Even if you don't want him to stay an Arsenal player, you gotta like this dude. Just seems to have a knack for giving his haters something to suck on
I've always liked him simply for his commitment to playing for the shirt. I have a real problem hating someone willing to try that hard. Especially when I view them as being hampered by the choices of the manager. Liked him that bit more last season when he told the fans giving him personally the whole team and the manager's sh !t and scapegoating him for everything wrong at AFC, to feck off and bopped off the pitch. More still when he returned and played really well to justify his telling them to feck off.
Aaand today even more. Heavily slated before the game, he steps up to a free kick I don't think any of us would have picked him to be taking (too close) and not only does he score, but boy does he do it with a BIG ol' touch of class. "For the haters" BOSH ave summat dat
He surprised me today, when he stepped up to take it I said to my son "Xhaka? I don't even know he can take em with finesse." I guess I do now
Sorry But You Have To Like Xhaka
posted on 27/12/20
comment by Gunnerthru (U6675)
posted 4 minutes ago
Yeah both lost his jobs because of Xhaka. Okay. I understand.
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Not the only reason, a factor though. Xhaka has proven time and time again to be emotionally rash and very limited in quality. Just because he occasionally pulls off a decent freekick or very rarely a decent whole game doesn't cancel all the negatives out.
posted on 27/12/20
Xhaka has been at Arsenal 4 years. I think we all know what he is. So one great free kick will not change that. In fact look at this video for Chelsea's goal. Look what Xhaka does when the Chelsea player cuts across him.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=61h4-dvGZac
No.(34) 1.12 into the video. Basically he is at the wrong angle and he pulls out of the challenge to allow the chelsea player to cut in front of him to make the pass for the cross from which they scored.
And thats atypical. A better CM would have been blocked the player out.
posted on 27/12/20
comment by Gunnerthru (U6675)
posted 14 minutes ago
comment by lel (U22543)
posted 30 seconds ago
comment by Gunnerthru (U6675)
posted 12 minutes ago
comment by lel (U22543)
posted 3 minutes ago
comment by Gunnerthru (U6675)
posted 3 minutes ago
I am with you WB2. And when the pressure is on him most, he can produce quality games.
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Yet 9/10x he lets you down instead.
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Let the bias and what so called expert out for once.
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Do you realise how ironic/hypocritical it is for you to tell anyone to not be biased about Xhaka?
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Some struggle to give him credit for that performance tonight. Shows you how far some have become.
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Never said he doesn't deserve credit for a decent performance and a very good free kick, we were very lucky that his clumsy foul early on didn't lead to us going 1-0 down though.
Do you even remember his red card for grabbing someone by the throat when we looked likely to go on and win and then ended up losing? Feels like you've conveniently forgotten that.
posted on 27/12/20
comment by Scruttocks (U19684)
posted 2 hours, 47 minutes ago
Wenger and Emery lost there jobs, Arteta is a whisker away from losing his. Perhaps their views on Xhaka (who is clearly a bang average player, a blind man could see that) shouldn't be taken with too much seriousness
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Erm no. The player most responsible for those sackings in Ozil by a galaxy. Jesus man, first he refuses to press and kills the ability that Wenger most relied on to stay competitive, then was utter sh !t for 4 years. And Emery, he blatantly got him sacked, being a not playing. First psing away CL places, then refusing to actually bother on the pitch after Emery returned him to the side at the foolish demands of fans. And I told you at all at the time it was the kiss of death.
