Alex Iwobi, the nephew of the great Jay Jay Okocha is an undoubtedly talented player, ever since he made his breakthrough at Arsenal 3 years ago.
The midfielder has since suffered something of a plateau in his development in Arsenal, but for the Super Eagles Iwobi has done quite well with 6 goals in 20 games including the goal to take Nigeria to the World Cup.
So why is there such a difference when he’s with the National team and when he’s with Arsenal?
Well, according to Oluwashina Okeleji, a journalist who focuses on Nigeria and has spoken to Iwobi on several occasions, it my come down to atmosphere.
Speaking to Goal, Okeleji said: “Alex is more expressive and plays with more freedom when he plays for Nigeria,”
“He understands the role he has to play for Nigeria. With Nigeria you can make one mistake and people will still cheer you on. With Arsenal everything you do is being scrutinised not just by the media but by the fans as well.
“Sometimes it affects the confidence. You’re talking about a player who is 22 years old. Some young stars like Wayne Rooney probably handled the pressure that comes with playing in the Premier League at a very young age while some players begin to understand their responsibilities at 25 [or] 26.
“I think with Nigeria there’s the forgiving spirit and the understanding that he can make one mistake as it’s international football. With Arsenal every week everything is being scrutinised. It affects the mentality of the player. When I spoke to him I asked, ‘Why do you think people ask you that question?’
“He said he plays with a lot of freedom with Nigeria whereas with Arsenal he needs to help the likes of Mesut Ozil with the creativity role. Every time he gets the ball there’s a horrid atmosphere like he needs to get the ball through to the one who can make things happen whereas with Nigeria he’s the one that makes things happen.
“With Nigeria he’s the main man, with Arsenal he’s not. They [Nigeria] give him shared responsibility of distributing the ball, being the creative man who can hold onto the ball. That’s the job Ozil does well with Arsenal.”
One of Iwobi’s biggest flaws is his indecisiveness in front of goal scoring only 3 times in 22 appearances for Arsenal last season.
“He needs to be more potent up front,” says Okeleji.
“He needs to have the killer instinct. Sometimes he’s indecisive when he needs to take shots and sometimes he’s thinking maybe someone else is in a better position to do what I want to do. Alex himself needs to feel like he has a role and responsibility to play. With Nigeria I don’t think he has that limitation.
“Watching him in the Premier League is different. The fans are screaming ‘shoot!’ In Nigeria the fans aren’t saying that to him. They keep pushing him to do what he wants to do. Some players take longer to develop. With Arsene Wenger going now he has a new manager and knows he needs to do better than the past two seasons. Now it’s a big chance to prove he is the man for the big occasion.”
It’ll be interesting to see how the Nigerian starlet fares under Unai Emery, but the Spaniard has a track record with playing youngsters, so Iwobi should be alright.