ESPN pundit Steve Nichol has taken aim at Alex Iwobi for a largely anonymous outing that saw him miss gilt-edged opportunities against West Ham in Everton’s 1-0 home defeat yesterday.
Having been pressed heavily by David Moyes’ side for the opening half an hour, Iwobi squandered Everton’s first major chance of the game.
Summer signing Demarai Gray got the better of West Ham bulwark Angelo Ogbonna before teeing up Iwobi, only for the Nigeria international to misconnect with the ball to send his strike wide.
Nichol did not hold back on the key flashpoint as he laid into Iwobi for lacking the ‘fundamentals’ in such a high-stakes moment.
The former Liverpool star told ESPN UK, via Goodison News:
“The strange thing is Everton could have been up at half-time. Iwobi had…you know you talk about the fundamentals.
“There is a ball coming across, probably from seven yards out. A straight ball with pace on it, Iwobi is watching it from all the way, and all he has to do is side-foot it, use the pace of the ball.
“You know it’s something that professional footballers should know, but Iwobi hasn’t been having the best time. He’s had a swing at it, he’s completely missed and it’s gone through his legs.
“That could have changed the game forever. Would have deserved that? Absolutely not.”
Read Everton Verdict
To say Nichol’s assessment is scathing is an understatement.
Iwobi should almost certainly have hit the target, at the very least, and to let his team down with such a poor effort is sure to rattle the trust placed in him by Rafa Benitez.
In truth, that moment alone would not have decided the game but it certainly could have branded a new tone on how the clash unfolded.
Indeed, Ogbonna’s goal gave West Ham the last laugh and it is moments like this that need to be airbrushed in future games if Everton are to put away their chances.
Since joining Everton from Arsenal in the summer of 2019 in a £35 million deal, Iwobi has been a disappointment – and that miss is symptomatic of why he has never hit double digits in an Everton shirt.
