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Granit Xhaka: 2019/20 Performances

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Taneruit

Established Member

Country: Switzerland

Player:Zinchenko
Tbf, you live in Switzerland and you stated that you're a 'local Basel fan' and your 'international club' is Arsenal. So you can't really moan if anyone says you aren't really an Arsenal fan, even if it is a baseless insult!

They are the same type of importance to me though. (Arsenal in recent years more than Basel actually). It's why I refused one of the few chances I had to watch Arsenal live when we played Basel in the CL in 16'. Even though it hurt they were both clubs I love and I thought it would be pathetic and wrong for me to go to it, even as a neutral.

For the argument in general I can't really help being born in switzerland and growing up on football before I learned english and the premier league became more than a table in the paper, a place where some players and teams are and the occasional celebrity news on the television about David Beckham or whoever.
 

tap-in

Nothing Wrong With Me
Xhaka will never improve, he's our midfield version of Mustafi, guaranteed to fvck up simple passes on a regular basis. Its not just the ones that went to the opposition, there were loads that put our players in danger of injury. He passes the ball to players who don't have the space, Martinelli & Saka both went down under challenges because of Xhaka poor passes. Sell!
 

tap-in

Nothing Wrong With Me
Disgusted by his performance, 90% passing success just not good enough.
He should know who he is and concentrate more ffs. Anything but 100% just does not fly when you are Granit Xhaka.

I get that players can make errors but if you are not under pressure why play the ball to a player who is not in space? He does it regularly, it becomes a 50/50 ball and suddenly we're the ones under pressure. You're probably a Mustafi fan too!
 

A_G

Rice Rice Baby 🎼🎵
A-M CL Draft Campeón 🏆
If you were only just getting to grips with the concept of 'expected goals', then brace yourself: football analytics is getting even more sophisticated.

The use of heat maps and touch graphics everywhere, from the touchscreens of Match of the Day to these very pages, is proof that data has become an integral part of everyday football conversation. True, scepticism still exists — a point underlined in a scene in the documentary Sunderland ‘Til I Die in which scouts Glynn Snodin and Sandy Miller write off a potential signing because “he’s got gloves on and it’s not even cold” — but that is now the exception.

Last October, in the bowels of Chelsea’s Stamford Bridge, some of the finest thinkers in football data came together for Statsbomb’s Innovation in Football Conference to discuss how analytics in the game can move to the next level.

At Barcelona, even expected goals are considered old-fashioned. Now, the killer metric is something they call Expected Possession Value (EPV), which determines the quality of the players’ position on the pitch relative to others.

As head of sports analytics, Javier Fernandez, says: “At every instance we can observe where a player is better located to receive the ball in order to increase the expected value of the possession.” This kind of analysis has been common in basketball for years but is only just making its way into football.

Fernandez believes that the fact this model takes into account the context within which passing occurs makes it far more advanced than commonly-used statistics such as passes, shots or possession, which refer to “isolated actions” irrespective of context like pressure from opponents or position on the pitch. A backward pass into space can easily add to the chance that the move will result in a goal. EPV recognises this fact.


There is, Fernandez says, too much focus on finishing in the mainstream use of advanced analytics, when so much of the game has nothing at all to do with goals. So, why not focus on what happens earlier?

Which brings us to Granit Xhaka. The former Arsenal captain has been a lightning rod for criticism of recent regimes - all of which came to a head when he was booed off the pitch after being substituted against Crystal Palace - but while a huge portion of the fans cannot fathom his continued inclusion in the side, both Arsène Wenger and Unai Emery stuck by Xhaka and built their sides around him. New manager Mikel Arteta has since suggested he is a big fan.

Xhaka rarely has any impact in front of goal, and many of the complaints about him suggest he does not do enough to prevent the concession of goals, either. But Xhaka ranks among the best players in the Premier League for what some analysts describe as “participations in positive passages of play”. Xhaka is central to Arsenal’s passing “network” and plays a key role in the vast majority of their attacks. Given that Arsenal’s results did not improve when he was out of the team, maybe there is a point to him after all.


Meanwhile, at Paris Saint-Germain, efforts are being made to add value to their players through analysis of weaknesses and incredibly specific training methods. It might sound surprising, but the club that broke the world transfer record to sign Neymar in 2017 and followed that up with the second-most expensive signing of all time when they bought Kylian Mbappe a year later, are now going to great lengths to increase the worth of their players by designing training sessions specifically to improve their most valuable attributes. Ajax’s Head of Sport Science, meanwhile, presented physiological tips that can help improve the execution of elite skills in football.

