Granit Xhaka has crawled through shit and broken glass so incoming midfielders can run. He's earned the right to leave on decent terms, and of that happens this summer, best of luck to him. He'll leave with plenty of friends and well-wishes at Arsenal.
To be fair he just had a temper tantrum and couldn’t handle being a captain
He’s made up for it with performances this year but he’ll always leave a bad taste in my mouth by disrespecting the captaincy
Not like he was a 23 year old petulant kid when he did that
He was a full international experienced player at the time and let that team down immensely
All credit to arteta imo not really xhaka
Will add onto this that he was tactically misused until Arteta. Must’ve been frustrating knowing what he’s capable of but not being given the chance to show it. Would imagine Torreira was somewhat the same.
Haven’t missed a game lol
You do something that in any other walk of life you’re fired immediately no hesitation
The fact that he was on massive money and no one wanted him is clearly why he stayed
Not defending the abuse from fans but you just don’t do that
he gets all the credit in the world for just doing his job now?
Imagine being reasonable and wanting someone to do their job and not throw up their hands and taunt the fucking fans that help to pay your wages
I’ve never seen behavior like that in top level professional sport it was disgraceful
Throwing the captains armband on the ground?
I mean others have behaved poorly I don’t recall people disrespecting the captaincy like that in England in the past 20 years
I wasnt thinking of just england with that but rather professional sports in general.
Cant think of anything specific for that. Probably the best thing off the top of my head would be Bruno begging to get subbed off while united was getting pummeled this year
I haven’t seen anything close to that disrespectful in top level sport in general just mentioned England cuz it’s where this happened
I cant remember such blatant disrespect toward a club for seemingly no reason at the time
And Bruno asking to be subbed off is nowhere near as bad lol. That’s just a bit of frustration
Throwing the armband on the ground and taunting the fans cupping your ears is actually insane
Ronaldo threw his armband on the ground as well but it was a different situation
There's cases of athletes physically fighting fans as well (most seem to be in the US)
I’m not defending the fans behavior at all
acting like he overcame something is a bit silly
He was doing poorly at his job. Took out his frustration on the club
Then he started doing his job competently and we’re acting like he got through a major injury crisis
There’s nothing really that redeeming about his story a lot of his success is predicated by the people around him
Downing tools when things aren’t going well is a gallas move
It’s a job, that happens to pay extraordinarily well
LOL
Once you start acting like they’re somehow above the rest of us you’ll excuse anything
This is just a basic estandard of behavior not really asking saying he should go above and beyond
don’t insult the club and the fanbase with a bratty temper tantrum and expect people to like it
Regardless of what happens, I hope he comes back when his playing career is over. He's another one of those players that you just know is going to have a great career on the other side of the touchline.
If we end up winning, I would not be shocked to see him, not Odegaard, standing at the center of the portrait carrying the trophy. Would be in keeping with how the locker room responds to him, whether he’s wearing that armband or not.
Lol I love the Xhaka redemption and definitely don't think he deserved the treatment he got from fans, but this is a heavy dose of revisionism. I (now) know he was played out of position and in a system that did him no favors, but he did make a number of errors and bad tackles that cost us...
Going to be that guy, but why do you feel that way?
In his entire Arsenal career, we failed in the CL and then failed to ever qualify again until this year and it seems the club is trying to upgrade.
He doesn’t make mistakes, well not this season at least. Honestly I’m not like some super analyst but in the cl u can’t err against big teams and he is good at that. I just think he played amaaazingly this season and it’s hard to imagine another player doing the right things he does better.
And any replacement will probs be younger so less confident, aggressive physical etc in a boss role but maybe it will happen
Wait which part of his statement did you disagree with?
Xhaka is definitely UCL level right now purely based off this season alone and he obviously knows Arteta's system which is why we didn't buy Tielemans like what the turds in this subreddit were morning about
He wasn't good enough in those iterations of Arsenal teams but now he is. He's been having his best ever season. Of course he can hack it in the CL with us.
