Granit Xhaka: 2019/20 Performances

[Kysus]

Unless you play super direct bypassing the midfield like liverpool(arteta won't)
you need someone with Xhaka's skillset.
Playing a "powerful box to box" alongside Torreira makes no sense and makes the whole unit worse.
It's the reason why Torreira and Guendo form the worst partnership ever.

 

[Red London]

Unless you play super direct bypassing the midfield like liverpool(arteta won't)
you need someone with Xhaka's skillset.
Playing a "powerful box to box" alongside Torreira makes no sense and makes the whole unit worse.
It's the reason why Torreira and Guendo form the worst partnership ever.

What does Xhaka do that enables that? He’s a fraud DLP.

Whenever he gets pressed too much he can’t handle it. Not only does he cave in that particular moment, he gets scared for the rest of the game. The funny thing is Xhaka would work well at Liverpool as he has a good long ball on him, that’s just about it in terms of his talents.

Compare his press resistance, quick passing, ball protection/stance to someone like Santi who wasn’t even meant to play CM. And then he can’t defend to make up for it anyway lol

 

[DanDare]

I'm struggling to think of a real killer pass Xhaka has ever done.

 

[The_Playmaker]

Athleticism has become more and more important yes but that's not "Power"
Intelligence is still the most important trait in CM as you are the centre of the whole unit. The best CM's therfore don't need to be physically elite see
Arteta, Xavi, Xabi Alonso, Pirlo, Fernandinho etc etc

You can't be truly athletic without having power. Power is basically fast strength. You don't need to be 6 foot tall and built like a brick house. AMN is a powerful individual. It's funny. We clamour for this powerful midfielder when we already have one. We just aren't using him there.

I'd consider Zaha powerful and AMN is powerful enough to put him in his pocket. I wonder what he would do in the middle of the pitch.

 

[Ash10]

I'm struggling to think of a real killer pass Xhaka has ever done.

Saw one for Switzerland & that's about it

 

[MATHEO]

I'm struggling to think of a real killer pass Xhaka has ever done.

I find it appalling how people overlook Xhaka's qualities. He's definitely far from perfect and has many flaws to his game, and you can argue that he's not good enough - even though I'd disagree, he can be effective under the right system - to be a starter. But this ? I've seen people calling him the worst player to ever wear the shirt !!, Give me a break

Here's a video which was uploaded after his first season with us, and I personally can recall so many other passes that weren't included in the video

 

[darkgunner]

Athleticism has become more and more important yes but that's not "Power"
Intelligence is still the most important trait in CM as you are the centre of the whole unit. The best CM's therfore don't need to be physically elite see
Arteta, Xavi, Xabi Alonso, Pirlo, Fernandinho etc etc

Athleticism was a big part of Arteta's game. Once his legs went, he became a glorified side and back pass merchant for the most part.

 

[Big Poppa]

Athleticism was a big part of Arteta's game. Once his legs went, he became a glorified side and back pass merchant for the most part.

Also the likes of Xavi, Pirlo, Fernandinho etc are/were so technically accomplished that it's moot. The ball was always out of their feet with their first touch and not only did they have a 360 view of the pitch before they receive the ball, they also have the agility to pivot, disguise passes and throw feints using a lower centre of gravity.

I honestly can't believe I'm trying to explain why Xhaka should never be compared with players like Xavi, or Pirlo simply on the basis of lack of pace.

 

[Red London]

? I've seen people calling him the worst player to ever wear the shirt !!

Thats obviously going overboard because he has scored important goals and has put in great performances, but he has to be our worst named (1st) captain in the PL era.

The reason why he gets a lot of stick even though he's good at times is because when he's low, he's really really low. He has cost us many goals and points, which ends up getting more stick than a player who plays it more safe and makes less mistakes.

At the end of the day though he doesnt give enough consistently (during a game or season) to make his poor side of the game worth it for us. He's not a winger or striker who has clear deficiencies but is still getting goals or assists... he is a CM. You have to be consistent there in this league or you're going to cost your side a shed load of points in the process

 

[Big Poppa]

I find it appalling how people overlook Xhaka's qualities. He's definitely far from perfect and has many flaws to his game, and you can argue that he's not good enough - even though I'd disagree, he can be effective under the right system - to be a starter. But this ? I've seen people calling him the worst player to ever wear the shirt !!, Give me a break

Here's a video which was uploaded after his first season with us, and I personally can recall so many other passes that weren't included in the video

Everyone here's seen plenty of him over 90 minutes.

Firstly it's not personal. It's not even about Xhaka per se. It's about the minimum standard for an automatic starting midfielder at a top 4 club - that's what we claim we want to be right?

So since he's the guy afford that responsibility, he's judged not just on his ability to do what he's good at, but the aspects of his game that limit our ability to control football matches when there's a shift in intensity from the opposition. Seems reasonable, no?

