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Granit Xhaka: Next Captain?

Which best describes your opinion of Xhaka?


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TheArsenalis

Well-Known Member
It's a shame as well, I've been one of his biggest critics in the past but I was slowly coming around to the fact that he wasn't a complete liability. :lol:

I actually think he's done really well at times this season, unfortunately people don't remember the goals though, they remember the horrendous errors that cost us points.
The lad done well, overall. But he is a gift that takes away from us.

I don't see where it ends either. This is his consistency.
 
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celestis

Arsenal-Mania Veteran
Moderator

Country: Australia
Not sure you call what he did there an error . Kola passed so far off his Xhaka receiving side that Xhaka's immediately thought there was someone behind he was passing to which is why he left it.
 
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Country: Iceland
Not sure you call what he did there an error . Kola passed so far off his Xhaka receiving side that Xhaka immeadiately thought there was someone behind he was passing to which is why he left it.

That is even more worrying if Xhaka as our deep lying playmaker is not aware where his teammates are positioned.
 

ptrcopp

Well-Known Member
That is even more worrying if Xhaka as our deep lying playmaker is not aware where his teammates are positioned.

I think the argument from @celestis is that he would have doubted all of the above. But they were also trying to beat a press at the time so you would expect players to be moving to give support for those on the ball.
Howevr, he didn’t recover well at all.
 

Wryer

Well-Known Member
Not sure you call what he did there an error . Kola passed so far off his Xhaka receiving side that Xhaka's immediately thought there was someone behind he was passing to which is why he left it.

Sorry i think it's a long and probably unfair stretch to say that was bad pass from Kolasinac. It was clearly meant for Xhaka, and it was not a bad pass. Kola already made it clear it was going to go to Xhaka and he even checked his bearings. Torreira already read that pass and even moved forward of Xhaka to provide a simple passing lane.

It was just a bad mistake from Xhaka that reminded people of his horrors from the previous season. Again, unfairly so because he has improved markedly. It's just unfortunate that it's a position that has zero room for errors and every mistake is major.

No point harping on this and create more doubt for a player clearly on the up.
 

Fewtch

Özil at 10 And Emery Out

The more I watch this, the more I'm baffled. Yeah, Kolasinac should have passed it back to Mustafi, rather to Xhaka. It would be football-wise the more correct pass. But how Xhaka has managed to misjudge situation so badly as CM is beyond me.
You’re absolutely kidding yourself if you think this is anything but a stupid mistake from Xhaka.
 

Maybe

You're wrong, no?
The more I watch this, the more I'm baffled. Yeah, Kolasinac should have passed it back to Mustafi, rather to Xhaka. It would be football-wise the more correct pass
Kolasinac is waiting for Torreira to be available after Xhaka receives the ball. Your comment makes me more sick than watching this video again.
 

Maybe

You're wrong, no?
Not sure you call what he did there an error . Kola passed so far off his Xhaka receiving side that Xhaka's immediately thought there was someone behind he was passing to which is why he left it.
I think you've made a similar comment earlier in the season when Mustafi passed a perfectly legit ball to Xhaka on the edge of the box and Xhaka was dispossessed like a little kid, and after that he started to scream at Mustafi like it was his fault. We didn't concede then so it's forgotten by now, but it's just the evidence that he does this on regular basis and this time it was punished. I was OK-ish last time but now you are just taking the piss.
 

celestis

Arsenal-Mania Veteran
Moderator

Country: Australia
Sorry i think it's a long and probably unfair stretch to say that was bad pass from Kolasinac. It was clearly meant for Xhaka, and it was not a bad pass. Kola already made it clear it was going to go to Xhaka and he even checked his bearings. Torreira already read that pass and even moved forward of Xhaka to provide a simple passing lane.

It was just a bad mistake from Xhaka that reminded people of his horrors from the previous season. Again, unfairly so because he has improved markedly. It's just unfortunate that it's a position that has zero room for errors and every mistake is major.

No point harping on this and create more doubt for a player clearly on the up.

Firstly Xhaka looks to check where Torreira is and sees he's in line with him than Luca moves forward , Xhaka doesn't realise this and let's it go thinking it's going to Torreira . No it's not a bad pass on 2nd and it's a costly loss of possession but its not a brainfade I can see what he was thinking there .
 

Wryer

Well-Known Member
Firstly Xhaka looks to check where Torreira is and sees he's in line with him than Luca moves forward , Xhaka doesn't realise this and let's it go thinking it's going to Torreira . No it's not a bad pass on 2nd and it's a costly loss of possession but its not a brainfade I can see what he was thinking there .

Good day! Timely am online at the same time.

OK - but nah, not convinced. He had two looks over his shoulder, and on the second one, its quite clear Torreira has already vacated his position. If anything, it was peripheral that he thought Torreira was there - and you simply cannot take chances based on periphery vision. Not as the last man screening the back 5.

