another player. was that player gibbs. oh never mind.
I think sadly theo knows his time is up. I think he will be moved on,and he wont make euros. This summer could suck for him.
Theo and the Ox average players
I have to say that this must mean we say goodbye to Theo, and that OX has one more year.
It’d suit me to keep Iwobi, Ox and Campbell and give up on the 140k pw Walcott project to be honest.
Can’t comment on some of your pages Bloggs the red block at the top is white and can’t see comments or write them.
We Arsenal fans if we are true fans we have to support our team even though it is not performing as we really expected we have to stop claiming Arsen wenger when it is defeted and praise him when he win the performance of any team is not evaluated at every single match rather at the end of the league so let’s be on their side and fully support our team ,players and manager till the end of the league now they need to be consistent in every single match and our support in order to overcome from their unacceptable… Read more »
If you are saying just support them until the end of the season, then I am in!
Unfortunately there are wannabe managers on here that like telling their managerial views to people, day in day out, no matter what!
I do wonder how many of them are managers in their jobs?
COYG!
Good performance for the boy I hope he keep doing better for arsenal.