I've always quite liked Granit Xhaka. You can tell he makes the effort and cares about what he does, his passing is usually good, he's one of few midfielders on our team who wins aerial duals, and he has a wand of a left foot.
His tackling is abysmal though. Even worse than Scholes. In the NLD he committed the worst penalty giveaway I've seen in literally years - no need for it. He was like a wrecking ball demolishing the wrong building, and he always is.
Maybe he's being misused - he's more of a playmaker than a destroyer. Or maybe Emery has to do what Wenger supposedly did, and tell him to STOP BLOODY TACKLING!
Maybe the best thing would be for a period on the bench - Torreira, Guendouzi and Ceballos could be a formidable central three. I don't think it should be the end for Xhaka because we do need players with his grit, but he needs a warning shot because he just isn't getting the message.
Xhaka's xhit tackling
posted on 2/9/19
Aerial presence?
I've always tried to defend him in the past, but let's be honest here, Xhaka couldn't hurdle a speed bump if he tried.
The shambolic series of events that led to Tottenham's first goal was a direct result of Sokratis being sucked into midfield to help him out in the air.
posted on 2/9/19
Xhaka's problem is not only his poor tackling. Its also his risky passes and lack of concentration, anticipation and lack of tempo control.
Xhaka is not a playmaker or he would be able to pass out of a hard press instead of giving the ball away. The number of times that has cost us goals shows that he is one of the worst in the league at that. Something that his defenders often use as his best quality.
I don't know what Wenger saw when he bought him. I suspect Wenger always regretted missing out on Xabi Alonso over a couple of million pounds and he thought he had discovered another player of that quality. However paucity of the German league kind of shows that sometimes players over achieve in that league only to be exposed in the premier league which is definitely a class above. Xhaka was not a player in demand and his play shows why.
posted on 2/9/19
'I've always quite liked Granit Xhaka'
WUM
Easily one of the worst players in the league
posted on 2/9/19
I've always quite liked Granit Xhaka. You can tell he makes the effort and cares about what he does, his passing is usually good, he's one of few midfielders on our team who wins aerial duals, and he has a wand of a left foot.
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Yeah like the one against Kane that led to a first goal.
posted on 2/9/19
You could almost forgive him of some of stuff if he wasn’t just so fecking dumb at times. Like you can kind of see the logic with a risky pass, if it works maybe you escape the press and you’re away, and you do have to take risks at times to win. But the amount of times he does stupid stuff with no reason behind it is crazy for a player of his experience. Like the penalty, he practically dived across the entire box to take out son. Why! He wasn’t clean through, and our box was packed with defenders. It’s so stupid, we’re playing a good side, losing a goal to a pen could be impossible to get back from. Hardly like we’re playing a league 1 side, when you’d think, oh well we’ll probably score 5 in a minute.
posted on 3/9/19
Xhaka is shxt! GET RID!
posted on 3/9/19
First of all Xghaka has improved in teh last couple of years, but makes the effort? Fack off does he. He has always had a habit of standing watching or jogging when he should be sprinting and as a result of not putting the effort in we have conceded a huge number of goals. Every season since he joined us we have conceded a huge number of goals where his lack of effort cost us.
Go watch Tottenhams first goal again. I know there were other mistakes but watch his pathetic attempt at winning the header.
And dont forget the misplaced passes as well.