So I now have another chance to gloat about being the only one that was convinced that Granit Xhaka would not be leaving Arsenal this summer, as Mikel Arteta has now spoken out on how important the Switzerland captain is to his plans and the fact that he had no intention of selling him.
Arteta also touched on the fact that the fans don’t see what goes on at the club, and don’t understand the importance of Xhaka inside the dressing room as well as on the pitch.
He told the Metro: ‘We never wanted to let him go. We explained to him the role he would have in the team, how important he was and how far he has come in the last two seasons.
‘And the fact that he has come through some difficult moments and how he has reacted and achieved and the respect he has gained, not only on the field, but around the club and in that dressing room.
‘We believe that he was a really important figure and we need players like that for the development of the young players we have.
‘It’s difficult because you don’t get to see much of what happens inside.
‘People just analyse a performance or a way of a player playing and whether you like him more or less. But from our side there is no doubting his importance in the team and squad.’
From experience, I know that many JustArsenal readers will still insult Xhaka at every chance, but surely we have always known he is one of the leaders at the club. He wasn’t voted to be captain by the playes for nothing…
But no matter what you think of him as a man, how can Arsenal fans ignore the stats that show he is our most consistent midfielder for the last two seasons. I will say that the truth will be in the pudding, but can we just get behind him this season, like Arteta and the players fully intend to?
Sam P
Admin the GLOAT.
Greatest Leprechaun of all time 🙂
I have no problem with anyone who believes in Xhaka. He had a great Euro tournament. Personally, I would have liked for him to move on as I don’t believe he suits a fast attacking system. We need pace and vision for our forwards. Nothing against him personally.
Well, I am Irish!
Are you really PAT! And there was silly me thinking McLaughlin was a Chinese name. I am Egyptian myself , from the Cairo branch of our family name. Oh and Xhaka is our best player by far!
Best midfielder Jon – Get it right!
We have no choice but to get behind him. He is the captain. Does it make it right though that MA has basically got the same team (95%) as last year?
MA stated that the squad needs to change a few months ago. What has changed? NOT MUCH!!!
xhaka is experienced quality and have the stamina….Happy he’s staying….
Stamina, he is too slow and gives away careless free kicks in dangerous areas, he is simply not good enough, and if you can’t see that, enjoy the midtable team we have become
As the dressing room was a cause for concern previously and Xhaka is respected by his peers then I see no problem. I was shocked by his reaction to being abused (until I realised the scale) but to actually turn that around an rebuild his career is the type of person that the club needs
There are so many comments about the weak mentality that if GX can be part of improving the situation then why not? There is more to the dynamics within the club than meets the eye
Sue P. My serious and non rhetoric view is that , yes, Xhaka DOES have leadership qualities and IS clearly a big influence in thr D/R ands in the players estimation.
BUT, in my deeply considered opinion THOSE QUALITIES IN NO WAY COMPENSATE FOR THE REGULAR AND DISMAL LACK OF PACE IN HIS PERSONAL MOVEMENT, IN HIS REACTION TIMES AND IN HIS IMMOBILITY AND PONDEROUS PLAYING.
He is by any rational analysis a hindrance to the pace that would be so helpful andthat COULD BE REGAINED, if only he were GONE!
Reality, dear Sue P.
Dear Jon
I knew that if you responded to my post that you would write something like that. (Instead of using an emoji I’ll put wink wink to add emphasis)
As for Xhaka, he might come in useful during AFCON when other members of the squad disappear for a few weeks
(Smiling face)
For many years post-Wenger, Arsenal has not been able to replicate that pass-them-to-death quality that was intrinsic to the teams nature previously. Lacking that, a player like Xhaka with such impudent and VERY progressive passing range which seems natural to him, has come in and steady the ship somewhat and prevented us from totally resembling a mid-table team without zero forward momentum that we certainly are nowadays. On some days, we look like a quality side. Now yank Xhaka out of that team without a quality upgrade, and we collapsed statistically into a definite midtable team. With no Ramsey-like player in the team and another quality passer like David Luiz gone, then we just become an also-ran. For good. So perhaps quit with the Xhaka bashing sometimes and appreciate his added quality to the side for once.
