Arsenal Banter Archive February 28 2019

28 Feb 2019 15:05:57
An interesting write up on Xhaka after the Southampton game:

A lot of what Xhaka does falls in the "intangibles" category. There isn't a stat for control, though if you combine number of touches with number of times possession was surrendered, you can get a good indication, and Xhaka is a master in the art of not giving the ball up. Often at times he will protect the ball with his body until he is fouled, which accomplishes the goal of not surrendering possession even if he puts his body on the line for it. For instance, he was fouled a massive five times against the Saints, with the majority coming from him refusing to give up the ball. But in these past two matches, Xhaka has given all the haters out there even more to think about, because he's created six chances in his last two matches since returning from injury. Only Alex Iwobi can match that number, and Iwobi is obviously a bit looser in possession than our man from Switzerland. It's not just that though, it's his ability to not waste possession either. He isn't the kind of guy who is going to play a ball forward and hope for luck. If it isn't there, he finds the space where it is, whether that is backwards, forwards, cross town or into a different area code, he will find the most logical outlet. He completed a team-high 90.4% of his passes against Southampton, touched the ball more than any non-defenders and only gave up possession one measly time. So please, try to tell me why his control isn't necessary.

Xhaka isn't about goals and assists. He controls the tempo of the game and finds the space to create those chances elsewhere. Is he consistent enough, no way! Could he be good enough, most certainly.

28 Feb 2019 15:26:42
So Xhaka had one of his handful of good games against one bing v Southampton and that's now the yardstick by which he should be measured by?
Where is all this controlling of games the vast majority of games?
How come we are yet to finish top 4 with this midfield maestro at the helm controlling games despite never missing out on top 4 before he arrived for 22 seasons.
Sorry you can call me hater all you like because I don't agree with you but chose to believe my own eyes and judgement rather than simply accept what you tell me think.
The truth is i don't hate Xhaka, why would I? I've never met the man.
I simply don't rate him as a footballer but then again the vast majority of people I've met throughout my life I haven't rated as footballers many of who I admire and like a lot.
Sorry Glen but that's just over emotional defence of your own opinions on Xhaka which doesn't make them facts.

28 Feb 2019 15:59:31
For me, that is one of his massive problems, he controls the game, he slows it down, passes back and sidewards (to keep his stats up) to no one in particular. He can't carry the ball, doesn't travel with the ball ever, looses it far too often. He is so limited in his actual footballing abilty, can't tackle, head, dribble or dominate a game. He is a stroller and can't influence against the better teams. I personally would be very happy, if we can sell on for 10 to 15 mil this summer, the big problem would be, championship clubs wouldn't pay that for him. The future of this clubs midfield for me is Gouendouzi, torreira, AMN and probably ahead of xhaka, Chambers. That gives us youth, mobility, balance, dynamism and people who can tackle.

28 Feb 2019 16:04:46
Mate it's just a write up from another Arsenal forum I follow, not my opinion. My opinion is very much what I wrote at the end of the post. Is he good enough? Yes he is, but he isn't consistent enough which is what makes him not good enough for Arsenal. I know that sounds contradicting but he does have the talent, just not the consistency to play at our level every week. As for not finishing in the top 4, that's hardly just down to Xhaka. As a team we haven't been good enough for top 4 mate and haven't deserved it.

28 Feb 2019 16:44:28
I agree our top 4 excit hasn't been solely down to Xhaka Glen that wouldn't be fair at all but his and Mustafi arrival have coincided and contributed to our decline and we certainly aren't betrer with than without them todate.
There are many reasons we dropped out of the top 4 and the total in consistency of Xhaka and Mustafi can't be totally discounted.
Le coq and Gabriel gave consistently better performances yet we let them go for less than the cost of either Xhaka or Mustafi individually.

28 Feb 2019 17:08:49
Agree Glen but for me our dropping out of the top 4 coincided with xhaka coming in. No it isn't solely down to him that's correct but our flimsyness is partly him and partly many other factors. Some games he does do ok but for me they are few and far between and ok isn't good enough. We are stuck with him and i'm sure he will continue to divide people, i just think he is a small part of us not challenging again. At what point Dick sees that and is able to dispose of him and replace, is anyones guess. What number he is on his to do list among the other to do things, will come clear in the future, i suppose.

28 Feb 2019 23:46:39
Apologies Glen misunderstood your original post, sorry about that mate major woops by me there :- (.

01 Mar 2019 08:48:50
No worries Gunner. My issue is that I do like the guy and I want him to succeed, but he needs to show consistency if that's the sort of football he wants to bring to the team. I would even go as far as saying that I think we need a player like him (doing what he does so irregularly) playing from a more defensive position but not solely disciplined defensively. If he can't produce these performances every week then of course it isn't good enough! let's see how he plays against Spurs seeing as he was dropped midweek.

01 Mar 2019 10:23:46
I don't think the whole deep lying playmaker is either needed or works in the premiership. Its no coincidence that of the main teams that use it, us and Chelsea, both players in the role appear to be struggling and are subsequently disliked by the fans. For me its a role that just slows down the play, as its all about keeping the ball rather than actually doing something constructive with it. Torriera is much better in the DM role for us as he is much more direct in how he moves the ball forward. With Xhaka its more 50 passes sideways, just to keep possession. Teams cotton on to this and start pressing, which is why the DLP is getting exposed and starts giving the ball away in poor places just like Xhaka and Jorginho are doing.

01 Mar 2019 20:40:33
Funny enough EG i don't rate jorginho anyway, especially when you have Kante, who is far better.

01 Mar 2019 22:18:03
Thanks Glen :-)

27 Feb 2019 23:57:29
Fantastic performance

4 points behind the toot

In EMERY I trust!

28 Feb 2019 09:00:19
Excellent performance, Mkhitaryan was outstanding. Hopefully Koscielny's injury is simply a knock and nothing too serious.
Can anyone explain why 60,000 tickets were sold, but only about 40,000 (a guesstimate) turned up?
Looking forward to the weekend match, a win would be awesome. The next 4 matches are so important, successful results and we could solidify a top four place and enter the last 8 of the Europa League.

28 Feb 2019 09:13:12
We've played a lot of games lately and with traveling expenses it's not a cheap night out plus there is time factor during the week the week too when for many people it's work or football and sometimes needs must.

28 Feb 2019 11:48:33
Yes Gunner, I would understand the cost etc, if tickets hadn't already been purchased. Once tickets which are extremely expensive are bought, I fail to see why these ticket holders choose not to attend, and fail to sell tickets or give them to friends or family. It isn't simply a few, but as many as 20,000 unused tickets. This practice seems to be fairly common place at the club. Is it apathy in the modern world.

28 Feb 2019 14:48:36
Is it not quite hard to sell your ticket on? Or even gift it? It should be easy to give to a friend if you can't go and then it should be leave your seat empty too many times and lose it. Plenty of people who want it and would use it.

28 Feb 2019 15:01:44
It's a expensive business being an Arsenal season ticket holder and a great many season ticket holders live well outside London making midweek matches less easy to attend.
Perhaps they don't know until late whether they can or can't make that night.
When I've traveled down on the train to games lots of fans have children with them so again with school etc mid week can make it difficult if your not getting home till close to midnight.
The thing that does shock me is how many people attend for an hour then no matter what the score winning losing drawing they leave, I appreciate they may have stuff to do places to be etc but wouldn't it be better to watch the whole match at home than just the first hour in the stadium, to each their own but I find the early leavers more difficult to understand than the non attenders.