Carlo Ancelotti has defended Alex Iwobi by saying his “difficult” performances this season have been the fault of the team.
The Everton boss says the forward who turns 25 on Monday has a “fantastic” attitude and is “always ready”.
Iwobi joined the Blues from Arsenal on deadline day in 2019.
But in 62 appearances for the club, he has become a player who often frustrates supporters despite his talent.
Ancelotti does not feel that way about Iwobi.
And, though, acknowledging the attacker has put in some disappointing performances, he laid the blame with the mistakes of the team and not the player.
“I think he had some good performances and he had some difficult performances.
“He is part of the squad and after that, he had some games where he played really well.
“And I must admit that he was really helpful for the the team.
“But in some other games, I tried to change a little bit the strategy but it didn’t work well.
“That was not for his fault, it was the team’s fault and the team’s mistakes,” Ancelotti said.
“He is professional but of course, when there is competition, sometimes, you play and sometimes, you are on the bench.”
On whether Iwobi is a frustrating player to manage, the Blues boss said: “He is not a frustrating player.
“And that is because he is really professional, really serious, always ready, not at all is he a frustrating player.
“I can say this for a fact because he is a really good professional with a fantastic attitude.”