Granit Xhaka: Next Captain?

[Jae]

He's half decent when he cuts out the silly mistakes. He's definitely turned it around, however I feel like we're going to need an upgrade on him eventually. Happy to have him in the starting 11 for now though, we have other more pressing matters that should be addressed first.

 

[L3T5 PL4Y]

He is a decent player and sometimes good but we aren't improving with him as a starter in this team. We just won't. He is way too limited and drags the team down if it's not clicking for him. We can't afford to have a playmaker as a starter that needs all bases covered at all times to not be exposed and even then he is unreliable.

 

[Yousif Arsenal]

When he get frustrated he quickly lose his cool and become awful you not young anymore granit

 

[HBL]

Good in the first half, very mediocre in the second.

 

[Santi's Left Foot]

No way should he be starting games anymore, any team with a bit of pace is all it takes to fall to pieces.

Enough is enough.

 

[Tourbillion]

Second on the list to get binned this summer I hope.

Signing him and Mustafi ****ed us up worse than anyone could have foreseen.

 

[squallman]

Can the title be changed to Midfield pebble?

 

[tap-in]

Can the title be changed to Midfield pebble?

Just change the R in Rock to a C

 

[tap-in]

I've never rated him, he has his moments but generally he is a liability who we paid way too much for. Him and Mustafi, what a window of shyte!

 

[Tourbillion]

I've never rated him, he has his moments but generally he is a liability who we paid way too much for. Him and Mustafi, what a window of shyte!

And ****ing Perez, and only old man Agent Cech the summer before!

Killed us.

 

[yybecause]

CLASS

 

[Jury]

It’s old, isn’t it? Looks half decent against fodder at the emirates, and looks half cut when the other team have the ball. It’s old now. It happens every time.

Are his supporters not bored yet?

 

[Jury]

I've never rated him, he has his moments but generally he is a liability who we paid way too much for. Him and Mustafi, what a window of shyte!

Real, hardcore, unadulterated jank, sadly. I wish their brothers would entice them back into the Soho sex trade from wence they came.

 

[Erlis]

Don Quixotes fighting windmills.

GWenDoZi & ReMzI ArE WoRLDD ClA$$

 

[Big Poppa]

Thought he was good. If people are expecting us to play like city under emery then that wont ever happen. The style we play now it requires us to soak it in and be aggressive and not expressive, xhaka fits the job well.

What?

Emery wants us to be both aggressive and expressive. He said many times he wants us to be protagonists. Xhaka was signed precisely because the Cazorla-Coquelin axis lacked authority and expansiveness.

It was the summer after Leicester won the title. We were pursuing Vardy and Xhaka's balls over the top were meant to give us added range. Failing that, he was supposed to give us added presence and stability in midfield.

There is nothing, and I mean nothing that Xhaka has added to the team that we lacked. He isn't a youngster developing, he hasn't suffered a major injury, he isn't playing out of position.

Is he the worst performer in the team? No. But everything he was supposed to bring to the table i.e. leadership, control, composure etc has been in extremely limited supply.

People used to say what you're saying about City about us. And I loved it. It showed that they were scared and accepted mediocrity, which guaranteed our top 4 status. I'd read debates on Sp**s' forum about Tom Huddlestone which were exactly like these debates about Xhaka. We have to elevate the standards at this club to be better than the teams ahead of us.

 

[Erlis]

If Emery didn't believe that Xhaka meets his requirements and standards, first of all he wouldn't have extended his contract and wouldn t play him as his main guy in the midfield. So, who do you think we should believe, you, a random poster on here or Emery?

It is exactly leadership, presence, control that Xhaka offers to the Arsenal midfield. You should watch the games to be aware of it and see the difference when he is not playing.

Name one midfielder in his position in PL who is better than Xhaka? None.

You are one of those posters that go into hiding when Arsenal wins and Xhaka is distinguished for his performance and come out of your hiding when Arsenal loses to blame him although the truth is totally different.

 

[OSBK]

What?

Emery wants us to be both aggressive and expressive. He said many times he wants us to be protagonists. Xhaka was signed precisely because the Cazorla-Coquelin axis lacked authority and expansiveness.

It was the summer after Leicester won the title. We were pursuing Vardy and Xhaka's balls over the top were meant to give us added range. Failing that, he was supposed to give us added presence and stability in midfield.

There is nothing, and I mean nothing that Xhaka has added to the team that we lacked. He isn't a youngster developing, he hasn't suffered a major injury, he isn't playing out of position.

Is he the worst performer in the team? No. But everything he was supposed to bring to the table i.e. leadership, control, composure etc has been in extremely limited supply.

People used to say what you're saying about City about us. And I loved it. It showed that they were scared and accepted mediocrity, which guaranteed our top 4 status. I'd read debates on Sp**s' forum about Tom Huddlestone which were exactly like these debates about Xhaka. We have to elevate the standards at this club to be better than the teams ahead of us.

I literally have no idea what your point is at all.

 

[Maybe]

I literally have no idea what your point is at all.

I have no idea what's not clear to you? Easy 30 sec read.

 

[Maybe]

If Emery didn't believe that Xhaka meets his requirements and standards, first of all he wouldn't have extended his contract and wouldn t play him as his main guy in the midfield. So, who do you think we should believe, you, a random poster on here or Emery?

It is exactly leadership, presence, control that Xhaka offers to the Arsenal midfield. You should watch the games to be aware of it and see the difference when he is not playing.

Name one midfielder in his position in PL who is better than Xhaka? None.

You are one of those posters that go into hiding when Arsenal wins and Xhaka is distinguished for his performance and come out of your hiding when Arsenal loses to blame him although the truth is totally different.

Actually you are somehow right, but it's more down to the fact that big PL clubs struggle to find good players in his position than Xhaka being the player you want him to be.
I don't think he is the weak spot of our team but leadership, presence and control is not something Xhaka brings to the table, or at least not consistently.
As you say, there are not too many players in his position who would send us to another level and it would be very expensive change with questionable results, so I guess we will continue with him until Douzi takes over on permanent basis.

 

[squallman]

As you say, there are not too many players in his position who would send us to another level and it would be very expensive change with questionable results,

Did I fall asleep and miss when we signed Xabi Alonso, Clarence Seedorf, Iniesta, Xavi, Pogba or Petit?

Are you all sure you're talking about Granit Xhaka?

As Big Poppa said on the last page, we need to raise our standards. Look at where we've finished the past two years and our performances in midfield during that time. Then tell me it would be difficult to upgrade on Xhaka.


People said the exact same things about Coquelin, Giroud, Gibbs, Cech and all the rest.

We aren't football managers or even scouts. To say that there aren't many players out there who could do a better job than Xhaka is disingenuous in my opinion.

Who knew about Kante? Or Dybala/Veratti/Delle Alli before they made it big? Hell who knew about Guendouzi or Rob Holding? There are 1000s of footballers across the world. If our scouting team can't find one who is better than Granit Xhaka they might as well turn in their badges.

I think someone on here said similar about Mustafi, how we would have to spend 70M to upgrade on him. I wonder if they still hold that opinion. We could pull a random center back from Serie B and I'd back him to outperform the German