Granit Xhaka: 2019/20 Performances

[blaze_of_glory]

Thing is, Emery hasn't really been that reluctant to be critical of players to the press. Think Özil, Nelson, etc.

 

[Mark Tobias]

Thing is, Emery hasn't really been that reluctant to be critical of players to the press. Think Özil, Nelson, etc.

Good point. Praising and defending Granit but he's not exactly sugar coated it with everyone, has he

 

[Tourbillion]

i feel for him though. the further you go up the pitch, the more comfortable you have to be receiving the ball with your back to the goal. it's clear to me that ceballos is significantly better facing the goal, whereas someone like Özil has the vision and the experience to make things happen in any situation.

in fact my biggest problem with emery's diamond, in addition to the gaping holes when defending wide areas, was that our outside CMs would routinely receive the ball with their back to goal -- inside our own half! recipe for disaster.

Interesting. Why do you think that is, and what tactical tweak can make it so they have more time and space to face the opposition's goal?

 

[Fallout]

Interesting. Why do you think that is, and what tactical tweak can make it so they have more time and space to face the opposition's goal?

unfortunately i dont watch a lot of football outside of arsenal, so i havent seen what a successful diamond looks like in the buildup phase. all i can say is we have a structural problem in that formation.

at liverpool for example, our outside mids were closed down so quickly by robertson and TAA that they were forced to turn around and shield upon getting the ball. this is target man stuff ... center mids rarely encounter these situations for sustained periods during a match, and especially out near the touchline. their only easy options to progress play were backward or sideways to the middle, which obviously led to further pressure.

the only recommendation i could realistically make is to switch the formation. presumably we pay managers a lot of money to watch lots of football matches and develop a coherent understanding of the principles underlying each formation. unfortunately i'm convinced emery doesnt have any real understanding about how to "control a match" using the diamond (and he proved he has no idea about how a 5 back works last year).

 

[kraphtous]

Paul Merson on Xhaka being booed: "I had a bit of a go at Xhaka the other week, but I don't like fans booing their players. It's not right & it's not Arsenal. You've got to have a bit more class than that. He's never stopped trying & you can't be booing your own players"

——————-

Must be embarrassing when even Paul Merson educates you in manners.

 

[#254]

Come on. You can't blame Xhaka for this. It is all because of Gendouzi and our team's bad defensive set up.

I agree. Our defensive coaching is pretty poor and with no particlar instructions to players as a collective unit, the ones that are traditionally responsible for defending will **** up more often than not.
Most of us agree that defending is a responsibility for all team players as and yet we cannot resist from abusing individual players about it. For this instance, if Saka would, Ceballos Aubamayang and Xhaka would have all closed down the runner from all directions, he could easily have turned over the possesion to us.
As much as everyone might blame Xhaka for fouling him, we would be asking why he didn't foul him when he knew he was beaten if somehow that run ended up being scored by Villa.
I know most of us criticize his style of play way too often, but for once lets be objective in our criticism. I think Xhaka could be phenomenal for us if we had a coach that could get the best out of him, which is almost everything bar his pace and recovery. I haven't mentioned decision making obviously because that could be influenced by other factors.

 

[YeahBee]

Torreira plays DM role in Uruguay and does well enough. He is misused by Emery. This is only an argument if Xhaka has been tremendous for us so far. But unfortunately that's not the case. There is nothing wrong with trying Torreira there. Can't get worse than Xhaka.

Yes I want Torreira at dm, even if it means giving up u ton of headers...

I dont want Guendozi at dm, he just isnt positionally sound.

I dont want Xhaka there either really but if we have to play 2 dms it is Xhaka AND Torreira for me

I dont want a double pivot at all

I want
Dm
CM CM

We havent gotten to see Xhaka really played with a Guy behind him so His good qualities can be utilized

As it is now His worst qualities are highlighted and none of His good

Torreira Dm
And any of Xhaka, Guendozi, Willock, Dany as cms

 

[YeahBee]

You're right but there's a lot of damning evidence that suggests he is one factor that is holding the club back for numerous years. Can you at least attest to this?

