The first few weeks of a new manager’s tenure can determine how well a player gets on under their new boss. For Nigeria’s Alex Iwobi, it couldn’t have gone any worse as the 23-year-old limped off with a hamstring injury on 11 minutes as Carlo Ancelotti watched on from the stands. What that does is open the door for a player to come off the bench and make Iwobi’s shirt his.
Fortunately for Iwobi, the game against Arsenal played out to a drab 0-0 draw with no one really impressing but since then, two consecutive Everton wins have the Toffees out of their sticky patch and looking like a settled team. Herein lies the problem that winning teams don’t change easily.
Now Carlo Ancelotti is a seasoned manager who knows a good player from a bad one and Alex Chuka Iwobi is a very good player, but in desperate need to make a name for himself in the Premier League. Sadly for Iwobi, it’s all been a bit stop-start so far in his career with the body blow coming when Arsenal accepted a bid from Everton for him after Unai Emery became the Gunners’ boss.
Alex Iwobi opens his Everton account 🇳🇬pic.twitter.com/YAuKvCaXUG
— Goal (@goal) August 29, 2019
Obviously we now know that Unai Emery was shown the door by Arsenal with new manager Mikel Arteta taking the reins. It’s virtually impossible to say with any certainty that the Spaniard would have been prepared to give Iwobi a run of starts in Arsenal’s first team, and you’d probably have to admit that Arteta may have taken the view that the 23-year-old couldn’t be trusted to deliver just yet.
It’s hard to arrive at any other conclusion when you assess the trajectory of Iwobi’s career so far.
That’s why a fast start under Carlo Ancelotti was paramount for the player, but it wasn’t to be. Far from the end of the world though, Iwobi’s hamstring injury should heal in time for him to play his part in the New Year.
That should be the time that the winger rejoins the squad, and it’s fair to say that the feeling around the camp would have completely changed now that Ancelotti has sprinkled his magic dust. One player that seems to have taken the opportunity to impress with both hands is Dominic Calvert-Lewin.
The Englishman scored a brace against Newcastle to help Everton claim all three points at St James’ Park and all of a sudden is being talked about as the next England star. The same England that is at 4/1 in the latest international football betting to win the Euros – need we say any more about the significance of a new coach and starting well?
CARLO FANTASTICO.
— Everton (@Everton) December 28, 2019
CARLO MAGNIFICO.@MrAncelotti 💙🇮🇹 #NEWEVE pic.twitter.com/fuODDzeJnT
Iwobi is due a break at some stage of course, but right now that luck he needs has evaded him.
As mentioned, Ancelotti doesn’t suffer fools gladly and is one of the best managers on the planet. Like everyone else, the Italian has probably seen what a good footballer Iwobi is and will be more than ready to give him his chance when he gets back to full fitness.