‘It will keep on happening’ – Merson warns Arsenal to work on vision

Paul Merson has warned that Arsenal are lacking vision in key areas, highlighted by their lacklustre control in their own half.

The Gunners have given away two goals in their last two games because of costly errors in possession in their own half, and were lucky not to have fallen behind on Thursday after David Luiz was let off by the forward’s miss.

We weren’t so lucky last weekend however, as our costly mistake at the back gifted Burnley the goal which earned them a point, and some have blamed the manager’s philosophy, and some have blamed the goalkeeper for not clearing his lines, but Merson believes insists that the fault was with Xhaka.

“That will keep on happening,” Merson told Soccer Saturday on Sky Sports (via HITC). “That’s not vision. He should know as soon as that ball comes to him, and it’s rolled into him perfectly by the goalkeeper.

“People can say that the goalkeeper has stitched him up. The goalkeeper has put in a lovely pass for him to go ‘bang’ first time out to David Luiz.

“There was no need to take a touch. My worry would be that you (Xhaka) haven’t seen that pass. That’s my worry. You are a midfield player and you haven’t seen that pass.

“It’s the same in midweek with Ceballos. There are four players around him. You see the picture. You have to know what is going on before you get the ball – I blame Xhaka. I don’t blame the goalkeeper for that.

“And you have to have the vision. And if you don’t have the vision, it will keep on happening. That means no vision (on the mistakes happening again and again).”

These mistakes are costing us time and time again of late, and there really is no excuse for it, regardless of who is at fault.

What amazes me is that Xhaka has been at fault for so many mistakes, but appears almost undroppable from the starting line-up regardless of who is in charge.

Does Xhaka simply lack the ‘vision’ to be relied upon at the top level?

Patrick

Tags Granit Xhaka Paul Merson

1 Comment

  1. Lets be totally honest, eh? Xhaka lacks almost every necessity for a player in his role He lacks vision, speed both of thought and action. He lacks mobility and physical dextrity.He lacks awareness and an ability to quickly move the ballat all, other than backwards. He lacks football intelligence, he lacks a normal temperament and he lacks loife intelligence as he constantly gets involved in troubles and physical fracas.
    He lacks so very, very, very much. All he does not lack , disastrously IMO, is a regular place in the side.
    If I had my say he would soon, very soon, as in early summer,(once the window opens) lack a place at the club.

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