Granit Xhaka: 2019/20 Performances

[MikeVinna]

Good on the ball with his eyes forward. When he’s under any kind of pressure the ball just instantly goes back to the CB’s. That invites more pressure. If he could only turn and play it forward sometimes but he can’t. He would not start in my team but I’m not the manager here.

 

[Penn_]

Hate Xhaka being in the team usually, but this time I think Niet has a point tbh. He was one of if not our best midfielders today, with what little offensive impetus we had going through him mostly, yet this thread is active about how he is not good enough, meanwhile the Guen and Willock threads are filled with people sucking them off about how great they were. It's just bizarre.

Perspective matters.

Guendouzi - 20 year old in his second season

Willock - 20 year old. In his third consecutive start for Arsenal

Xhaka - 26 year old. Self acclaimed captain material and fourth season with us.

 

[JoaoFelix]

He's not the one to blame on this game.

 

[celestis]

He's not the one to blame on this game.

Slide Torreira next to him and the whole dynamic of midfield changes .

 

[Iceman10]

Perspective matters.

Guendouzi - 20 year old in his second season

Willock - 20 year old. In his third consecutive start for Arsenal

Xhaka - 26 year old. Self acclaimed captain material and fourth season with us.

I agree with others that he isn't to be singled out for the loss to Liverpool, but it is also true that he and Douzi are similar and Douzi is a player in development with a high ceiling. As you point out with ages Xhaka is unlikely to become much better than he is at this point, and he's barely adequate at best. Come next summer it will be beyond time to ship him out.

 

[MikeVinna]

Slide Torreira next to him and the whole dynamic of midfield changes .

Even with Torreira’s mobility and tenacity you can’t have a liability like him when you’re soaking up pressure away from home. He simply won’t get the time on the ball to switch the play forward. Add to that the fact that Emery tends to let Torreira roam forward which still leaves Granit isolated in defense when our opponents win the ball back.

At home he can be instrumental to our succes in breaking teams down because there’s no denying his qualities. You clearly see what he can bring when his face is turned forward and he can use his vision to set up attacks. Just look at our goal yesterday..

 

[Tir Na Nog]

He played a hell of a lot better than our other midfielders, maybe you could say Willock was alright. Didn't really do anything wrong, looking at the stats he wasn't dispossessed even once.

 

[Garrincha]

Too many cooks with him & Dani. Would like the midfield to be built round one & balanced.

 

[albakos]

Xhaka was the least of our midfield problems yesterday.

Ceballos and Douzi were being bullied all over the place and Emery failed to see that early.
Reminded me of few seasons ago when Dembele used similar approach to Cazorla.

 

[PoleInGoal]

Honestly thought his performance was just completely un-noteworthy. Didn't do anything bad but also didn't do much good. Elneny-esque.

 

[say yes]

Yeah I’ve no idea how you can blame him for yesterday’s loss. Wasn’t bad at all.

Whether he offers enough to be a guaranteed starter at Arsenal is something I’m starting to question though - if only because I’m a big Torreira fan and have been very impressed by Willock, Douzi and Ceballos at points this season.

 

[hydrofluoric acid]

Xhaka
Xhaka
Where are you?
Italy
Italy
Good morning morning morning.

 

[Beksl]

Yeah I’ve no idea how you can blame him for yesterday’s loss. Wasn’t bad at all.

Whether he offers enough to be a guaranteed starter at Arsenal is something I’m starting to question though - if only because I’m a big Torreira fan and have been very impressed by Willock, Douzi and Ceballos at points this season.

He wasn't to blame for yestrday's loss but his style of play really hinders us IMO. What really frustrates me is how pedestrian he is with the ball. He takes ages to turn and realease the pass. If we want to play from the back and break the press we need to play quick one touch football or have a capable carrier that can create space with ball at his feet. Xhaka is neither. It can be sustainable against lesser teams but against the very top he hinders our abality to play from the back.

 

[RunTheTrap]

If Inter come in on the final day for Xhaka, I pray we let him go. Don’t care if it leaves us a player short. I just want him out !!!!

 

[YeahBee]

I'm done arguing with you mate, you're like a broken record. Let's face facts, you think Xhaka is amazing, I think he is on the whole quite average with the capacity to have the occasional great game, we're never going to agree on it.

It's just silly that I haven't really even been critical about him regarding this fixture yet you're still kicking off and acting like he was the best player on the pitch (as usual).

If you think being over 6 foot with the capability of putting in a few sideways passes, a few tippy tappy passes with our defenders, a few back passes to our GK, the odd tackle, the odd error leading to a goal, the occasional long ball and a couple of long distance goals every season makes a good footballer then maybe you should go and support someone like Burnley, they have plenty of midfielders who are awesome at doing just that.

We're Arsenal mate and we expect more, something extra special, which unfortunately Xhaka doesn't have, and if he did I'm guessing a bigger club than us would have snapped him up by now.
He's been gash for the best part of 3 seasons now and it's always seems to be someone else's fault (Ramsey, Özil, Torreira, Guendouzi, Willock our defenders, our goalkeeper, our strikers for not tracking back, the manager, the formation, the tactics).

Pot calling the kettle black?

How is the constant obtuse hate for Xhaka not a broken record?

Just because many people repeat it does not make it true ffs

 

[YeahBee]

If Inter come in on the final day for Xhaka, I pray we let him go. Don’t care if it leaves us a player short. I just want him out !!!!

I almost wish this would happen and watch us plummet down to double digits position!

Would that make you wankers happy?

 

[Ricardinho]

I almost wish this would happen and Watchmen is plummet down to double digits position!

Would that make you wankers happy?

You ok hun?

 

[gunner4lyfe]

Pot calling the kettle black?

How is the constant obtuse hate for Xhaka not a broken record?

Just because many people repeat it does not make it true ffs

So everyone else is wrong and you are right? If many people are repeating it and you are the only one saying he's good enough then maybe your judgment should be called into question

 

[Garrincha]

I almost wish this would happen and Watchmen is plummet down to double digits position!

Would that make you wankers happy?

It would be a nice change. Yesterday was not a bad game but felt like dragged back to the previous failing team.

Xhaka has had three full seasons now as a main stay in our midfield. Its been unbalanced each season, struggled away from home & failed to reach CL. At some point we need to move on & try something new.

 

[hydrofluoric acid]

The more I watch him the more I think he belongs in Italy league. Diabolical player.