Granit Xhaka: Swiss Army Knife or Blunt Tool?

[Penn_]

Leno is at fault too though. Got immediately closed down, had to do something and couldn't turn.

Prime example of when passing out the back doesn't work. Horrible mistake in either case.

Does look like Xhaka asks for the ball though.

 

[squallman]

I'm going to park myself in this thread for the next few hours and watch people tie themselves in knots to defend this clown and "educate" us on how he's actually one of our best players.

 

[AberGooner]

I've actually thought he's been decent lately but as long as you have players like Xhaka as an important part of your team your leaving yourself open for him to let you down unfortunately.

 

[Camron]

Really one of the worst signings of recent times. Don't care how good Partey makes him look. Just cannot be trusted.

 

[Ash10]

so happy it must have made the vulture squad. throw a party

Yeah we throw a party when the club we love is in shambles while the Xhaka fans cry as their hero keeps ruining the club we love

 

[kash2]

Yeah we throw a party when the club we love is in shambles while the Xhaka fans cry as their hero keeps ruining the club we love

nah .. agenda merchant .. you are best ignored. you are no fan.

 

[Taneruit]

Xhaka defence force where you at?

There's not much to defend for today's match. In the end the mistake cost us two points.

As I said in the Ceballos thread when he nearly swung us out of europe. Like the player, can't defend the day.

 

[RacingPhoton]

This was before today's match. It should be 9 now.

 

[Garrincha]

the look he got

 

[Ash10]

nah .. agenda merchant .. you are best ignored. you are no fan.

Yeah I'm no fan of Xhaka just like I don't believe anyone who defends this bum is an Arsenal fan

 

[Ash10]

This was before today's match. It should be 9 now.

You're an agenda merchant for bringing this up & not the cherry picked stats that make him look decent

 

[kash2]

Yeah I'm no fan of Xhaka just like I don't believe anyone who defends this bum is an Arsenal fan

ok jury lite.. carry on with your agenda

 

[Riou]

 

[Mitch]

Played very well minus the mistake for for the goal.

 

[Tom349]

Does look like Xhaka asks for the ball though.

All our players should be asking for the ball and making themselves available for the ball, its up to the person with the ball to decide whether the pass is on.

Xhaka 'mistake' was coming all first half with the way we were moving the ball around in our half in the first half, Xhaka gets all the blame but Burnley were hardly pressing with any intensity yet Leno was featuring heavily in our build up because the likes of Luiz and Tierney weren't making themselves available and when in possession were slow as all hell to pass the ball. Even if you look at the goal we conceded the back pass from Tierney to Mari took an internity to get to him, then when Leno receives the ball he takes a couple of touches gives Burnley more chance to push higher up the pitch.

Yes Xhaka should have done better once he received the ball but the big picture isn't this goal is Xhaka doing, its as a team we need to be much faster on the ball and get the ball into our attacking third and control the game from there. Not be pushed back into our own penalty box.

 

[CaseUteinberger]

This was before today's match. It should be 9 now.

It makes me so ****ing angry. Season in and season out he keeps on doing this ****I want to give Arteta the benefit of the doubt, but if he ties himself to the mast with Xhaka he will be sacked sooner or later. Xhaka is absolute poison.

 

[Ash10]

& when you of all people started defending him

 

[CaseUteinberger]

All our players should be asking for the ball and making themselves available for the ball, its up to the person with the ball to decide whether the pass is on.

Xhaka 'mistake' was coming all first half with the way we were moving the ball around in our half in the first half, Xhaka gets all the blame but Burnley were hardly pressing with any intensity yet Leno was featuring heavily in our build up because the likes of Luiz and Tierney weren't making themselves available and when in possession were slow as all hell to pass the ball. Even if you look at the goal we conceded the back pass from Tierney to Mari took an internity to get to him, then when Leno receives the ball he takes a couple of touches gives Burnley more chance to push higher up the pitch.

Yes Xhaka should have done better once he received the ball but the big picture isn't this goal is Xhaka doing, its as a team we need to be much faster on the ball and get the ball into our attacking third and control the game from there. Not be pushed back into our own penalty box.

So Leno, Tierney and Luiz are to blame for Xhaka's mistake? Okay, fine. With that logic Xhaka should have scored those chances we created at the end.

 

[mirrorstare]

He has been great in the league recently, our second best player after Saka easily. If Lacazette gets phased out he's our second best player this season.

The problem with that is quite simply that we have gone through this already. It feels like the worse we look on the pitch the more important Xhaka looks in this team, so it's not surprising that at our lowest point in a very long time, he looks like one of the best players in the club.

*we are going through this once again

Didn't expect it to be so quickly lol

 

[EmeryCouldnt]

Xhaka defence force where you at?

What do you mean? They’re the ones here blaming Leno.