Granit Xhaka: Swiss Army Knife or Blunt Tool?

[Maybe]

I personally would much rather see Elneny in his place. Elneny has more positive attributes than Xhaka. Is more mobile and is easier for the CBs to find when we play out of the back.

Xhaka is still an asset for set pieces. He does help a lot with that with his good positioning and heading. I would say with one more midfielder next to him, he would probably take more risks in his passing and would offer more than Elneny in that case. But I think instructions are clear from Arteta, he avoids complicated passing with us, but for NT he has a bit more freedom and looks better for them.
But yeah, I also thought about the possibility of Elneny there, but I don't rate him either.

 

[CaseUteinberger]

Xhaka is still an asset for set pieces. He does help a lot with that with his good positioning and heading. I would say with one more midfielder next to him, he would probably take more risks in his passing and would offer more than Elneny in that case. But I think instructions are clear from Arteta, he avoids complicated passing with us, but for NT he has a bit more freedom and looks better for them.
But yeah, I also thought about the possibility of Elneny there, but I don't rate him either.

Maybe I am giving Elneny too much credit, but Xhaka I have seen over years now and I just do not rate him. He brings no tempo, if quite iffy in his passing and always good for some stupid mistake. I haven't seen Elneny under Arteta enough to make the same judgement on him. I feel it worth giving it a go. But agree that it isn't all that clearcut either.

 

[Manberg]

Anything but admitting that Xhaka was poor yesterday, especially in the first half, is just not honest. He misplaced paces for fun at the start and let WH counter us creating lots of uncertainty on our side and gave WH wind in their sails.

I personally would much rather see Elneny in his place. Elneny has more positive attributes than Xhaka. Is more mobile and is easier for the CBs to find when we play out of the back.

Yet he had a 90% passing accuracy. You don't get that by "misplacing paces for fun". Check whoscored if you don't believe me.
You see 1 misplaced pass and you think he misplaced 10. It was a little more than 1 but he was hardly "misplacing paces for fun".

 

[CaseUteinberger]

Yet he had a 90% passing accuracy. You don't get that by "misplacing paces for fun". Check whoscored if you don't believe me.
You see 1 misplaced pass and you think he misplaced 10. It was a little more than 1 but he was hardly "misplacing paces for fun".

He gets to the high % figure by playing tons of backwards and sideway passes under no pressure. From the top of my head I remember 3 very poor passes from him in the first 30 min. They helped kill any tempo and momentum we were trying to build.

I know you rate him, but I do not. He is a bang average mid-table player on his good days. Nothing more and nothing less. I for one will be happy once the club and he part ways.

I hope this game was just a temporary reverting back to his poor pre-Arteta form. Not sure though. Which is why I don't have an issue with Elneny replacing him.

 

[Manberg]

He gets to the high % figure by playing tons of backwards and sideway passes under no pressure. From the top of my head I remember 3 very poor passes from him in the first 30 min. They helped kill any tempo and momentum we were trying to build.

I know you rate him, but I do not. He is a bang average mid-table player on his good days. Nothing more and nothing less. I for one will be happy once the club and he part ways.

I hope this game was just a temporary reverting back to his poor pre-Arteta form. Not sure though. Which is why I don't have an issue with Elneny replacing him.

Oh so 3 misplaced passes = misplacing passes for fun. Ok...

Let's hold every player accountable when they make 3 or more small mistakes in a game. I think you'd be looking at over 90% of footballers in every game.

 

[CaseUteinberger]

Oh so 3 misplaced passes = misplacing passes for fun. Ok...

Let's hold every player accountable when they make 3 or more small mistakes in a game. I think you'd be looking at over 90% of footballers in every game.

Can I ask why you are defending him so vehemently? Besides that he is such an excellent footballer in your view? Just trying to understand and would be good if you helped along.

If you feel this is besides the point then no need to answer.

 

[Manberg]

Can I ask why you are defending him so vehemently? Besides that he is such an excellent footballer in your view? Just trying to understand and would be good if you helped along.

