“He’s not naturally a great tackler,” said Wenger of a player Arsenal spent £25m to acquire from Borussia Mönchengladbach in the summer. “In his decision making he is quite intelligent on the pitch. But it’s more the way he tackles that is not really convincing. He doesn’t master well the technique. I would encourage him not to tackle, to stay on his feet. Tackling is a technique you learn at a young age. You can improve it but when you are face-to-face with somebody, it’s better you stay up.
“You have to accept that he can be punished for these kinds of tackles now. He has to learn from that. Unfortunately we will lose him for four games in a very important period of the season. Hopefully we will get away with it.”
What Mr Wenger is saying is that you don't have to dive in. You stay on your feet and win the ball that way.
Xhaka isn't a defensive midfielder. He is a ball playing midfielder.
Comment deleted by Site Moderator
Most managers instruct their players not to tackle (go to ground) unless absolutely necessary.
I recall reading an article on Pep when he was at Barca, getting irate with his players for going to ground, (tackling) as it meant it took them longer to get back in position, and increased the chances of giving away a free kick, and card.
comment by What would Stuart Pearce do? (U3126)
posted 4 minutes ago
Most managers instruct their players not to tackle (go to ground) unless absolutely necessary.
I recall reading an article on Pep when he was at Barca, getting irate with his players for going to ground, (tackling) as it meant it took them longer to get back in position, and increased the chances of giving away a free kick, and card.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
He was also caught doping and apparently has a micro willy.
comment by Xhakanilson (U3245)
posted 26 minutes ago
Xhaka is gonna go down as the worst Wenger signing ever
£35m
----------------------------------------------------------------------
After 6 months? When he's signed the likes of Silvestre, Squillaci, Jeffers and Sanogo?
comment by Cech-mate (U14225)
posted 6 minutes ago
comment by Xhakanilson (U3245)
posted 26 minutes ago
Xhaka is gonna go down as the worst Wenger signing ever
£35m
----------------------------------------------------------------------
After 6 months? When he's signed the likes of Silvestre, Squillaci, Jeffers and Sanogo?
----------------------------------------------------------------------
You don't know Pete, do you?
Comment deleted by Site Moderator
Tbf he isn't very good at it and becomes a liability to his team when he tries it ... some of the great players have been terrible at tackling remember e.g. Scholes
comment by dajesterFC (U2053)
posted 11 minutes ago
Tbf he isn't very good at it and becomes a liability to his team when he tries it ... some of the great players have been terrible at tackling remember e.g. Scholes
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Except Scholes regularly got away with murder, which Xhaka hasn't
Xhaka isn't a DM, he's a deep lying playmaker.
All the clips I saw of him when looking up who he was, he was in an advanced role scoring or creating a cracking goal. He doesn't play like a DM either, actually reminds me of how Arteta looked there in his first season. Arteta had the nouse to stay on his feet though.
One thing I will say is Ozil isn't the only pass magician anymore. Xhaka appears to be able to thread a ball anywhere he likes as well. I think Xhaka will shine next season, Wenger will soon teach him to tackle or to stay on his feet end of. It's not the best of starts in this league for him but he's young, dumb and giving a bit too much in trying to give his all. Not the worst of qualities. He's with the perfect manager to calm his game down. I doubt anyone will be questioning his transfer fee this time next season.
Xhaka has become the new scape goat. People needs to give him a break and let him adapt to the Prem, TBH he us already good enough for Prem its only the system at Arsenal is unbalanced due to having luxury player like Ozil in the middle.
He's taking way too much stick for a player who's new to the league. I seem to remember a certain Mr Viera not being to good with his tackles in his first season either and that turned out fine. What I like about Xhaka is he's got heart. He's having bloody mares in his games but it's not phasing him, he's not giving up or shying away from the moment. He's not vanishing in games like a certain Mr Ozil. People are moaning about his fee now but I can see the same people calling to recoup it by selling Ozil, this time next year.
All these "smart" people on here saying he is not a DMF player. He was bought to play that role; to shield the defence, especially when Coquelin is not on the pitch. Who else is going to do it ? Certainly not Ramsey.
He's not an AMF . So what is he? Yes he's got a good long range pass on him but apart from those two wonder strikes against Hull and Forest his shooting has been off beam. (The Arsenal disease).
I am hoping that he will learn to stay on his feet and tackle properly. That is what we need . He is too slow to be a box to box player. Yes... Viera was faster over the ground than him.