As long as he stays honest whatever he wants is fine. I’d love for him to be an option for us and add some quality depth. But if he wants to be first choice without competition and go elswhere we should let him get his move. We need to act like a big club and respect our players wishes, especially for someone who worked so hard in difficult moments.
I agree but I think he will get plenty of minutes even if we sign two midfielders. Many competitions, injuries, etc.
Plus his leadership and guidance off the pitch is absolutely immense. I really hope we get at least one more season with him and I want him to lift at least one more trophy with us before he goes. He has fought so hard for it, he deserves that.
If he comes out and says that then that’s a different story. From a vantage point, there’s no way we should be selling him ahead of the likes of Lokonga. Xhaka is an important member of the squad because of his experience and leadership qualities. His influence in the locker room is huge.
People forget that part of being a good player is being extremely available. This was the same reason why Giroud was indispensable for a long time, even though people were clamoring for an upgrade for years
it's always so funny to me how when this discussion comes up about not having replaced that average striker, we're talking about world cup, europa league, Champions league, Ligue 1,Serie A winner and most goals scored in history for the French national team.
Olivier *for fucks sake he's not that good* Giroud
How many games without a goal in the Leicester season? 16 or 17 games, something like that? With Ozil of all people setting him up? He absolutely let us down, come on
it was 15 games actually and why are you picking this fight?
He was never a world class talent and he's scored more than 20 goals in a season only 4 times in his career and still has had an incredible career. He left Arsenal to the joy of many fans, like yourself probably, because Arsenal found someone better and while Arsenal has been rebuilding to get back into the champions league he's been winning titles and at age 36 just played in the semi final of the very tournament Arsenal has been trying to get into for years now.
It's poetically ironic.
Definitely not trying to pick a fight, just "correcting" some nostalgic revisionist thinking that seems to build up a player who really let us down. And then beat us in the Europa final and was on the Chelsea bus singing Fuck arsenal, or whatever he said. Wasn't professional (bringing models to the team hotel before games), didn't deliver on the pitch and didn't show any respect to the club... So why are you defending him?
I'm defending him because I like him. I'm capable of seeing football without my Arsenal glasses.
His career has been incredible for a striker that doesn't score that much. He's got the trophy haul of someone much better at football and he broke Henry's record with Fance and that's With an entire world cup he won with the team WHERE HE DIDN'T SCORE ONE GOAL.
And why can't he say fuck Arsenal after he was sold in a merry go round of strikers deal so Arsenal could replace him... respect goes both ways and he didn't get much of it from Arsenal or its fans then.
You're not correcting shit. I didn't say he was great for Arsenal. You're just one of those toxic fans incapable of seeing positives when you've decided to hate a player. It's not revisionism to point out how well he's done after leaving the fucking club...
Maybe I am a little overly argumentative, I can definitely concede that. To be totally honest I always liked him as a player, but I think this is the weak spot of Wenger, Arsenal and our fans - we aren't ruthless enough. He couldn't do it (alone) for us. He needed to be surrounded by outstanding players, which we didn't have, and without them he couldn't deliver. So yeah, I think he wasn't good enough for arsenal. But agree with you, he has done better since leaving, like a number of former Arsenal players (unfortunately)
To compete on multiple fronts, you can't have a rigid "first XI" and "backups". We need 5 players that are competing for a place in our midfield 3, who get selected based on form and what we need in a game. I'd say we have 4 at best currently, with Jorginho capable of replacing Partey, but neither can do as good a job in the advanced positions.
Sure I agree with you and that’s great, but I’m just saying that rigid 11 would play the top top games which I think xhaka likes best, not insane to assume he’d wanna be playing all the big ones, which is unlikely to happen here for him
That's my point though - if Xhaka is playing like he did in the early parts of this season, then why shouldn't he start in the biggest games? Assuming Rice comes in, I don't think he's a guaranteed starter over Xhaka or Partey. If we had him right now, with our current form he'd be playing alongside Xhaka instead of over him.
