Granit Xhaka

[Santi]

But you're acting like Guendouzi can't do anything more than Xhaka and can only do things worse. For one he is a lot more mobile and seems to be better under pressure so for those two reasons alone I'd like to try him with Torreira and ideally Ozil at CAM but can also be that welsh w***er for a more balanced side (assuming Auba out wide).

[Mike Dean]

Stats can’t measure a players ability to garner space and their intelligence on the pitch though

Multiple times last game Xhaka had to point at Guendouzi where to go, off the ball both offensively and defensively he isn’t great. It’s fine, you wouldn’t expect a 19 year old midfielder to have that in their locker, last time we saw that it was Cesc a Fàbregas, even Wilshere in that one season suffered from it a lot

We’ll see how it pans out, at the minute our options aren’t ideal but they’re passable. At least it’s better than Spurs’ midfield options I guess, a reason why I think we’ll probs finish above them

The problem I have with Xhaka is that while he may know where to go, he cant get there in time.

Guen is a kid. The probability of him learning his positioning is far higher than Xhaka getting faster because the probability of the second happening, is, practically zero. Unless of course Xhaka gets bit by a radioactive cheetah or some sorts and survives...

[Sims]

Maybe so

People need to stop deluding themselves though, Xhaka is the irreplaceable man in Emery’s midfield

Only time he’s not starting it’s because of either the opposition/competition, injury or fatigue

Emery’s first name in that midfield 2

[Yago]

I mean, he has been replaced after 1 half too. He looks like a starter now, that's true, but Emery can always change his opinion.

[Sims]

I mean, he has been replaced after 1 half too. He looks like a starter now, that's true, but Emery can always change his opinion.

That was purely because he barely trained after the World Cup and it was the first game of the season

I can’t see him getting dropped tbh, unless Torreira shows he’s able to build from deep

[DiamondGooner]

The only reason Xhaka isn't being dropped is because Emery and AFC made it a priority to not flush £35m down the drain.

Emery from what I've seen so far has two projects, Bellerin and Xhaka, Xhaka being project no1.

If Xhaka cost the same as every other midfielder he'd of been benched by now, this is a financial decision.

Look I hope Xhaka comes good, there isn't really one AFC player I don't support, my pet hate player got sold to Chelsea, so there isn't any player I don't want to see do well .......... even Iwobi, but they need to show it on the pitch simple as that.

[Sims]

Emery had no qualms about not playing Lacazette it’s notjing about money

It’s clear that Emery sees Xhaka & Bellerin as crucial to our play, which if you analyse each performance by them - despite the errors - you can see why

This isn’t an opinion with bias, it’s plain fact. It’s not changing anytime soon unless one of them reaches disastrous form. It will always be Xhaka with Torreira/Guendouzi, at least for this season

I’ve said that Bellerin is one of our most important attacking components since the start of the season under Emery’s system and I’ve seen nothing to disprove that fact

[theHotHead]

Emery better stay off the funny fags then!! He also plays Cech in an attempt to play out from the back.

Just because Emery is doing something that doesn't mean its the right thing to do!

[DiamondGooner]

Emery better stay off the funny fags then!! He also plays Cech in an attempt to play out from the back.

Just because Emery is doing something that doesn't mean its the right thing to do!

Exactly.

I'm willing to give him the benefit of the doubt until proven otherwise and let him pick his team ............ until it costs us.

Then he'll have a lot to answer for if his projects cost us a game.

Also if Xhaka is needed for our game then why isn't Emery starting Torreia who clearly Xhaka needs to play better as Torreia does all the defending?

[thebigbangtheo]

Personally, I think that so far Xhaka has been an improvement on the Xhaka of last season. I know most will say that that wasn't hard to do, but it does bear some relevance.

It has already been overstated that he has mistakenly been considered and judged as a defensive midfielder which he isn't.

When he was at Monchengladbach and looked good, he was more like the wing man to the defensive midfielder and afforded the protection to strut his stuff, kind of like the Coqelan-Cazorla partnership and maybe it's Xhaka's occasional Santi like ability to provide good balls giving quick transition from defense to attack that Emery is looking to mine.

It really should be no surprise then that the time he has spent on the pitch with Torreira coincides with his best minutes so far.

After having had to suffer the non piss up in a brewery that was our midfield the past couple three seasons, it's no wonder the masses can clearly see the massive potential of a Guendouzi -Torreira partnership and are rightfully excited by the prospect, but I don't think we should just bin other available avenues based on what occurred back then, otherwise I'd be struggling to pick more than 2 or 3 players who come out with much credit at all.

[theHotHead]

Thebigbangtheo, good post, I agree with it 93% .

[Yago]

The issue I have with Xhaka needing a DM to do all the defending is that he doesn't have anywhere near the attacking talent Cazorla, Cesc or even Ramsey showed in that position. In fact, from what I've seen so far Guendouzi's attacking output is superior to his. Xhaka just slows everything down and than makes an easy lateral (or back) pass, with the occasional drifted ball to the other wing if he's given acres of space.

[Sims]

So after years of questioning Arsene’s tactical ability were already onto questioning Emery’s, who’s one of the biggest sticklers for detail in the current era

Interesting stuff

[Yago]

What? Are we supposed to blindly follow every decision a coach makes? I've been critical of decisions Mourinho, Pep and Conte made too. I support Emery and hope he comes good. That doesn't mean I agree with his every word.

I do still hope he somehow makes Xhaka a different player, but I don't really see it happening.

[Sims]

But it’s clear that Xhaka has always been a starter for a reason. We’ve seen he’s in the top 5 in the League in terms of build up play last year, maybe our fans don’t understand how difficult a job is to keep the midfield ticking and passing through the lines on a consistent basis?

Personally believe until we get someone else with a similar skillset but a better all round game that Xhaka is going absolutely nowhere any time soon

I think people need to wake up and smell the coffee in that regard tbh, constantly reading people put a Guendouzi - Torreira midfield when it’s not gonna happen is hurting my brain, it’s like they’re ignoring reality