Alex Iwobi's international career has been as turbulent as it has been remarkable. Since his Super Eagles debut in 2015, the 28-year-old midfielder has faced intense scrutiny, often made a scapegoat when Nigeria fall short.
The weight of being Austin Jay-Jay Okocha’s nephew, a Nigerian football legend revered for his flair and creativity has only heightened expectations.
Adding to his challenges, Iwobi has been a victim of tactical experimentation under successive Super Eagles coaches. Gernot Rohr deployed him as an inside forward, while José Peseiro tried him as a combative central midfielder.
Despite these positional shifts, Iwobi has shown glimpses of brilliance, though critics argue that Nigeria has yet to consistently harness his full potential.
Shining at Fulham under Marco Silva
At club level, however, Iwobi has flourished—particularly under Marco Silva, who signed him for Everton in 2019 and later reunited with him at Fulham in the summer of 2023.
Silva, who first identified Iwobi’s potential during his time at Arsenal, has unlocked the Super Eagles star's versatility in a way few managers have.
In the 2023/24 campaign, Iwobi made 31 appearances for Fulham, contributing five goals and two assists, while averaging 1.7 key passes per game. In the ongoing 2024/25 season, where the Nigeria international has already been directly involved in eight league goals—scoring five and assisting three in 13 appearances. No Fulham player has contributed more in this period.
His performances for Fulham under Silva have highlighted a disparity with his displays for the Super Eagles.
While Nigeria’s coaches have often struggled to find the best platform for the versatile midfielder, Silva's tactical use of Iwobi offers clear lessons on how to maximize his abilities.
Here are three key takeaways Nigeria can adopt.
Deploy Iwobi as a no. 8, not a traditional no. 10
Fulham frequently utilize Iwobi as a central midfielder (No. 8), where his movement and intelligence are vital to the team's buildup play.
Unlike his role with Nigeria, where he is sometimes expected to be a no.10 in the mold of his famous uncle, Iwobi thrives when tasked with orchestrating transitions and controlling tempo rather than carrying the full creative burden.
At Fulham, Iwobi occasionally drops deeper to assist the defensive midfielder, enabling him to drag opposition players out of position and create space in central areas.
These movements facilitate Fulham’s ability to exploit gaps in the opponent's defensive structure, something the Super Eagles have often struggled to replicate.
Give him freedom on the flanks to create, not just score
When deployed as a winger at Fulham, Iwobi is not required to mimic the direct, goal-scoring style of players like Ademola Lookman or Ahmed Musa.
Instead, Silva uses Iwobi as a creative outlet, allowing him to rotate with fullback Antonee Robinson and midfielder Andreas Pereira to exploit wide spaces and create overloads.
From these positions, Iwobi delivers a variety of crosses—floated balls and fast cutbacks—to great effect. Unlike the Super Eagles’ traditional winger role, which often demands cutting inside to shoot, Fulham allows Iwobi to play to his strengths as a pocket passer and creator.
Nigeria could mirror this approach by positioning him in wide areas but tasking him with supporting playmakers and strikers, rather than focusing solely on scoring.
Relieve him of defensive duties
Under Silva, Iwobi has also been used as a second striker or behind the main forward, roles that minimize his defensive responsibilities and allow him to focus on his offensive contributions.
By surrounding him with defensive-minded midfielders such as Sander Berge, Fulham enable the 28-year-old to roam freely and influence play in the final third.
In contrast, Nigeria has occasionally deployed Iwobi as a combative midfielder, most notably at AFCON 2023, where José Peseiro tasked him with defensive duties alongside Frank Onyeka. While his work rate allows him to contribute defensively, such a role limits his creative output.
The Super Eagles can take a cue from Silva by building a system where defensive responsibilities are shared by other midfielders, freeing Iwobi to create and provide attacking support.