If you feel this is besides the point then no need to answer.

Because people are attacking him so vehemently simply because they have an agenda against him. He’s one of our best players.

 

[CaseUteinberger]

Because people are attacking him so vehemently simply because they have an agenda against him. He’s one of our best players.

So what is e.g. then my agenda wanting to play Elneny instead of Xhaka? I don't rate Xhaka and want us to play Elneny. What is my agenda?

 

[Manberg]

So what is e.g. then my agenda wanting to play Elneny instead of Xhaka? I don't rate Xhaka and want us to play Elneny. What is my agenda?

Not rating Xhaka is an objective of these agenda merchants. This is because the opinions are not based on any factual information, they make up their information to use in the agenda. One example is they make up an argument to claim that he makes a bucketload of mistakes in every game, which is not true at all.

 

[kash2]

Not rating Xhaka is an objective of these agenda merchants. This is because the opinions are not based on any factual information, they make up their information to use in the agenda. One example is they make up an argument to claim that he makes a bucketload of mistakes in every game, which is not true at all.

yeah... he showed the rabid abusive fanbase the middle finger.... so that element is out to get him.

 

[CaseUteinberger]

Not rating Xhaka is an objective of these agenda merchants. This is because the opinions are not based on any factual information, they make up their information to use in the agenda. One example is they make up an argument to claim that he makes a bucketload of mistakes in every game, which is not true at all.

You clearly understand something different with “having an agenda” than what is mostly understood to be the meaning.

If I remember correctly you were also the poster that did not understand what a straw man argument was.

Let’s just leave the discussion for now. You rate Xhaka and I do not. Let’s agree to disagree.

 

[Ash10]

You clearly understand something different with “having an agenda” than what is mostly understood to be the meaning.

If I remember correctly you were also the poster that did not understand what a straw man argument was.

Let’s just leave the discussion for now. You rate Xhaka and I do not. Let’s agree to disagree.

Oh but he won't. If you don't rate Xhaka you have to have an agenda, you don't have 'football knowledge'(says the guy who rates flamini as a legend). Then you'll get some bullcrap essay about how it’s Xhaka against the world. He'll do anything & everything other than to let you have your own opinion
Oh & btw Xhaka always plays great don't you know?

 

[Manberg]

Oh but he won't. If you don't rate Xhaka you have to have an agenda, you don't have 'football knowledge'(says the guy who rates flamini as a legend). Then you'll get some bullcrap essay about how it’s Xhaka against the world. He'll do anything & everything other than to let you have your own opinion
Oh & btw Xhaka always plays great don't you know?

Exactly. You have some iq. Not so hard to see the truth is it?

 

[RacingPhoton]

The guy had a record for most errors leading to goal and penalties given away in three years. But yes. We are all here with agenda and not looking at facts

Xhaka boot lickers are a cult. No point in arguing with them.

 

[Maybe]

The guy had a record for most errors leading to goal and penalties given away in three years. But yes. We are all here with agenda and not looking at facts

Xhaka boot lickers are a cult. No point in arguing with them.

I wonder how the cult was even started? He attracted people by giving away fouls, penalties, and counter attacks? I understand there are some Albanian people supporting him no matter what, but others who actually rate the guy are absolutely delusional.

Was watching Kovacic for Chelsea today, the guy was dancing through Liverpool midfield, breaking press for fun. He is not even a top midfielder but gives you an idea of how far we are with Xhaka

 

[RacingPhoton]

I wonder how the cult was even started? He attracted people by giving away fouls, penalties, and counter attacks? I understand there are some Albanian people supporting him no matter what, but others who actually rate the guy are absolutely delusional.