There is also new focus on trying to quantify contribution to the game with off-the-ball actions. Brentford, one of the most forward-thinking teams in English football are focussing increasingly on actions that don’t involve the ball to measure a player’s worth to the team, as Luke Stopforth, Head of Performance Analysis at Brentford, tells Telegraph Sport.

“The analytics side of things is moving away from on-the-ball events. We use tracking data to keep tabs on every player’s position in relation to the ball, and we also use what’s called packing data to measure how many players have been taken out of the game by either making or receiving a pass. There’s more to come that clubs everywhere are exploring.”

A brand new metric that might soon become common is ‘expected threat’. This was presented by San Francisco-based analyst Karun Singh. Expected threat assigns a value to each zone of the pitch (based on the probability that a goal will result from the ball being there), from which it is possible to calculate the increase in ‘threat’ of a move as a result of any specific action by an individual player.

Using this expected threat value, it is possible to see which players make significant contributions to team moves without directly creating many chances - which puts a new value on widely-criticised players such as Alex Iwobi, Oleksandr Zinchenko and Ilkay Gundogan. Creating a chance might result in an assist but, as Singh put it, “the check-mate move might have come far earlier.”

There were further talks assessing different styles of pressing, how to shoot from different angles and how and where best to go about entering the final third. It all pointed to a future world of football that looks far different to that which we now know.

Data plays an increasing role in player scouting as it is, but having been given a glimpse of the swiftly advancing football analytics sphere, it is not difficult to imagine training sessions, team selection and recruitment one day being based entirely on numbers — gloves or no gloves.
Shows why players like Xhaka (and Iwobi as was mentioned in the article) are coveted within the game, even if fans don't always agree.
 

Kysus

Active Member
I get that players can make errors but if you are not under pressure why play the ball to a player who is not in space? He does it regularly, it becomes a 50/50 ball and suddenly we're the ones under pressure. You're probably a Mustafi fan too!

Fully agree! You just need better than that.
We need a CM who plays progressive passes 100% of the time, succesfully every time and finds his team-mates in a lot of space every time, because putting his team-mates under pressure is a no go.
He also needs to be able to receive it under massive pressure himself all the time, completly press resistant is a must if your name is Xhaka!

I'm disgusted by the Bournemouth goal as well, massive Xhaka blunder. His aura made Holding lose his head and misposition himself. Unacceptable by Xhaka.
 

Big Poppa

Established Member
Trusted ⭐

Country: USA

Player:Saliba
If you were only just getting to grips with the concept of 'expected goals', then brace yourself: football analytics is getting even more sophisticated.

The use of heat maps and touch graphics everywhere, from the touchscreens of Match of the Day to these very pages, is proof that data has become an integral part of everyday football conversation. True, scepticism still exists — a point underlined in a scene in the documentary Sunderland ‘Til I Die in which scouts Glynn Snodin and Sandy Miller write off a potential signing because “he’s got gloves on and it’s not even cold” — but that is now the exception.

Last October, in the bowels of Chelsea’s Stamford Bridge, some of the finest thinkers in football data came together for Statsbomb’s Innovation in Football Conference to discuss how analytics in the game can move to the next level.

At Barcelona, even expected goals are considered old-fashioned. Now, the killer metric is something they call Expected Possession Value (EPV), which determines the quality of the players’ position on the pitch relative to others.

As head of sports analytics, Javier Fernandez, says: “At every instance we can observe where a player is better located to receive the ball in order to increase the expected value of the possession.” This kind of analysis has been common in basketball for years but is only just making its way into football.

Fernandez believes that the fact this model takes into account the context within which passing occurs makes it far more advanced than commonly-used statistics such as passes, shots or possession, which refer to “isolated actions” irrespective of context like pressure from opponents or position on the pitch. A backward pass into space can easily add to the chance that the move will result in a goal. EPV recognises this fact.


There is, Fernandez says, too much focus on finishing in the mainstream use of advanced analytics, when so much of the game has nothing at all to do with goals. So, why not focus on what happens earlier?

Which brings us to Granit Xhaka. The former Arsenal captain has been a lightning rod for criticism of recent regimes - all of which came to a head when he was booed off the pitch after being substituted against Crystal Palace - but while a huge portion of the fans cannot fathom his continued inclusion in the side, both Arsène Wenger and Unai Emery stuck by Xhaka and built their sides around him. New manager Mikel Arteta has since suggested he is a big fan.