The received wisdom is that we paid £35m for him but the Guardian quotes a figure of £25m . At the moment I would put his value at £10m . So either way we have overpaid.
Let's hope that he learns from his mistakes and adapts to the Prem sooner rather than later. At the moment he is a liability and if we have the opportunity to buy a better player then I would cash in our chips on him.
Bats a "Xhaka isn't a DM, he's a deep lying playmaker"
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
a deep lying playmaker who can't tackle is a luxury we can't afford, especially when Ozil is playing. Santi plays that role but he can tackle and he can shield the ball. At the moment Xhaka panics under pressure and can't tackle . The occasional long range ping doesn't cut it.
TBH I'm not a fan of Xhaka and never wanted us to sign him and took pelters from all the FM hipsters for saying so, but he's really being made out as the scapegoat atm unfairly.
I think we could work in our team as part of a 4-3-3, the current set up we have does not suit him. It doesn't suit any of our midfielders apart from Ozil.
I'd love us to go to a 4-3-3 with Ozil on the left. Think he would have a lot more control in midfield with Xhaka, Coquelin and Ramsey playing together. Xhaka is easily our best passer of the ball, Coquelin and Ramsey both have the legs to protect him, and Ramsey would have a bit more freedom to go forward.
I think our current set up is making all of our midfielders look worse than they are.
Don't get me wrong, every now and then I like to scream out "put a f**king foot in"!.. But in all honesty, I'm glad about the way Wenger seems to be pushing Xhaka.
It's far more efficient when at least one of your deeper midfielders attempts to turnover possession with a more tactical than brash approach. Coq can go and hunt the ball down, he's extremely good at it. Xhaka needs to hold position and ensure that the team keeps it's shape.
I'd much rather Xhaka attempted less tackles and focused his efforts on anticipating the opponents play, cutting passing lines, closing down space and jocking the opposition away from our danger areas. We can win back possession far more often through interceptions and pressuring the opposition into sloppy passing than we can by diving in, getting drawn out of position and giving away free kicks in the wrong areas.
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posted on 27/1/17
“He’s not naturally a great tackler,” said Wenger of a player Arsenal spent £25m to acquire from Borussia Mönchengladbach in the summer. “In his decision making he is quite intelligent on the pitch. But it’s more the way he tackles that is not really convincing. He doesn’t master well the technique. I would encourage him not to tackle, to stay on his feet. Tackling is a technique you learn at a young age. You can improve it but when you are face-to-face with somebody, it’s better you stay up.
“You have to accept that he can be punished for these kinds of tackles now. He has to learn from that. Unfortunately we will lose him for four games in a very important period of the season. Hopefully we will get away with it.”
What Mr Wenger is saying is that you don't have to dive in. You stay on your feet and win the ball that way.
Xhaka isn't a defensive midfielder. He is a ball playing midfielder.
posted on 27/1/17
Comment deleted by Site Moderator
posted on 27/1/17
Most managers instruct their players not to tackle (go to ground) unless absolutely necessary.
I recall reading an article on Pep when he was at Barca, getting irate with his players for going to ground, (tackling) as it meant it took them longer to get back in position, and increased the chances of giving away a free kick, and card.
posted on 27/1/17
comment by What would Stuart Pearce do? (U3126)
posted 4 minutes ago
Most managers instruct their players not to tackle (go to ground) unless absolutely necessary.
I recall reading an article on Pep when he was at Barca, getting irate with his players for going to ground, (tackling) as it meant it took them longer to get back in position, and increased the chances of giving away a free kick, and card.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
He was also caught doping and apparently has a micro willy.
posted on 27/1/17
comment by Xhakanilson (U3245)
posted 26 minutes ago
Xhaka is gonna go down as the worst Wenger signing ever
£35m
----------------------------------------------------------------------
After 6 months? When he's signed the likes of Silvestre, Squillaci, Jeffers and Sanogo?
posted on 27/1/17
comment by Cech-mate (U14225)
posted 6 minutes ago
comment by Xhakanilson (U3245)
posted 26 minutes ago
Xhaka is gonna go down as the worst Wenger signing ever
£35m
----------------------------------------------------------------------
After 6 months? When he's signed the likes of Silvestre, Squillaci, Jeffers and Sanogo?
