Granit Xhaka: Managers Love Him!

Tieleman had tracked far back to receive the ball. It would be foolish for Partey to keep running behind him that far without knowing if he was really going to receive the ball. As soon as he got the ball, Partey made the move. Who would have thought that someone playing LCB role marking a runner would ball watch and lose the runner by a mile when he got the ball?

 

Arteta is entrusting Tierney to be the creative one but it's not working at the moment. I really think Arteta needs to start trusting Xhaka by giving him the creative freedom to go forward. Xhaka is more creative than Tierney and has talents that are being wasted by instructing him to stay back at all times.
When Tierney's runs are not working, let Xhaka roam and get Tierney to cover. This is my opinion.
Xhaka has a mean long shot that should be utilised against low blocks. Partey too.

 

bum squad assemble!!!!

 

That’s why I called it perfectionist football.

You play a high line you’re shrinking the pitch. You use that shrunken pitch to put pressure on the ball to prevent your high line being exploited. That’s literally how it works and Partey knew that too because he did try and close down Tielemans.

You’re blaming Xhaka for getting done by a high intensity run from a very fast player. It’s not like we were in the box and he peeled off him, he just paced him.

 

Because he's painfully one-footed. As @Riou mentioned, we went from Cazorla (wonderfully two-footed) to Xhaka.

 

In this position, the ball could have been passed to Tielemans or the other guy standing next to Partey. Partey cannot categorically decide that it was going to Tielemans and run behind him. If he does that, the ball will be passed to the other option.


You make it sound like it is absolutely normal for someone to let a runner get away that far. If that is the case, Xhaka should have created numerous goals for us using his supposed strength of playing those air balls. It did not happen because, the player who is marking the runner always makes sure that the runner doesn't have the space. No one would fall this much behind.

 

It sounds like you’re just annoyed that Under is faster than Xhaka.

I don’t get what you’re trying to prove

 

I am trying to prove that this goal cannot be blamed on Partey. "Sorry I am slow" is not an excuse. Xhaka should have given a good chase. Any player in that role would have stayed close to him. Arteta should also take some blame for trying to fit him in that role.

 

When you are marking a player that is obviously faster than you, a smart player would have dropped back so he didn't get exposed...Xhaka on the otherhand...

State of this.

 

No manager we've had is truly comfortable playing Xhaka in a 4-3-3 they always resort to 3 at the back.

 

It's not just about pace though it's horrible positioning. Look at how far up Xhaka is. Under is already behind him before the ball is played. Xhaka even gives him a head start before he started running ffs.

That's stupid even for a fast defender, but for someone as slow as Xhaka to do that is criminal.

 

Actually trying to blame Xhaka for the goal

 

The squad is not as weak as Arteta makes it look, and a team like Leeds is playing better football than us. Are you saying Leeds has better players then? Because that's the conclusion if you think that Arteta is doing everything right but he is just stuck with a poor squad.
We have to draw the line somewhere and stop blaming players all the time, we've just signed 2 fantastic players in Partey and Gabriel and we still can't play football. Imagine what Leeds would look like with players like Partey, Pepe and Gabriel, they would be top of the table right now

 

Xhaka has no place being there in the first place, he is a midfielder, or he at least should be

 

Yes exactly, he should not be in a CB position where a fast forward can run past him like that. Then both Gabriel and Mustafi failed to do their jobs properly once we were chasing back.

 

Gabriel is in an awkward spot probably thinking if Xhaka is marking their forward or should he do it. It would be easier for him not to have Xhaka there, but to mark their forward himself.
The result of this madness would be worse if Vardy started the game, he would abuse our tactics for fun.

 

You don't get a pass for awful play just because you're covering He's supposed to be a deep lying midfielder that apparently understands the game and reads it well... This wasn't Auba finding himself at CB! If we judge Xhaka's impersonation of a CB here, it's an absolute calamity. No, he's not a CB, but you wouldn't have to be to do better than that. Come on chief...

 

Yes Gab was in a tough place but in hindsight should not have come to the ball as much as he did given that Mustafi was so far behind the play and not on Vardy at all.

 

Awful play? He just got ran past.

You guys are so incredibly out to lunch on Xhaka, its honestly mind boggling. Every single manager he plays under, and those he plays against like Mourinho are full of praise for him at all times but the whine squad on here thinks they know better. It would be funny if it wasn't so annoying.

Like, I cannot believe anyone with the first idea about this sport can honestly watch yesterday's game and conclude Xhaka is the problem. It's impossible. You have to be starting from the position that you are going to blame him for whatever happens in order to come to that conclusion.

 

Gabby made the right decision by coming over to pressure the wide man and then giving himself a chance to intercept the cross. It's just about the better percentage decision. Leno probably had his mouth taped shut and probably gave no call to make things worse.