Xhaka rarely has any impact in front of goal, and many of the complaints about him suggest he does not do enough to prevent the concession of goals, either. But Xhaka ranks among the best players in the Premier League for what some analysts describe as “participations in positive passages of play”. Xhaka is central to Arsenal’s passing “network” and plays a key role in the vast majority of their attacks. Given that Arsenal’s results did not improve when he was out of the team, maybe there is a point to him after all.


Meanwhile, at Paris Saint-Germain, efforts are being made to add value to their players through analysis of weaknesses and incredibly specific training methods. It might sound surprising, but the club that broke the world transfer record to sign Neymar in 2017 and followed that up with the second-most expensive signing of all time when they bought Kylian Mbappe a year later, are now going to great lengths to increase the worth of their players by designing training sessions specifically to improve their most valuable attributes. Ajax’s Head of Sport Science, meanwhile, presented physiological tips that can help improve the execution of elite skills in football.

There is also new focus on trying to quantify contribution to the game with off-the-ball actions. Brentford, one of the most forward-thinking teams in English football are focussing increasingly on actions that don’t involve the ball to measure a player’s worth to the team, as Luke Stopforth, Head of Performance Analysis at Brentford, tells Telegraph Sport.

“The analytics side of things is moving away from on-the-ball events. We use tracking data to keep tabs on every player’s position in relation to the ball, and we also use what’s called packing data to measure how many players have been taken out of the game by either making or receiving a pass. There’s more to come that clubs everywhere are exploring.”

A brand new metric that might soon become common is ‘expected threat’. This was presented by San Francisco-based analyst Karun Singh. Expected threat assigns a value to each zone of the pitch (based on the probability that a goal will result from the ball being there), from which it is possible to calculate the increase in ‘threat’ of a move as a result of any specific action by an individual player.

Using this expected threat value, it is possible to see which players make significant contributions to team moves without directly creating many chances - which puts a new value on widely-criticised players such as Alex Iwobi, Oleksandr Zinchenko and Ilkay Gundogan. Creating a chance might result in an assist but, as Singh put it, “the check-mate move might have come far earlier.”

There were further talks assessing different styles of pressing, how to shoot from different angles and how and where best to go about entering the final third. It all pointed to a future world of football that looks far different to that which we now know.

Data plays an increasing role in player scouting as it is, but having been given a glimpse of the swiftly advancing football analytics sphere, it is not difficult to imagine training sessions, team selection and recruitment one day being based entirely on numbers — gloves or no gloves.
Shows why players like Xhaka (and Iwobi as was mentioned in the article) are coveted within the game, even if fans don't always agree.

Thanks for sharing this. What's clear is Xhaka's valued by coaches for is his leadership characteristics and his resilience - you can't really measure these but they rub off on others.

As regards the data....

It's an interesting advancement, but how much data do you really need to assess a player's value? A lot to unpack here but a few things jumped out at me as I was reading through:

1) "A backward pass into space can easily add to the chance that the move will result in a goal. EPV recognises this fact."

This one I find particularly odd. It's not wrong, but the same could apply to a goal kick, throw in or any action that results in the ball going to a teammate. "Value" can be either attacking or defensive depending on the context of the game.

What surely is most important is ascertaining how often an individual makes the most progressive available selection in an attacking phase and the most corrective available selection in a defensive phase. Getting data for that is not impossible but incredibly difficult.

2) "Given that Arsenal’s results did not improve when he was out of the team, maybe there is a point to him after all."

Surprised to see this here. There are so many variables. Different opponents, different team selections, different tactics etc etc. Up til 1st Nov we averaged 1.8 gpg / 52% win rate with him (50 games) and 2.6 gpg / 74% win rate without him under Emery. But again, so many variables, it's almost meaningless.

3) widely-criticised players such as Alex Iwobi, Oleksandr Zinchenko and Ilkay Gundogan. Creating a chance might result in an assist but, as Singh put it, “the check-mate move might have come far earlier.”

Quite a random list - including Iwobi and Gundogan together who perform very different functions. I can only assume that the EPV inputs can be customised based on a player's role requirements which would rightly call out Iwobi for his end product (or lack of) more than Gundogan.
 

albakos

Arséne Wenger: "I will miss you"
Administrator

Country: Kosova

Player:Saka
“The analytics side of things is moving away from on-the-ball events. We use tracking data to keep tabs on every player’s position in relation to the ball, and we also use what’s called packing data to measure how many players have been taken out of the game by either making or receiving a pass. There’s more to come that clubs everywhere are exploring.”