----------------------------------------------------------------------
You don't know Pete, do you?
posted on 27/1/17
Comment deleted by Site Moderator
posted on 27/1/17
Tbf he isn't very good at it and becomes a liability to his team when he tries it ... some of the great players have been terrible at tackling remember e.g. Scholes
posted on 27/1/17
comment by dajesterFC (U2053)
posted 11 minutes ago
Tbf he isn't very good at it and becomes a liability to his team when he tries it ... some of the great players have been terrible at tackling remember e.g. Scholes
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Except Scholes regularly got away with murder, which Xhaka hasn't
posted on 27/1/17
Xhaka isn't a DM, he's a deep lying playmaker.
posted on 27/1/17
All the clips I saw of him when looking up who he was, he was in an advanced role scoring or creating a cracking goal. He doesn't play like a DM either, actually reminds me of how Arteta looked there in his first season. Arteta had the nouse to stay on his feet though.
One thing I will say is Ozil isn't the only pass magician anymore. Xhaka appears to be able to thread a ball anywhere he likes as well. I think Xhaka will shine next season, Wenger will soon teach him to tackle or to stay on his feet end of. It's not the best of starts in this league for him but he's young, dumb and giving a bit too much in trying to give his all. Not the worst of qualities. He's with the perfect manager to calm his game down. I doubt anyone will be questioning his transfer fee this time next season.
posted on 27/1/17
Xhaka has become the new scape goat. People needs to give him a break and let him adapt to the Prem, TBH he us already good enough for Prem its only the system at Arsenal is unbalanced due to having luxury player like Ozil in the middle.
posted on 27/1/17
He's taking way too much stick for a player who's new to the league. I seem to remember a certain Mr Viera not being to good with his tackles in his first season either and that turned out fine. What I like about Xhaka is he's got heart. He's having bloody mares in his games but it's not phasing him, he's not giving up or shying away from the moment. He's not vanishing in games like a certain Mr Ozil. People are moaning about his fee now but I can see the same people calling to recoup it by selling Ozil, this time next year.
posted on 28/1/17
All these "smart" people on here saying he is not a DMF player. He was bought to play that role; to shield the defence, especially when Coquelin is not on the pitch. Who else is going to do it ? Certainly not Ramsey.
He's not an AMF . So what is he? Yes he's got a good long range pass on him but apart from those two wonder strikes against Hull and Forest his shooting has been off beam. (The Arsenal disease).
I am hoping that he will learn to stay on his feet and tackle properly. That is what we need . He is too slow to be a box to box player. Yes... Viera was faster over the ground than him.
The received wisdom is that we paid £35m for him but the Guardian quotes a figure of £25m . At the moment I would put his value at £10m . So either way we have overpaid.
Let's hope that he learns from his mistakes and adapts to the Prem sooner rather than later. At the moment he is a liability and if we have the opportunity to buy a better player then I would cash in our chips on him.
posted on 28/1/17
Bats a "Xhaka isn't a DM, he's a deep lying playmaker"
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
a deep lying playmaker who can't tackle is a luxury we can't afford, especially when Ozil is playing. Santi plays that role but he can tackle and he can shield the ball. At the moment Xhaka panics under pressure and can't tackle . The occasional long range ping doesn't cut it.
posted on 28/1/17
TBH I'm not a fan of Xhaka and never wanted us to sign him and took pelters from all the FM hipsters for saying so, but he's really being made out as the scapegoat atm unfairly.
I think we could work in our team as part of a 4-3-3, the current set up we have does not suit him. It doesn't suit any of our midfielders apart from Ozil.
I'd love us to go to a 4-3-3 with Ozil on the left. Think he would have a lot more control in midfield with Xhaka, Coquelin and Ramsey playing together. Xhaka is easily our best passer of the ball, Coquelin and Ramsey both have the legs to protect him, and Ramsey would have a bit more freedom to go forward.
I think our current set up is making all of our midfielders look worse than they are.
posted on 28/1/17
Don't get me wrong, every now and then I like to scream out "put a f**king foot in"!.. But in all honesty, I'm glad about the way Wenger seems to be pushing Xhaka.
It's far more efficient when at least one of your deeper midfielders attempts to turnover possession with a more tactical than brash approach. Coq can go and hunt the ball down, he's extremely good at it. Xhaka needs to hold position and ensure that the team keeps it's shape.
I'd much rather Xhaka attempted less tackles and focused his efforts on anticipating the opponents play, cutting passing lines, closing down space and jocking the opposition away from our danger areas. We can win back possession far more often through interceptions and pressuring the opposition into sloppy passing than we can by diving in, getting drawn out of position and giving away free kicks in the wrong areas.
Page 1 of 1