Speaking recently on a video posted on the Leeds United Live Facebook page, Beren Cross claimed Alex Iwobi will be “having nightmares” following his side’s loss to Leeds on Saturday.
In Leeds’ 1-0 victory over Everton, Iwobi, who is a left-winger by trade, was deployed at left wing-back by Carlo Ancelotti, and after looking at the 24-year-old’s statistics from the match, it is evident that he struggled in the position.
Over his 67 minutes on the pitch, Iwobi made one tackle, two interceptions and two clearances, as well as making a total of just 25 passes and, upon his withdrawal from the game in the second half, finished with an 80% pass completion rate.
These statistics saw the former Arsenal winger come away with a WhoScored match rating of 6.66 – ranking him as Everton’s third-worst player to start the fixture.
Iwobi’s performance was one subject of conversation on a recent video posted on the Leeds United Live Facebook page, in which Cross claimed the 24-year-old had been thrown to the wolves by being played out of position.
He said: “Everton’s wing-backs will be having nightmares tonight, especially Iwobi. Injuries happen in football, clearly, we don’t wish the worst upon Lucas Digne, but that created an opportunity for Leeds [on Saturday] to get at a weak side of the pitch that Everton had.
“As anybody that’s followed football will know, Alex Iwobi is not a wing-back. He’s very much an attacking winger or an inside-forward and he was stuck on the left flank today and was basically cast to the wolves because [Luke] Ayling, [Mateusz] Klich drifting outside and [Jack] Harrison/Raphinha were switching flanks, so whichever of them was playing down the right-hand side and attacking Iwobi just gave him absolute nightmares.
“[He] just doesn’t have the positional awareness of a defensive player, Iwobi, and Leeds we’re getting so much joy down the flanks.”
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TIF Thoughts on Beren Cross’ comments regarding Alex Iwobi…
From Cross’ comments, while he appeared to hold some level of sympathy for the 24-year-old due to the fact he was being played out of position, it is clear that the journalist did not think much of Iwobi’s display at left wing-back.
However, although Iwobi’s metrics in the fixture were by no means fantastic, in our opinion, he still put in a respectable display in an unfamiliar role, as, in comparison to Leeds’ left-back in the fixture, Stuart Dallas, Iwobi made more tackles and interceptions than the Leeds defender.