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Granit Xhaka: Next Captain?

Which best describes your opinion of Xhaka?


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Wryer

Well-Known Member
I don't think his strengths were ever in doubt - passing, cycling, longshots. Right from his first game with us. I must say he has become confident in displaying these abilities.

It's his focus and to a lesser extent his turning speed that never fails to bring a gasp to me at almost every game. That XHAKA moment. Fix this and I think we've finally found our Xabi Alonso.
 

Lidl_Reed

Wants a new name
From being one of my most hated ever Arsenal players to me thinking we missed him against United and could have won, had he played in place of Guendouzi. How times change.
 

arsmile

Established Member
it's weird that under wenger we used to talk about how xhaka was this specialist player and to get the best out of him you need to build a team around him to make the most out of him and cover for his weaknesses.

But he's mr utlity under emery- bunch of different CM roles, multiple different CB roles, full back/wing back....looked fine in all...
 

RacingPhoton

Established Member
That Xhaka moment was never far away but he did enough to get away with it.
That free kick he took from closer to our box and kicked directly to Sp**s player. He should be happy thatit didn't end as a goal. This is exactly the reason why he should be sold. Reliability is an important attribute for midfielders. Making stupid pass to opponents from our own half every match is not something you expect from a midfielder of a top 5 club.
 

Sniper Mik

Not a Closet Sp**s Fan
Don't wanna make a definite judgement cause he wasn't playing in his preferred position but he kept playing the same cross field pass over and over again. At some point you really need the awareness to go "right this isn't working as much I'd like" and keep things simple. But I guess that's his playmaking brain taking over.
 

celestis

Arsenal-Mania Veteran
Moderator

Country: Australia
Don't wanna make a definite judgement cause he wasn't playing in his preferred position but he kept playing the same cross field pass over and over again. At some point you really need the awareness to go "right this isn't working as much I'd like" and keep things simple. But I guess that's his playmaking brain taking over.

When you have a high pressing team and Ramsey and Douzi in mid I'd be hoofing the ball to the other keeper every chance I get :lol:
 

say yes

forum master baiter
Don't wanna make a definite judgement cause he wasn't playing in his preferred position but he kept playing the same cross field pass over and over again. At some point you really need the awareness to go "right this isn't working as much I'd like" and keep things simple. But I guess that's his playmaking brain taking over.

He played some absolutely incredible balls yesterday tbf. Thought it was another very good game for the lad, especially given he was being played out of position in a big game vs. pace.

Needs to be given the armband permanently.
 

squallman

Still Pining for Wenger
I fear xhaka-torreira is going to become our new coq-cazorla. An overall flawed midfield that gets overpraised because it works better than the alternatives.
Coquelin-Cazorla was flawed for the same reason Xhaka-Torreira is flawed. They're both carrying one flawed player in Coquelin and Xhaka respectively.
You can't have one player in a two man defensive midfield doing all the defending. Xhaka's passing range and build up play don't make up for it either because the Swiss is overrated in both of those departments. The way some of you talk about him you would swear we had a prime Xabi Alonso or Pirlo in midfield dictating our play.
We also have an awful defensive record and that isn't on just the defence. You could drive a truck through our midfield at times the space we give the opposition.
Do I hate Xhaka? No, but he's the 6/10 bringing down the average performance level of our midfield and I hope we don't let a better player slip through our fingers as we did with Kante because we had Coquelin, "who is just as good".
 

Football Manager

Copy & Paste Merchant
What makes you think Kante wanted us over Chelsea? Glad we didn't get him. We have Torreira now. Much better player and one for the future.
Would like to have both in the team. We only have 1 proper DM in our squad. If Torreira is injured/need rest/rotation in cup matches, we have no DM on the pitch and our midfield defence is fkkked.
 

Mark Tobias

Mr. Agreeable
Would like to have both in the team. We only have 1 proper DM in our squad. If Torreira is injured/need rest/rotation in cup matches, we have no DM on the pitch and our midfield defence is fkkked.
That's a lovely FIFA/Man City type expectation but in reality both players would want game time and we'd end up losing one or the other sooner or later. We have far more pressing issues in the squad currently like lack of a winger and lack of elite CBs
 

Football Manager

Copy & Paste Merchant
That's a lovely FIFA/Man City type expectation but in reality both players would want game time and we'd end up losing one or the other sooner or later. We have far more pressing issues in the squad currently like lack of a winger and lack of elite CBs
But at least we have to have a similar type of player to be a backup for Torreira, in terms of playing style, not quality.
Seems we have stop producing defensive minded DM youth player anymore, flamini, frimpong, coquelin, then no one after that.
I wish we can have a backup for torreira so that our midfield will not be ****ed if he needed a rest.
 
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