On the forum I now use for match threads Xhaka got slated yesterday. I have made no secret of the fact I dont rate him due to his lack of defensive effort and people are now starting to see this and not make excuses for him.
Xhaka has a good range of passing but I dont think he fits in easily in any team. The reason is that he is a deep lying midfielder. As such his partner will need to get forward to add numbers to the attack. However he doesnt do enough defensively so you need another midfield player to be the first line of defence. But that means they wont often be joining the attack.
So there is the conundrum. Do you sacrifice attacking numbers or defensive numbers to accommodate him (in whatever formation you play you cant have one player in both positions to provide cover). With Ramsey who is a box to box player you have the third option and sacrifice both to have someone who will add a bit to both but not entirely either.
I have seen people compare Xhaka's passing rates to Pirlo's but the difference is Pirlo is far far better defensively. Take that part out of Pirlos game and he is a fraction of the player. Santi does far more defensively and is a good passer of the ball.
So are you happy with Xhaka? Do you think what he adds to the team is enough to carry his weaknesses? Does Xhaka make enough good passes to deserve a place? Or is he becoming more like Denilson (he does make a lot of sideways passes)? Have you even noticed his weaknesses (are you one of the slow ones)?
I know I'll get a lot of hate for this, but would like to know your genuine views of Xhaka.
Thoughts on Xhaka
posted on 20/8/17
comment by Tu Meke Santi (U3732)
posted 1 hour, 45 minutes ago
Good player, not his fault the team is unbalanced.
Had a bad game yesterday though, needs to accept Wenger is going to leave him on his own to do everything in midfield.
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Xhaka needs to concentrate more. Being sloopy at times and that cost us again a goal yesterday. He must keep it simple and do the basics right and we are okay at the back.
posted on 20/8/17
I like Xhaka and he's got the potential to be a cracking part of the team. Not really a Wenger-type player though because he does not suit this system - as part of a three, alongside, say, Ramsey and Kante, he'd be immense (would probably help Ramsey a lot, too, to be the most attacking part of a triumvirate like that as he is for Wales).
Part of the reason I'd be perfectly happy for Ozil to leave is that he just doesn't really fit in our side. It's ironic, as Wenger has built his teams around his playmakers for years but much as I like Ozil and find myself tending to defend him in certain quarters, squeezing him in the side doesn't bring much out of the rest of the midfield. Of course, he is a more talented player than Ramsey or Xhaka and in an ideal world you'd have Ozil in front of a deeper midfield two that actually suits him. With his contract situation (and Ox's and Sanchez's, too) being what it is, though, I'd be happy for us to sell and bring in someone like N'Zonzi to play that holding role. Trouble is, nobody needs him enough to pay a fee we'd want for him.
posted on 20/8/17
If Danny wellbeck takes his chances u win 3 maybe 4-1, nothing to do with what u had in midfield when u have over 70% possession and create plenty of clear cut chances
posted on 20/8/17
comment by United_kaz (U9943)
posted 49 minutes ago
If Danny wellbeck takes his chances u win 3 maybe 4-1, nothing to do with what u had in midfield when u have over 70% possession and create plenty of clear cut chances
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Its not just this game though. It was against Leicester when we conceded 3 and a lot of games last year as well which ended with us dropping down to the Europey League.
Ans Welbeck is known to be a poor finisher. If he could take his chances better which could have got us the win Man U would probably have never sold him to us and he would certainly have cost more than £16m. Great player but doesnt take enough of his chances.
posted on 20/8/17
Yh my point was in regards to the op's issue with xhaka, yes I think arsenal need a better cm player but this wasent the game where that would have made a difference
posted on 20/8/17
comment by Bestie (U1113)
posted 2 hours, 57 minutes ago
I like Xhaka and he's got the potential to be a cracking part of the team. Not really a Wenger-type player though because he does not suit this system - as part of a three, alongside, say, Ramsey and Kante, he'd be immense (would probably help Ramsey a lot, too, to be the most attacking part of a triumvirate like that as he is for Wales).
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Kante is a good deep player but he doesnt play for us and would be the player to protect the defence. He may mean we concede less but if we had him starting we would have to sacrifice a defender or an attacker. for his place in the team. As you havent mentioned a change in formation it doesnt really answer how you would set the team up to cope with Xhaka's defensive weakness although it seems like you think he is worth playing.
posted on 20/8/17
comment by United_kaz (U9943)
posted 4 minutes ago
Yh my point was in regards to the op's issue with xhaka, yes I think arsenal need a better cm player but this wasent the game where that would have made a difference
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Xhakas misplaced pass gave the ball away for the attack which led to the goal and he didnt try to win it back. He didnt get back to help make up numbers in defence which I think a deep CM should do, so yes he did make a difference in the result.
And I did this article as it is not a one off. It happened last season but people were prepared to give him time to settle in the league and it happened against Leicester as well. The point was is Xhaka good enough to warrant the impact on the defence. Last week people said yes he was at fault but also helped get the win and as long as we continue to do that they can live with it. Well, that isnt the case any more. We lost and he contributed to that.
posted on 20/8/17
He did try to win it back. Not a very good attempt though.
posted on 21/8/17
Wenger needs to leave....have this same team under any other top manager...The whole squad would be playing twice better...at least.
posted on 21/8/17
comment by Tu Meke Santi (U3732)
posted 9 hours, 59 minutes ago
He did try to win it back. Not a very good attempt though.
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He jogged over to the player with the ball who waiting to draw him in then passed around him. He did nt make a tackle and didnt do any more to win the ball. Thats not trying in my book.