Marjorie
Thread Monopolizer
Bit generous, imo.
Maybe. I was weighing up 7-7.5 for a while but he has been decent for most of artetas time here.
Bit generous, imo.
The same people consistently ****ting on Xhaka amd acting as if he’s gonna be replaced any second now.:rofl:
Meanwhile we have a manager that praises him more than any other so far and even wanted him at Man City while he was there.
Hate to break it to you guys, but Xhaka will still be played regulary (if less) next season.
I can't help but feel that the people rating Xhaka are doing it on the basis that he hasn't made any costly mistakes in recent weeks - although he came ****ing close in the first couple of minutes of the cup final.
If you watch our games (not just highlights) and focus on Xhaka's involvement it is there for everyone to see - 19 times out of 20 he opts for a safe sideways or backwards pass, he never makes himself available when we're trying to play out, and he is so easily bypassed by the opposition midfield. The one thing he has started to do well recently is block shots on the edge of the area.
He will always be too slow and ponderous for the premier league - we cannot continue to limit ourselves with mediocre players like Xhaka.
I wrote this guy off totally in the immediate aftermath of that Palace game and I'm more than happy to hold my hands up.
He's not the answer in terms of title winning but the turnaround in his performances has been staggering. His biggest problem was clearly a lack of confidence/belief, when he goes for a tackle he actually believes he can win it - that split second difference means he isn't constantly late into tackles or aimlessly pulling people down. On the ball same story, doesn't just fall down when pressed, doesn't look as slow or ponderous on the ball as he's not terrified of losing every physical battle or race.
Would be interested to hear from someone who did rate him before as he's a totally different player for me and It's not just a tactical switch, although that's obviously a massive factor.
1) Why do people praise him for his defending?I am very happy with how he turned it around and he has been very important post restart. In all our big games where we played a deep block he's been solid defensively and has shown great spirit.
Still, I would sell him this summer if possible for several reasons. First, I don't want to continue the partnership of Ceballos & Xhaka due to their lack of mobility and creativity. Second, Ceballos on loan and selling Xhaka would open up funds to strengthen significantly in different areas. Third, in order to go back to the top and become that beautiful technical side Arsenal is known to be, we need to upgrade our midfield to players that can play out from under pressure. Fourth, I'm still a bit scarred by all the mistakes he's made. Fifth, his revival will up his fee and I think he wouldn't do as well in a 4-3-3
2) And why people criticised him for making sideway/backwards passes?I can't help but feel that the people rating Xhaka are doing it on the basis that he hasn't made any costly mistakes in recent weeks - although he came ****ing close in the first couple of minutes of the cup final.
If you watch our games (not just highlights) and focus on Xhaka's involvement it is there for everyone to see - 19 times out of 20 he opts for a safe sideways or backwards pass, he never makes himself available when we're trying to play out, and he is so easily bypassed by the opposition midfield. The one thing he has started to do well recently is block shots on the edge of the area.
He will always be too slow and ponderous for the premier league - we cannot continue to limit ourselves with mediocre players like Xhaka.
Not sold on him.
Really indebted to his performances and his resilience, but I think it is time for him to move on while he still can.
We need to aim higher if we want to progress beyond an also-ran.
too many unknowns. Roca looks good, thoughChoose your replacement:
Still cant believe we didnt use the clause.