Can Eddie get more out of Jordan Ibe?

While most of the talk of lat has been about Jack Wilshere and Callum Wilson, it is easy to forget that AFCB fans were more than a bit excited about the club smashing its transfer record to sign Jordan Ibe from Liverpool. Jordan has started in all of the Premier League games for AFCB so far, but AFCB are still some way from getting the most out of this player in my mind.

It takes any player a while to settle and to operate as part of a team and I think that is where Jordan is, still working towards becoming effective as a team player rather than just as an individual. He has a good touch and keeps the ball by himself well for one or two challenges but it is getting him to pass when he sees the movement of others and recognising their runs that I believe he is missing out on at times. I also don't want him to hesitate about shooting when he sees a possibility of scoring. Against WBA he had some shots blocked but also passed up the odd blast at goal.

Jordan has just had the spotlight switched off him while Jack Wilshere has been at the club.

With the arrival of Jack Wilshere, there is now a brief period when Jordan has not been the player on everyone's mind and that may be helpful to him just to bed in a but more and start being more of a team player. If he can do more work with Adam Smith on and off the pitch, he should start to find the right wing a great place to be playing. While Jordan is yet to score in a league game he has been getting to the byline and putting in some excellent crosses. He may take on one or two player too many in the games I have seen, but if he can start to put that right he will become a big asset to the side.

Of course AFCB don't have a lot of time to start getting things right. Eddie Howe needs Jordan and a few others to start clicking and just like last season when there was a method found to get the most from the players that were available, there will be a period when things suddenly come together. Jordan will be at the centre of the improvement as he has more about him than many of this summer's signings.


The Football Blog Awards are asking for votes up to 26th September 2016 - Cherry Chimes is asking followers of the blog to vote for it in the Best Football Club Blog category.