A brand new metric that might soon become common is ‘expected threat’. This was presented by San Francisco-based analyst Karun Singh. Expected threat assigns a value to each zone of the pitch (based on the probability that a goal will result from the ball being there), from which it is possible to calculate the increase in ‘threat’ of a move as a result of any specific action by an individual player.

Using this expected threat value, it is possible to see which players make significant contributions to team moves without directly creating many chances - which puts a new value on widely-criticised players such as Alex Iwobi, Oleksandr Zinchenko and Ilkay Gundogan. Creating a chance might result in an assist but, as Singh put it, “the check-mate move might have come far earlier.”

There were further talks assessing different styles of pressing, how to shoot from different angles and how and where best to go about entering the final third. It all pointed to a future world of football that looks far different to that which we now know.

Data plays an increasing role in player scouting as it is, but having been given a glimpse of the swiftly advancing football analytics sphere, it is not difficult to imagine training sessions, team selection and recruitment one day being based entirely on numbers — gloves or no gloves.
Shows why players like Xhaka (and Iwobi as was mentioned in the article) are coveted within the game, even if fans don't always agree.

Packing is an interesting stat and it is easy to understand its importance. But it's difficult to find sources that provide stats on it.

It is why Xhaka and Özil always have high scores on that stat and they're vital parts of Arteta's plan for the season.

Also first time, I hear of for this new stat Expected threat. Going by its description, the shoulder drop and run from Willock last night, must have had a very high xT score :)
 
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YeahBee

Terrible hot takes
If you were only just getting to grips with the concept of 'expected goals', then brace yourself: football analytics is getting even more sophisticated.

The use of heat maps and touch graphics everywhere, from the touchscreens of Match of the Day to these very pages, is proof that data has become an integral part of everyday football conversation. True, scepticism still exists — a point underlined in a scene in the documentary Sunderland ‘Til I Die in which scouts Glynn Snodin and Sandy Miller write off a potential signing because “he’s got gloves on and it’s not even cold” — but that is now the exception.

Last October, in the bowels of Chelsea’s Stamford Bridge, some of the finest thinkers in football data came together for Statsbomb’s Innovation in Football Conference to discuss how analytics in the game can move to the next level.

At Barcelona, even expected goals are considered old-fashioned. Now, the killer metric is something they call Expected Possession Value (EPV), which determines the quality of the players’ position on the pitch relative to others.

As head of sports analytics, Javier Fernandez, says: “At every instance we can observe where a player is better located to receive the ball in order to increase the expected value of the possession.” This kind of analysis has been common in basketball for years but is only just making its way into football.

Fernandez believes that the fact this model takes into account the context within which passing occurs makes it far more advanced than commonly-used statistics such as passes, shots or possession, which refer to “isolated actions” irrespective of context like pressure from opponents or position on the pitch. A backward pass into space can easily add to the chance that the move will result in a goal. EPV recognises this fact.


There is, Fernandez says, too much focus on finishing in the mainstream use of advanced analytics, when so much of the game has nothing at all to do with goals. So, why not focus on what happens earlier?

Which brings us to Granit Xhaka. The former Arsenal captain has been a lightning rod for criticism of recent regimes - all of which came to a head when he was booed off the pitch after being substituted against Crystal Palace - but while a huge portion of the fans cannot fathom his continued inclusion in the side, both Arsène Wenger and Unai Emery stuck by Xhaka and built their sides around him. New manager Mikel Arteta has since suggested he is a big fan.

Xhaka rarely has any impact in front of goal, and many of the complaints about him suggest he does not do enough to prevent the concession of goals, either. But Xhaka ranks among the best players in the Premier League for what some analysts describe as “participations in positive passages of play”. Xhaka is central to Arsenal’s passing “network” and plays a key role in the vast majority of their attacks. Given that Arsenal’s results did not improve when he was out of the team, maybe there is a point to him after all.


Meanwhile, at Paris Saint-Germain, efforts are being made to add value to their players through analysis of weaknesses and incredibly specific training methods. It might sound surprising, but the club that broke the world transfer record to sign Neymar in 2017 and followed that up with the second-most expensive signing of all time when they bought Kylian Mbappe a year later, are now going to great lengths to increase the worth of their players by designing training sessions specifically to improve their most valuable attributes. Ajax’s Head of Sport Science, meanwhile, presented physiological tips that can help improve the execution of elite skills in football.