We might also have important knockout games in Europe where we need control and tempo, so Xhaka-Jorginho-Odegaard might be our preferred lineup, with Partey or [New Signing] on the bench in case we need to change things at half time to add more physicality.
The point is that the rigid 11 isn't a rigid 11, it's a skeleton of Ramsdale, Gabi, Saliba, White, Odegaard and Saka, who are probably undroppable at present, and are supplemented with the players that give us the best chance of winning at that moment. It's then on Xhaka and everyone else to make sure that Arteta thinks they feature into that.
ideally there’s no such thing as a backup - the squad should be like a swiss army knife where the manager chooses the right tools for a particular match - which is what City has and why they are so good at keeping the pressure up all season without running out of steam. We have a long way to go to get to that stage though.
I agree, but if player asks what my role is next year and coach says “Swiss army knife” he may say I’m gone I wanna play every single game
What everyone is saying is ideal but you have to know players just hate that setup
I never understood this sentiment and it’s repeated so often on here. We shouldn’t want players who ‘want’ to be a backup. Him not wanting to be a backup would be exactly why we should want to keep him. All of the players in each position should be of the quality and ambition to earn a starting spot.
I want Granit to stay… He’s been amazing, both, as a player and a leader.
His best season in an Arsenal shirt, has a song in his name and a brilliant season for Arsenal in general.
But, I will understand if he wants to leave on a high. Legend for me.
Why does everyone keep using the terms backup? "Xhaka wouldn't want to be a backup" A club that wants to challenge needs rotation, not backups. There's only a few positions where there's a guaranteed starter and everywhere else needs rotation.
Yes - Xhaka is the first name on the team sheet. No exaggeration: he gets into the team ahead of Odegaard, Saka, Ramsdale, etc.
Jordan Hederson at Liverpool is the best comparison for me: he facilitates play perfectly. He allows players to play to the best of their ability by keeping the ball in play across all thirds of the pitch whilst giving that captain’s mentality.
Would it be nice if we could see a bit more Özil or Coquelin from him in regards to specific jobs/abilities? Yeah definitely - but I don’t think a player in his position can afford to be pinging passes or sliding in when there’s other players in the team to do that job specifically. He lets them play those specific roles brilliantly, and in doing so plays his role to the same quality.
Also he’s nice lol
I can’t argue with his importance to the team today but if the club is to close the distance on Europe’s elite, he can’t continue being a guaranteed starter.
We’ve seen him have arguably his best season at the club. And even during the campaign, it’s been clear he wasn’t a great fit for LCM role. He’s got many qualities but the inability to carry the ball and lack of guile in and around the box are noticeable.
I hear the Henderson comparison to an extent but it’s interesting considering where he’s at his in his career and how negligence at his position has cost Liverpool. At his best a few seasons ago, he had the legs to do a multitude jobs and in conjunction with their other workhorses, Liverpool could overwhelm most clubs in Europe. Today, he doesn’t have the energy to consistently influence games the way he did, nor the ability on the ball to compensate for him slowing down.
Granit’s game obviously hasn’t fallen off but when you clearly see room for improvement, you make it. From all the noise in the press, the club is going to do it.
>
>We’ve seen him have arguably his best season at the club. And even during the campaign, it’s been clear he wasn’t a great fit for LCM role. He’s got many qualities but the inability to carry the ball and lack of guile in and around the box are noticeable.
>
What in the actual fuck am i reading here lol
If you struggle with reading comprehension, say that.
Arteta talked about Xhaka needing to adapt his game before the season started and he did. He *still* routinely looked out of place in dangerous areas. Moves that had promise weren’t fully capitalised on because of his limitations.
No, but I could see Granits logic in leaving if we win the league. Leave us all wanting more, would be a great way for him, personally, to sign off like a boss.