And this is why Arteta will fail, the most important thing is what he brings to the game and it is nothing, he is slow, careless and not very good. Arteta is a fool and it is only a matter of time before he goes along with Edu. Dumb and Dumber
I agree 100% ✓
Does that out weight the fact that every time he gets the ball ball he has to stop play to find a pass or make a choice. The best pkayers know what they want to do before the ball comes to them. One of the reasons why are play is so slow. He has some good attributes too bit i cant stand they way he plays.
Flip off the fans, get a new bumper contract and the captaincy. Throttle an opposing player in defence of one of your teammates, get frozen out and shipped off to never play for AFC again…🤔
Get half the facts wrong, ignore half of the story, draw erroneous conclusions and post them online 🤔
@Sean M
Welcome to the internet. You’ll get over it…😂
Even the worst players of other clubs gets backing, who knows lfc will win the league the year they did, the support was massive, and again we the fans devalue our team making our players difficult to sell, stick to your team y’all, even teams droping to championship still gets the backing of thier fans, arsenal fans always complain….
xhaka is the reason that i can no longer support arteta. i am not going to go into why, i have spoken about xhaka many times, not a fan.so, as long as xhaka is here i will say that we will never win anything with the sloth.
People here including arteta keep saying xhaka is staying because of what he brings to the team.
I am yet to see what he brings to the team on the field of play apart from slowing our games, reckless/careless fouls, side way passes etc.
I don’t care about is dressing room influence, what is the importance of dressing room stuff that can not translate into good results on the pitch?
Xhaka is simply not good for arsenal, no matter how we try twist it, same with arteta – the arrogant apprentice.
Understanding of the game is the main thing. If a manager can like guys like Xhaka, then he doesn’t know what he’s doing. If you accept Xhaka to be a good players, then you accept to be top 10 contender. Xhaka, Willian, and Arteta doesn’t deserve to be in Arsenal
If MA truly believed in Xhaka,then he would not have been actively trying to sell him to Roma, would he!!
Simple truth is that Roma wanted him for hardly any money and he DOES have a great influence OFF the pitch. I do not doubt that for a moment!
BUT he is near useless ON the pitch and THAT is my true and realistic objection to him staying. Nothing personal but I simply want our most useless and non productive players,ON THE PITCH, gone asap.
To wish otherwise is to wish to stagnate further still and SUPPORTERS do NOT wish those things on the club we love. Do we!!
Here’s the thing we should all hope that he turns things around and has an amazing season for us. Him, as well as all the players in the team. 10, 15 games in we will see.
Arteta works with these players day in day out he has info on the players the club purchased in this window that we’re not privy to. He’s chosen them for a reason. I would have rather bissouma for xhaka and I think other areas in our team needed strengthening ahead of odegaard. (Esr will be a star given the chance) At the end of the day its all about results on the pitch and nothing else! If by 15 games we’re in and around the top of the table happy days! But if we’re not even in the top 6 the inquest and assessment of the manager and his players will begin.
Right now let’s be positive and really get behind the team and assess them 10 epl games in.
Nice point boss, i love this one, let us get behind them and then judge them later, we have been complaining about lack of investment in the squad, we got that now, let is stick around a little longer then judge later
how ironic that a manager who appears completely oblivious to our NEEDS, would actually say that about a player who we, considering that our piss-poor negative tactics were largely predicated on his presence in the starting 11, actually NEED the LEAST…as for all this banter about his leadership/locker room qualities, where has that come into play when it’s been glaringly clear that this has been a overwhelmingly rudderless ship since his arrival at the Emirates…absolutely clueless kool-aid drinking nonsense
The truth is we wanted shut of xhaka, xhaka was willing to go but the only club interested (roma) didn’t rate him enough. Arteta was whatever he says, happy for him to go but it is sickening now because of what happened the pandering and BS about xhaka. BUT if Arteta now does mean it, then we are in trouble if he thinks we are lucky to have xhaka, that says it all.
Our dear leader doesn’t even seem to know which direction the wing is blowing.
He used to talk about “nonnegotiables” but turned a blind eye when his lieutenant debased the captain’s arm band. He had nothing to say too, when Xhaka ridiculed the club on social media, flirting openly with Roma; except, of course, the contract extension and pay rise.
Now he is blaming the fans for not knowing what is going on behind closed doors.
We are just fans, not magicians, Dear Leader.
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