Was watching Kovacic for Chelsea today, the guy was dancing through Liverpool midfield, breaking press for fun. He is not even a top midfielder but gives you an idea of how far we are with Xhaka

I have the same doubts too. During his first season, many fans including me were supporting him in spite of his mistakes. We kept telling ourselves that he would get better with time. Slowly as people figured out that his problems cannot be fixed, they stopped supporting him. But very few of them stayed there trying to justify his presence. And it is considered sexy these days to go against the popular opinion.
And don't get me started on other teams' midfielders. The fact that our attack becomes toothless if Tierney is not playing shows how poor out midfield is. It's like we forgot how to attack through the middle.

 

[Manberg]

I have the same doubts too. During his first season, many fans including me were supporting him in spite of his mistakes. We kept telling ourselves that he would get better with time. Slowly as people figured out that his problems cannot be fixed, they stopped supporting him. But very few of them stayed there trying to justify his presence. And it is considered sexy these days to go against the popular opinion.
And don't get me started on other teams' midfielders. The fact that our attack becomes toothless if Tierney is not playing shows how poor out midfield is. It's like we forgot how to attack through the middle.

For the last time, we’re not attacking through the middle in our present tactics by design. The midfield’s main job is to provide support by transitioning defence to attack in the wide areas. We are purposefully playing through the flanks, that’s where we want most of the creativity. If you brush up on your football knowledge and pay attention to our tactics you’d have noticed this.

As for Xhaka he’s always been a good midfielder. But he needs an athletic midfielder beside him and he hasn’t had it since he’s been here. That‘s not a criticism of Xhaka, the best Xhaka type midfielders in the world need such players beside them and get exposed without them. Pirlo without De Rossi or Vidal for example would have been just as exposed. Likewise Alonso without Khedira, Jorginho without Kante, Henderson without Wijnaldum or Fabinho etc. They would all be exposed without that player doing the running.

 

[Maybe]

As for Xhaka he’s always been a good midfielder. But he needs an athletic midfielder beside him and he hasn’t had it since he’s been here.

I don't think it would change anything for him really. If we would add a physical midfielder next to him, Xhaka would just get exposed as a playmaker. Let's imagine we remove Ceballos out of the picture and add a classic DMC to play next to Xhaka, who would progress the ball in that case? So far it was Ceballos, but DMC couldn't do it, and Xhaka can't do it.

That's why most of you guys want Partey here, a guy who can to a bit of everything to cover for all of his flaws. My question is then, why wouldn't we bench Xhaka and play Ceballos with Partey? There's nothing Xhaka can offer that Ceballos couldn't, but there's a lot Ceballos can offer but Xhaka can't

 

[Manberg]

I don't think it would change anything for him really. If we would add a physical midfielder next to him, Xhaka would just get exposed as a playmaker. Let's imagine we remove Ceballos out of the picture and add a classic DMC to play next to Xhaka, who would progress the ball in that case? So far it was Ceballos, but DMC couldn't do it, and Xhaka can't do it.

That's why most of you guys want Partey here, a guy who can to a bit of everything to cover for all of his flaws. My question is then, why wouldn't we bench Xhaka and play Ceballos with Partey? There's nothing Xhaka can offer that Ceballos couldn't, but there's a lot Ceballos can offer but Xhaka can't

This is where you massively underrate Xhaka’s deep-lying playmaker abilities. For reference, 20 attempted long balls yesterday, 15 of which found its target, over four times more than any other player in the team. Highly penetrative passes.

The ideal midfield I think Arteta wants is Xhaka, Partey and Aouar in a midfield three. Not possible to switch to that midfield three without that athletic DM.

 

[Maybe]

This is where you massively underrate Xhaka’s deep-lying playmaker abilities. For reference, 20 attempted long balls yesterday, 15 of which found its target, over four times more than any other play in the team.

Mate, I don't need a statistics summary about the game that I watched. Hitting the ball to find Kolasinac is not something that's very important to me. Most of his long passes are used for finding a free player on the left, but you're making them sound like a defence splitting passes. Look at Henderson's pass today for Mane, when was the last time Xhaka did something like that? That's a pass that breaks defence, pass with purpose and fairly accurate.

If you want to mention someone with standout long forward passes, I would rather mention Gabriel, probably Luiz as well