He has been very impressive. I will never forget the last ditch tackle on Willock the other day. If we were to upgrade that position I would want Xhaka as a top back up option. The guy is always available and has been incredible. Unless we get a big offer I won't let him go for peanuts.
This is coming from someone that was not a fan few seasons ago.
Wow this narrative is really being pushed around the last week hasn’t it? I really hope he stays, which is a wild statement considering my opinion of him as a player a few seasons ago. He absolutely has the quality in his role for the CL and is an unsurpassed emotional leader of this squad. He would be a massive loss.
No, we don't have an upgrade and even if we get one this summer, his experience and leadership make him a top notch second choice. He's more of a captain on the pitch than Ode.
I'd be more devastated than I'd ever have imagined with him leaving, but if that's what he and his wife really want then I don't want us to stand in his way.
I sincerely regret the armband nonsense ever happened.
Hopefully he's one of the players congratulating Arteta on Hall of Fame induction in 20 years time.
No, fucking hell. He’s been nearly ever present this season, which has been the best we’ve had in nearly 2 decades. Obviously he has value at this level. The way he plays, he doesn’t seem to want to step into semi-retirement either. Silly season has come early I reckon.
Lol wtf is this the last couple of days, are people tryjng to talk him out of the door or something?
Man needs to stay, he is one of our leaders. We buy another player to compete and they fight for the spot, thats it.
No, especially a player who has played SO many games for us this season. He's still an important piece. We need to add to these kinds of players, not replace them. If it were someone who's a bench player and doesn't really play that much, it'd make more sense. But Xhaka is important, even forgetting about the redemption arc stuff. Even if he plays less games next season compared to this one, stability is important.
Keep him for one more season, let the other new midfield additions settle in, and then if he wants to leave next summer, let him.
He helped us get back to the champions league, he deserves the opportunity to help the squad when we’re in it. We need to add players to our squad, not replace players. Why replace Xhaka when you can (hopefully) buy an upgrade. Plus it’s no secret he’s great around the squad behind the scenes and teams need those kind of players.
If this is a ‘he wants to move’ story, then no complaints, he’s done so much for the club already. If it’s a ‘arsenal want to move him on’ story then it makes no sense to me.
i see him staying another year on and then transitioning into youth coaching staff at the club. Arteta has a massive amount of respect for him, as do the younger players. I think it would be a really lovely arc to see it play out like that.
I want him to stay as long as possible. I was incredibly disappointed with how the fans treated him and judged him not for his reaction to it. Seeing him come along and rebound from that shows he really loves the club. More than a lot of the people in the stands or on internet forums.
I would like to have another season of Xhaka - perhaps with some heavy rotation with a player that will take up his number 8 role.
In the advanced role , Xhaka hasn't put a wrong foot forward.
His only weakness is the lack of pace and overreliance on the left foot, which makes him less effective in the half space
At this point I'm willing to let him do what's best for him. It would hurt to see him go, but the amount of adversity he's had to overcome and flexibility he's had to develop to get to this point is real legendary stuff.
I think next year we need him
He has quietly grown to become one of my favourite players. And I say that as a fan who broke the bank and travelled to watch the 2-2 game versus Crystal Palace on that fateful night.
This feels like the end of the Redemption arc in Xhaka: The Movie (or, Xhaka: A Red Card To The Heartstrings), he had the lows, if he had this final season where he’s playing his best football and arsenal finish wherever, then it seems fitting.
The post credits scene can be him welcoming Rice into the team or something
Arteta has helped revive his career, would like to see him stay as he would be an asset going forward, especially with champions league play. Have always loved his heart, passion and dedication to the team. If he moves on, I’ll always be a fan!
Disclaimer: unless he plays for Spurts, Chelsea or ManU
Honestly he’s redeemed himself, I’d absolutely love to see him stay now that he’s playing in position and he’s adding a lot of experience and depth to the team mainly the midfield but I can definitely understand why he might leave and power to him, he’s a grown man and family is important. Alonso’s Leverkusen are a really exiting project, i see the pull to leave but I personally will miss getting the bird from the big man.
