The Time Has Come For Iñigo Córdoba To Take His Game To The Next Level
Making it to the Athletic first team is extremely difficult. Staying there is nearly impossible. For every Markel Susaeta there are ten or so others who make their debut, possibly even play more, but eventually are never able to earn a role. Establishing yourself at San Mamés takes constant work and players much always be at their best.
It’s now been two years since Iñigo Córdoba was promoted to the first team. The Lezama product has showed flashes of brilliance, but that’s all it’s ever been. Flashes. Córdoba just completed his second season at San Mamés and has scored just one goal in 67 career appearances. In truth, scoring goals isn’t the best way to gauge a winger’s contribution, but Córdoba has also struggled for general consistency.
At times, Córdoba has seriously impacted matches. His work rate is very impressive and when he’s playing well he can be one of the most influential players on the field. Last season the 22-year-old provided 4 assists, doubling his contribution from his first year, and did well as a starter under Gaizka Garitano including having the best performance of his career in April against Levante.
However, Córdoba has also had plenty of matches where he was a liability. His crossing may be great, but playing in open space has been an issue. Many times Athletic have had a promising attack ended by a bad pass or wrong decision from the winger. Córdoba also tends to lose possession far too often which has hurt his productivity.
There’s no denying that Iñigo Córdoba has the qualities to become a very important player for Athletic. For that to happen, he must continue to improve in certain areas and build needed consistency. The 22-year-old has even admitted that he knows what he needs to work on.
This summer, and the season to come, will the most important of Córdoba’s young career. With Ibai Gómez, Oscar De Marcos, Iker Muniain, Iñigo Vicente, Gaizka Larrazabal, and even Iñaki Williams competing for minutes on the wing, Córdoba must prove that he can contribute at a high level. Iñigo Córdoba is still a very young player, but he already has the experience needed to take his game to the next level.