There is also new focus on trying to quantify contribution to the game with off-the-ball actions. Brentford, one of the most forward-thinking teams in English football are focussing increasingly on actions that don’t involve the ball to measure a player’s worth to the team, as Luke Stopforth, Head of Performance Analysis at Brentford, tells Telegraph Sport.

“The analytics side of things is moving away from on-the-ball events. We use tracking data to keep tabs on every player’s position in relation to the ball, and we also use what’s called packing data to measure how many players have been taken out of the game by either making or receiving a pass. There’s more to come that clubs everywhere are exploring.”

A brand new metric that might soon become common is ‘expected threat’. This was presented by San Francisco-based analyst Karun Singh. Expected threat assigns a value to each zone of the pitch (based on the probability that a goal will result from the ball being there), from which it is possible to calculate the increase in ‘threat’ of a move as a result of any specific action by an individual player.

Using this expected threat value, it is possible to see which players make significant contributions to team moves without directly creating many chances - which puts a new value on widely-criticised players such as Alex Iwobi, Oleksandr Zinchenko and Ilkay Gundogan. Creating a chance might result in an assist but, as Singh put it, “the check-mate move might have come far earlier.”

There were further talks assessing different styles of pressing, how to shoot from different angles and how and where best to go about entering the final third. It all pointed to a future world of football that looks far different to that which we now know.

Data plays an increasing role in player scouting as it is, but having been given a glimpse of the swiftly advancing football analytics sphere, it is not difficult to imagine training sessions, team selection and recruitment one day being based entirely on numbers — gloves or no gloves.
Shows why players like Xhaka (and Iwobi as was mentioned in the article) are coveted within the game, even if fans don't always agree.

I knew all along
I will take the apologies in the form of bitcoin
 
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irishgunnerz

AWOL
Trusted ⭐
If you were only just getting to grips with the concept of 'expected goals', then brace yourself: football analytics is getting even more sophisticated.

The use of heat maps and touch graphics everywhere, from the touchscreens of Match of the Day to these very pages, is proof that data has become an integral part of everyday football conversation. True, scepticism still exists — a point underlined in a scene in the documentary Sunderland ‘Til I Die in which scouts Glynn Snodin and Sandy Miller write off a potential signing because “he’s got gloves on and it’s not even cold” — but that is now the exception.

Last October, in the bowels of Chelsea’s Stamford Bridge, some of the finest thinkers in football data came together for Statsbomb’s Innovation in Football Conference to discuss how analytics in the game can move to the next level.

At Barcelona, even expected goals are considered old-fashioned. Now, the killer metric is something they call Expected Possession Value (EPV), which determines the quality of the players’ position on the pitch relative to others.

As head of sports analytics, Javier Fernandez, says: “At every instance we can observe where a player is better located to receive the ball in order to increase the expected value of the possession.” This kind of analysis has been common in basketball for years but is only just making its way into football.

Fernandez believes that the fact this model takes into account the context within which passing occurs makes it far more advanced than commonly-used statistics such as passes, shots or possession, which refer to “isolated actions” irrespective of context like pressure from opponents or position on the pitch. A backward pass into space can easily add to the chance that the move will result in a goal. EPV recognises this fact.


There is, Fernandez says, too much focus on finishing in the mainstream use of advanced analytics, when so much of the game has nothing at all to do with goals. So, why not focus on what happens earlier?

Which brings us to Granit Xhaka. The former Arsenal captain has been a lightning rod for criticism of recent regimes - all of which came to a head when he was booed off the pitch after being substituted against Crystal Palace - but while a huge portion of the fans cannot fathom his continued inclusion in the side, both Arsène Wenger and Unai Emery stuck by Xhaka and built their sides around him. New manager Mikel Arteta has since suggested he is a big fan.

Xhaka rarely has any impact in front of goal, and many of the complaints about him suggest he does not do enough to prevent the concession of goals, either. But Xhaka ranks among the best players in the Premier League for what some analysts describe as “participations in positive passages of play”. Xhaka is central to Arsenal’s passing “network” and plays a key role in the vast majority of their attacks. Given that Arsenal’s results did not improve when he was out of the team, maybe there is a point to him after all.


Meanwhile, at Paris Saint-Germain, efforts are being made to add value to their players through analysis of weaknesses and incredibly specific training methods. It might sound surprising, but the club that broke the world transfer record to sign Neymar in 2017 and followed that up with the second-most expensive signing of all time when they bought Kylian Mbappe a year later, are now going to great lengths to increase the worth of their players by designing training sessions specifically to improve their most valuable attributes. Ajax’s Head of Sport Science, meanwhile, presented physiological tips that can help improve the execution of elite skills in football.

