Granit Xhaka: Managers Love Him!

Ceballos is a better player is why!

 

Liverpool also were able to attack us through the centre more once Xhaka was gone though. Xhaka also created the one play in which we did manage to score (Ceballos should have had an assist though, hardly his fault).

It's a team game, it's about finding combinations of players that work. Should be Xhaka-Ceballos with current options imo.

 

Not true. He often can pass under pressure and his first touch is often very good. He doesn't usually attempt to dribble out of trouble that's not his game.

Edit: nvm I just realised you're trolling. Why do I bother

 

Auba is a better dribbler and goalscorer. But Xhaka has no special skills. He is not a better passer. He needs acres of time and space to pass. Something which any premier league midfielder can do. Only Xhaka boot lickers like you claim that he passes better.

 

I’ve been thinking… It could be a way back for Mesut actually, and it could be in Xhaka’s place in games like the other night.

He would have been, and is, perfect that role. When it comes to receiving the ball, taking it on the half turn and playing the correct passes—the quick ones, the round the corner passes and all you need to destroy a high press—you’d still be pushed to find anyone better. We can get away with technical lightweights in midfield in games like that because it’s not about muscle, tackles and trying to win the centre of the park. If Ceb can do it, Özil could probably do that better.

 

When Ceballos came on we were 2-1 down and pushing players forward to get the equaliser. That's the main reason Liverpool were getting more joy through the middle.

 

Xhaka didn't create that one play. Just because he made one pass in the build up, it doesn't mean he created it. That was an easy pass and in the end it was Liverpool's mistake that led to the goal. When he made that pass, we were in no clear cut position to score. Liverpool were attacking us through middle even before he came on. Some player stats here:
https://www.footballcritic.com/premier-league-liverpool-fc-arsenal-fc/player-stats/2147702#defending
Both of them have just 1 tackle won. Ceballos has more duels won. All this in spite of playing only thirty minutes. Ceballos has higher pass completion percentage too. So Xhaka was not even able to make his usual sideways and backwats passes properly when he was pressed. These stats also correlate with what we saw in the match.
I am alright with Ceballos and Xhaka starting for now. But if we do but a good midfielder, it would be Xhaka who should give way.

 

Jeez, did I actually read that, or do these new Columbian coffee beans have hallucinogenic properties?

 

Giroud who had zero assists and created 1 big chance in 18 games last season?

I guess you’re right everything depends on the qualities you look for most in a player.

 

You thinking that I think Özil is the devil incarnate, aside? It’s about results.

 

Fam are you ok

 

They're about to sign that bloke fro OL though to fix that . Good shout though , Özil has played the deeper role for Germnay on several occasions .

Should have kept Iwobi and groomed him for this role

 

Yeah **** it, put him on the broom!

 

Ceballos is a light-weight but he's a decent tackler, much like Arteta or Cazorla before him. Can't say the same for Mesut.

Good plan if the position didn't involve any defence at all.

 

And when Xhaka was on the team was sitting back and inviting more pressure/press, which he had to deal with. Why does how the rest of the team was playing factor into how Ceballos gets rated but not Xhaka?

 

I’m not sure there’s that much between them if he really put himself about – probably not enough to be significant. I’m fairly certain Özil could do Xhaka’s job better than him tbh, especially if we’re forced to defend for 85 minutes. He could do a similar if not better job without the ball and he is more agile. When he gets the ball he’ll do much more with it as well. We’ll never see it anyway

Ozcucks with a huge dilemma lol

 

Xhaka couldn't deal with it, that's the issue here.

Liverpool didn't stop pressing us. Ceballos just handled it a lot better than Xhaka did.

 

Exactly. I also want to add there's a psychological and tactical factor involved too. For example, when we played against Fulham earlier in the season, it's interesting to note that both their physical strikers in Kamara and Mitrovic positioned themselves on Holding instead of Gabriel. Reasons why, there's no point targeting Gabriel who himself is a physical presence. So you target the weak point which was Holding. Same thing happened against Liverpool. They knew they was no point pressing Cellabos or even Elneny because they can take the pressure unlike Xhaka so they shifted onto Holding and the third goal came from Holdings misplaced pass. A lot of people think Liverpool simply stopped pressing. That's not true, they just shifted their press onto the next weak point and they were rewarded with a goal. If you know that team has an advantage over you then you look for the next weakness in the team.

 

this guyyy

 

nopes...they will nudge him and foul him slyly and refs will wave on play... because our own fanbase has painted a target on his back...