No

Not His fault we are not properly setup and he is used out of position

In the past 2 years it has been proved that we play better with him
He is the player who has played the most ffs, isnt that telling you something

 

[Dennis_Bergkamp_10]

No

Not His fault we are not properly setup and he is used out of position

In the past 2 years it has been proved that we play better with him
He is the player who has played the most ffs, isnt that telling you something

Playing out of position? You're making it sound as if Emery plays him as a winger ffs.

Xhaka has been terrible.

 

[CaseUteinberger]

My fundamental problems with Xhaka are:

1. He cannot deal with being pressed
2. He cannot defend without giving away cheap, silly fouls
3. He misplaces passes way too often

I am not sure what formation or position in midfield will help with this.

 

[Big Poppa]

I agree. Our defensive coaching is pretty poor and with no particlar instructions to players as a collective unit, the ones that are traditionally responsible for defending will **** up more often than not.
Most of us agree that defending is a responsibility for all team players as and yet we cannot resist from abusing individual players about it. For this instance, if Saka would, Ceballos Aubamayang and Xhaka would have all closed down the runner from all directions, he could easily have turned over the possesion to us.
As much as everyone might blame Xhaka for fouling him, we would be asking why he didn't foul him when he knew he was beaten if somehow that run ended up being scored by Villa.
I know most of us criticize his style of play way too often, but for once lets be objective in our criticism. I think Xhaka could be phenomenal for us if we had a coach that could get the best out of him, which is almost everything bar his pace and recovery. I haven't mentioned decision making obviously because that could be influenced by other factors.

1. I think (hope) he was being sarcastic
2. A lack of pace and recovery in this league will always be a major, major showstopper for the deepest midfielder in a team that plays with attacking fullbacks. Something has to give.

 

[Mark Tobias]

In the past 2 years it has been proved that we play better with him
He is the player who has played the most ffs, isnt that telling you something

What, where should he be playing?

 

[Oxeki]

Xhaka is not our major problem, but he's part of the problem.

The pace of the game in the PL is very high. Xhaka tends to be unable to deal with the pace. Excels when team sit of him and invite pressure. The moment he is pressed, he panics and makes a hurried pass. Opponents now target him because they know he's easy to run at and his recovery pace is none existent.

Until Emery does the needful and bench him, he'll continue to cost us games.

IIRC, he cost us more goals than mustafi last year.
Off the top of my head, I can remember the Brighton game, crystal palace game, west ham, wolves and many others.

I don't even know what he offers us than than large number of unwarranted fouls per game

 

[Trilly]

Always defended him as a good player who has rash moments but his overall play has definitely dropped off a cliff compared to last season.

Time to hit the bench.

 

[Mark Tobias]

Always defended him as a good player who has rash moments but his overall play has definitely dropped off a cliff compared to last season.

Time to hit the bench.

True, many of us were turning into fans after last season. But he's reverted back to garbage.

 

[Pepes blue pill]

Driven, loved by his team-mates and a dressing room leader, but is Xhaka trying to do too much?

Thats the title of an article on him in the athletic today, ive not read it yet but that suggest things we dont/cant see are the reasons he is captain/one of

I dont care as I simply dont want him to bloody play but wenger n emery seem to love him

 

[hydrofluoric acid]

Always defended him as a good player who has rash moments but his overall play has definitely dropped off a cliff compared to last season.

Time to hit the bench.

It has definitely got to his head I think. I think he knows he is not at his best at the moment.

 

[Trilly]

It has definitely got to his head I think. I think he knows he is not at his best at the moment.

Yeah I felt sorry for him when he got boo'd off. I've no issue with booing the team as a collective but to have upwards of fifty thousand people booing a single person must be brutal.

 

[celestis]

Will be interesting to see how our midfield functions if we drop him at OT

 

[Mark Tobias]

Yeah I felt sorry for him when he got boo'd off. I've no issue with booing the team as a collective but to have upwards of fifty thousand people booing a single person must be brutal.

I dislike Xhaka quite a lot but I was cringing at that.