There is also new focus on trying to quantify contribution to the game with off-the-ball actions. Brentford, one of the most forward-thinking teams in English football are focussing increasingly on actions that don’t involve the ball to measure a player’s worth to the team, as Luke Stopforth, Head of Performance Analysis at Brentford, tells Telegraph Sport.

“The analytics side of things is moving away from on-the-ball events. We use tracking data to keep tabs on every player’s position in relation to the ball, and we also use what’s called packing data to measure how many players have been taken out of the game by either making or receiving a pass. There’s more to come that clubs everywhere are exploring.”

A brand new metric that might soon become common is ‘expected threat’. This was presented by San Francisco-based analyst Karun Singh. Expected threat assigns a value to each zone of the pitch (based on the probability that a goal will result from the ball being there), from which it is possible to calculate the increase in ‘threat’ of a move as a result of any specific action by an individual player.

Using this expected threat value, it is possible to see which players make significant contributions to team moves without directly creating many chances - which puts a new value on widely-criticised players such as Alex Iwobi, Oleksandr Zinchenko and Ilkay Gundogan. Creating a chance might result in an assist but, as Singh put it, “the check-mate move might have come far earlier.”

There were further talks assessing different styles of pressing, how to shoot from different angles and how and where best to go about entering the final third. It all pointed to a future world of football that looks far different to that which we now know.

Data plays an increasing role in player scouting as it is, but having been given a glimpse of the swiftly advancing football analytics sphere, it is not difficult to imagine training sessions, team selection and recruitment one day being based entirely on numbers — gloves or no gloves.
Shows why players like Xhaka (and Iwobi as was mentioned in the article) are coveted within the game, even if fans don't always agree.

For shame sir.

This isn't a thread for facts... this thread has had enough of... those.... things
 
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Gooner416

Master of Stonks
Trusted ⭐

Country: Canada
Packing is an interesting stat and it is easy to understand its importance. But it's difficult to find sources that provide stats on it.

It is why Xhaka and Özil always have high scores on that stat and they're vital parts of Arteta's plan for the season.

Also first time, I hear of for this new stat Expected threat. Going by its description, the shoulder drop and run from Willock last night, must have had a very high xT score :)
Can't wait for @Football Manager thesis on Expected threat shortly. Blimey.
 

Santi's Left Foot

No Longer Sleeping in Theo's bed
Where's the stats that show players effortlessly gliding past Xhaka like he isn't there, or when he gives the ball away at crucial times sometimes under no pressure at all, when he loses a player he's supposed to be marking, when refuses to drive forward positively with the ball?

Would he be near the top of those stats too?? Has he not contributed to our our mid table position?

I'm not denying he's well above average in certain attributes, but selective stats don't tell the whole story. Having said all this I'm fairly happy with him recently but we almost certainly need to do better if we're looking for top four, CL ect.
 

HaffBR

Designer of fancy pyramids
He is just average, somewhat slow (on the ball, off the ball), not world class. I would sell him and go all for Marcos Llorente from Atlético Madrid, that is faster and a better passer with potential to be a very good player, borderline world class imo, also younger.
 

Vantastico

Active Member
Where's the stats that show players effortlessly gliding past Xhaka like he isn't there, or when he gives the ball away at crucial times sometimes under no pressure at all, when he loses a player he's supposed to be marking, when refuses to drive forward positively with the ball?

Would he be near the top of those stats too?? Has he not contributed to our our mid table position?

I'm not denying he's well above average in certain attributes, but selective stats don't tell the whole story. Having said all this I'm fairly happy with him recently but we almost certainly need to do better if we're looking for top four, CL ect.
 

tap-in

Nothing Wrong With Me
Fully agree! You just need better than that.
We need a CM who plays progressive passes 100% of the time, succesfully every time and finds his team-mates in a lot of space every time, because putting his team-mates under pressure is a no go.
He also needs to be able to receive it under massive pressure himself all the time, completly press resistant is a must if your name is Xhaka!

I'm disgusted by the Bournemouth goal as well, massive Xhaka blunder. His aura made Holding lose his head and misposition himself. Unacceptable by Xhaka.

Your sarcasm is very childish. I get that you love Xhaka, maybe just accept that not everyone else does!
 
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