Not a brainfart probably, but still a needless risk. (which some may qualify as brainfart).

He really, really needs to sort this out. The biggest problem is this - the same lapses in concentration keeps happening again and again. Just when he is on the up, this incident is going to be stick to him and the fans. He then takes a very safe approach to his game, dwells on the ball too long because he doesn't want to make another mistake, and fans will come hounding him for being pointless midfielder. Such a evil cycle.

It irks me no end when top players get stuck in some loop of poor form because of confidence issues. He clearly showed his value to our attacking play and we cannot afford to lose that now that we are having a mini winless drought.
 

scytheavatar

Established Member
Firstly Xhaka looks to check where Torreira is and sees he's in line with him than Luca moves forward , Xhaka doesn't realise this and let's it go thinking it's going to Torreira . No it's not a bad pass on 2nd and it's a costly loss of possession but its not a brainfade I can see what he was thinking there .

You pass the ball without looking and without checking if your teammate has moved. How is that not a brainfade? This is the night and day difference between Xhaka and a real top class midfielder like Cesc or Pirlo. The vision, awareness, concentration is just not there from Xhaka.
 

celestis

Arsenal-Mania Veteran
Moderator

Country: Australia
Good day! Timely am online at the same time.

OK - but nah, not convinced. He had two looks over his shoulder, and on the second one, its quite clear Torreira has already vacated his position. If anything, it was peripheral that he thought Torreira was there - and you simply cannot take chances based on periphery vision. Not as the last man screening the back 5.

Not a brainfart probably, but still a needless risk. (which some may qualify as brainfart).

He really, really needs to sort this out. The biggest problem is this - the same lapses in concentration keeps happening again and again. Just when he is on the up, this incident is going to be stick to him and the fans. He then takes a very safe approach to his game, dwells on the ball too long because he doesn't want to make another mistake, and fans will come hounding him for being pointless midfielder. Such a evil cycle.

It irks me no end when top players get stuck in some loop of poor form because of confidence issues. He clearly showed his value to our attacking play and we cannot afford to lose that now that we are having a mini winless drought.

Yeah fair , I do feel though this is his best start of a season in his Arsenal career . Last season you could definitely say he almost singlehandedly cost us points in the first few games .
 

celestis

Arsenal-Mania Veteran
Moderator

Country: Australia
You pass the ball without looking and without checking if your teammate has moved. How is that not a brainfade? This is the night and day difference between Xhaka and a real top class midfielder like Cesc or Pirlo. The vision, awareness, concentration is just not there from Xhaka.

He did check and he didn't pass it , it's not a lapse in conentration if anything he's being too elaborate.
 

samshere

Why so serieuse?
It's funny how our defensive liabilities are so glaringly evident when we drop points.
Crystal Palace: 1st goal- Mustafi
2nd Goal - Xhaka
Wolves: Xhaka
 

tap-in

Nothing Wrong With Me

The more I watch this, the more I'm baffled. Yeah, Kolasinac should have passed it back to Mustafi, rather to Xhaka. It would be football-wise the more correct pass. But how Xhaka has managed to misjudge situation so badly as CM is beyond me.

Yes it was poor and watching it on repeat just makes it worse. Yes Kola made the wrong pass but Xhaka was in a good position to knock it forward to Torreira, it would have cut out 3 Wolves players and we would have been attacking.
 

MutableEarth

Reiss' Dad
Trusted ⭐
It stands to reason that both Kola and Xhaka combined for a catalogue of errors and they were the two players who were poor. Xhaka, of course, picked it up a little in the second half but his propensity for serious errors in what would otherwise be a solid performance is worrying.
 

Vantastico

Active Member
He looks around before receiving that pass from Kolasinac, but at times it's almost like he does that just because he's seen Cesc do it and thought it looked good, not because he actually thinks about what to do with what he sees.

He surprisingly didn't have a glaring error in the Liverpool game because the atmosphere in the Emirates might have kept him in focus then, but he still does have too many mental lapses like that to play in that position on the pitch.

All in all, Xhaka needs to learn from these mistakes, and stop avoiding accountability by hiding from his teammates which is exactly what he's tried to do in that instance.
 

Divided_Pie

Active Member
It's a brainfart but it also highlights one of his many weaknesses - his one-footedness. The ball is coming on to his right which he only uses as a last resort, which likely contributed to his willingness to let it pass.

I have been a harsh critic of Xhaka but had been coming around to the idea that maybe Emery's tactics and Torreira's presence beside him adequately covered up his deficiencies - it's true he has looked much better this season. Then another blunder like this happens and I'm back to wanting him replaced ASAP.

LB, CB, and maybe RW are bigger needs IMO, but I still want Xhaka replaced. I'm okay sticking with him until Guendouzi is ready (a year or two off IMO), as long as we are making CL and upgrading at those other positions.
 
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