While that's not the sole responsibility of one player, there's clear evidence from our performances and results with Xhaka's limited mobility/agility in at the base of a midfield spearhead by Özil's limited engine, and supported by Guendouzi/Torreira's limited dynamism, that we have a strong case for needing to improve our physical stature quite significantly.

Xhaka's not the worst ever but I've definitely not known an experienced automatic starter over a 4 year period have as many poor games for us as him since Wenger first arrived. Again, it's not personal, but the bar I'm used to for this club is much higher than this.

 

[Kysus]

Ok so his traits are

weaknesses: slow, immobile, dumb, error-prone, weak positional awareness, weak under pressure, mostly just playing safe passes
strengths: rustling annoying fans

can see why Arteta and Wenger rate him so highly

I honestly can't believe I'm trying to explain why Xhaka should never be compared with players like Xavi, or Pirlo simply on the basis of lack of pace.

Me neither given that the comparison never has been made.

 

[Eaststander74]

I find it appalling how people overlook Xhaka's qualities.

What are they?

 

[Ash10]

I find it appalling how people overlook Xhaka's qualities. He's definitely far from perfect and has many flaws to his game, and you can argue that he's not good enough - even though I'd disagree, he can be effective under the right system - to be a starter. But this ? I've seen people calling him the worst player to ever wear the shirt !!, Give me a break

Here's a video which was uploaded after his first season with us, and I personally can recall so many other passes that weren't included in the video

No he isn't the worst player to ever wear the shirt let's get that away first.
As for the video posted, most of the passes are his typical passes to the wing, in no way are those killer passes. & now for the more pressing issue, do you see the common thing in all of those passes? He is under absolutely no presser with the ball being static at his feet. You won't get that in the PL. Every team presses & he folds. I'm not gonna talk about his costly mistakes as that topic has been beaten to death by now.
Nobody thinks he can't pass. But It's rather the opposite as many overrate his passing to astronomic proportions.

You know why city moved KDB to central midfield? He isn’t some technical marvel like the media portrays him to be & he actually misplaces a lot of his passes. But the one thing he has at elite level is athleticism. You can keep on trying to thread the needle or shoot from long distances as long as you can run like a gazelle all over the pitch, recover & get on the ball over & over.

People wrongfully compare KDB to Özil while he is nothing like Özil. The one similar to him we had was Ramsey. As you can see that last season when Ramsey got injured our team fell apart & this season has been a disaster . Ramsey's exit is not the sole reason for our fall but it is a far bigger reason than anyone thinks it to be.

 

[Big Poppa]

What are they?

Rustling annoying fans

 

[Red London]

weaknesses: slow, immobile, dumb, error-prone, weak positional awareness, weak under pressure, mostly just playing safe passes

You said it sarcastically but all those weaknesses are true tbh

 

[Eaststander74]

Rustling annoying fans

Then he gets rustled again when the manager gives him a vote of confidence and praise in public. Everything he does on and off the pitch is so random. My internet bro psycho senses tell me he could be on the spectrum.

 

[Taneruit]

Then he gets rustled again when the manager gives him a vote of confidence and praise in public. Everything he does on and off the pitch is so random. My internet bro psycho senses tell me he could be on the spectrum.

Bullshit. He didn't get *rustled* again. That was a hitpiece by a tabloid and made no sense with what came afterwards.

Everyone here's seen plenty of him over 90 minutes.

Firstly it's not personal.

Is it? Because then why are we suddenly having a discussion going three pages after a performance where the worst you can say about him is that he did his job. A decent one at that, but none that should lead to an overly positive OR negative discussion. Yet as soon as there's a middling result here we are people posting over themselves that Xhaka *does nothing* *is useless* and other such *nice* things.

Anyway, its your opinions. I don't blame you if you think we can upgrade, I don't blame you if you think he's not quite good enough.
(Both things that are certainly worth an argument)

But stop scapegoating immediatly when there's nothing to scapegoat.
If he puts in a **** performance, if he begins making costly mistakes again, then by all means: Roast him.

 

[DanDare]

You can recognise Xhakas qualities and still think he won't be good enough going forward

 

[Big Poppa]

You can recognise Xhakas quotes and still think he won't be good enough going forward

That’s pretty much been my stance throughout. I just find it funny that people get so defensive about him. He’s not the first and won’t be the last player consistently criticised by fans. My beef is with Wenger more than Xhaka. That 2016 summer window planted the seeds of our demise.

 

[Eaststander74]

But stop scapegoating immediatly when there's nothing to scapegoat.
If he puts in a **** performance, if he begins making costly mistakes again, then by all means: Roast him.

Xhaka is not being blamed for the failings of others, so he's no 'scapegoat'. He gets criticised. There is a difference.

A player doesn't have to be awful or make costly errors to deserve criticism at Arsenal. We're not Peterborough. The bar is higher.