Anyone considering Xhaka more responsible than Ozil for those two sackings is a prime example of the misguided loyalties of the clubs now toxic fanbase. Also probably the biggest reason I give Xhaka the credit I do. Aside from the fact hat's such a feckin insult it's unreal, especially after the how many numerous rants over the years about gutless players, who won't fight for the club. It's also the sheer disgusting hypocrisy of that position on Xhaka, given other current roster members
Xhaka needs keeping until we have already acquired a MF upgrade in addition to Partey. And the hate being levelled at him would be better served focused on getting Ozil gone for good and killing any chance of Arteta daring to return to his idiot tactics of games 1-14.
posted on 27/12/20
comment by Jenius99 (U4918)
posted 2 hours, 43 minutes ago
Xhaka has been at Arsenal 4 years. I think we all know what he is. So one great free kick will not change that. In fact look at this video for Chelsea's goal. Look what Xhaka does when the Chelsea player cuts across him.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=61h4-dvGZac
No.(34) 1.12 into the video. Basically he is at the wrong angle and he pulls out of the challenge to allow the chelsea player to cut in front of him to make the pass for the cross from which they scored.
And thats atypical. A better CM would have been blocked the player out.
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That's a harsh clip to pick, ref gets in the way so Pulisic's course changes. if he doesn't go around the ref, he doesn't cut Mari off from getting back. He doesn't have alot of options there to cut him off without conceding a foul and probably getting booked.
I do know what you're getting at though. I'm just of the mind that an awful lot has worked against him at AFC. Time will tell since I doubt we'll sell Xhaka this window so him and Partey together at some point is a given I'da thought. I personally think it'll work very well. Not saying so well that everyone will love Xhaka. But certainly well enough that people stop being in such a hurry to get rid and more importantly, want nothing less than top drawer to replace him. As opposed to this "I'd ship him out for anything because he soooo bad," overkill. Whilst they demand an Ozil return...madness
posted on 27/12/20
Though knowing my luck that's the feckin pairing Arteta is indeed going to return Ozil to the side to play in front of.
posted on 27/12/20
Very good goal from Xhaka. But he was actually fairly mediocre before that goal. Was being picked apart by the Chelsea midfield. After his goal Chelsea went to plan B and Xhaka was fairly untroubled. Elneny was very poor throughout the game.
posted on 28/12/20
comment by Serial WUManiser™© -¯\_(ใ)_/¯ (U1410)
posted 1 day ago
Very good goal from Xhaka. But he was actually fairly mediocre before that goal. Was being picked apart by the Chelsea midfield. After his goal Chelsea went to plan B and Xhaka was fairly untroubled. Elneny was very poor throughout the game.
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Yeah I felt Arteta should have gone with either one and AMN, he might have felt that was TOO much risk though.
posted on 28/12/20
comment by WB2 (Emery'll Get Me Killed) (U8276)
posted 1 hour, 16 minutes ago
comment by Serial WUManiser™© -¯\_(ใ)_/¯ (U1410)
posted 1 day ago
Very good goal from Xhaka. But he was actually fairly mediocre before that goal. Was being picked apart by the Chelsea midfield. After his goal Chelsea went to plan B and Xhaka was fairly untroubled. Elneny was very poor throughout the game.
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Yeah I felt Arteta should have gone with either one and AMN, he might have felt that was TOO much risk though.
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I want Arteta to do well but he's not making it easy to support him. He's very risk adverse, and will often revert to the 'safest' option. Let's be honest, if Auba and Willian were fit, how likely would it have been for him to start Martinelli and ESR?
posted on 28/12/20
I think he would still have gone with Martinelli. Kid comes across as no BS so had Arteta not brought him staright back in, he'd have been "I'm off then" he knows he's too good for the bench.
I was happy they gave him the job and full of best wishes. Then he arrived and didn't boot Ozil straight away. I got less enthused. When he then turned on Guen and AMN spouting crap about commitment, I knew he was trouble from a personnel standpoint. The listing of AMN, selling of Emi, loaning of Guen (in bad blood) had me fuming by the start of the season.
Benching AMN, freezing out Nelson and using tactics best kept for Giroud up top. Eroded ALL support I had for him. Using the right formations and tactics, won't change the fact his bias toward favourites and way he's overly arrogant (because he's a nobody management-wise) toward being even RIGHTFULLY questioned. Will be something which causes problems in the squad repeatedly. Just sack him, we don't need the drama he's going to continue to bring.