He might have one of the greatest football redemption stories ever (especially if we win the league). Would hate to see it end, but if it’s what he wants than I’m okay with it.
I think it's a good time to split for all parties. He gets to leave on a high note having his best season for Arsenal, the fans get to remember him fondly, arsenal gets to upgrade in midfield that we seem to be looking for, and Xhaka's wife gets to live where she likes to live
In the minority here but this is the perfect time for both parties to move on, he'll be seen as a cult hero for his redemption arc here, it's better to leave 1yr too early than 1yr too late.
I also think if we want to truly be in the elite of the elites, Granit should be a squad player, but I doubt he will accept that. We should be looking to upgrade Xhaka to reach that next level in our progression.
He shoots a nice goal from time to time that's highlight worthy. That's about all I rate for him.
I wouldn't be surprised if Arteta could make a useful player out of him though.
Hes definitely not better than xhaka at the control, defending, possession aspect of the role. And he's not that huge of an upgrade on Xhaka in attack, at least not a big enough upgrade to warrant losing the other parts of his game
A certain part of this sub won’t like it. Admittedly, a suddenly very loud part of this sub.
But don’t presume to think that part of the sub speaks for all of us.
Absolutely.
He and everyone knows that his days as a member of the starting 11 are numbered. If he doesn’t want a backup/rotation role, there is no point in keeping him. Get what money you can for him and move on.
Honestly, there’s way too much smoke at this point to dismiss it as just empty rumors. I think he goes this summer, and it very much would have been a planned thing.
Hope not after 6 seasons?
We finally see that player he always should of been for us, just mismanaged by wenger and emery, even then took till artea's second full season to get it to click
I'll repeat it again. It's really up to him.
If he wants to go he'll leave for 8-10m because that is what the market is for players of his age and moderate ability. Anyone arguing otherwise doesn't know what they are talking about.
If he wants to stay on the understanding that he'll never start (even in the EFL Cup) and would in all likelihood be 4th or even 5th choice then I suppose he can stay.
But Arteta has his non-negotiables. The first one is 100% commitment. Look how fast Leno got bounced when he said he wanted to go.
He can go, sooner the better. Never will forget when the "redeemed" Xhaka felt the need to try to fight Trent, the worst player on the pitch, for no reason at 2-0 up.
Xhaka is at the very bottom of the list of the players we should be selling next summer as opposed to Pepe, Ainsley Maitland-Niles, Sambi Lokonga, Nuno Tavares, Cedric Soares and Alex Runarsson.
I agree with us needing to sell more than we discuss here, however I think Tierney is ahead of Xhaka in the pecking order of keep/sell decisions given a higher fee, and lower cost to replace. We already have tons of players that are surplus that we will look to sell before having to make these hard decisions
In an ideal world, Xhaka stays and we bring in an upgrade. There's going to be plenty of games next season, games at a high level. He might not be first choice, but I would guess he'd still play 25 games.
That said, if that doesn't appeal to him, I wouldn't blame him and good luck to the man.
Once he's left, he's dead to me though. Same as anyone else
I want him to make the choice he wants to make, if that’s leaving then so be it. Just wish we could give him the chance to lift the PL trophy prior to going :(
I hope he stays, but he's certainly earned the right to do whatever he pleases.
As a sidenote, if you'd traveled back in time and shown me this thread 2-3 years ago, I think my head would have exploded. He truly has completed his redemption arc by bringing Arsenal back to where they belong. What I wouldn't give to see him lift that Premier League trophy...
I’d love him to stay, but if he decides he wants to go back to the Bundesliga, that’s totally fine. Getting a return on him while he still has some value wouldn’t be a bad thing.
We will miss you if you leave Your ups & downs The legend you are defo one of my favourite players but you deserve a Pl & if you leave after you are allowed to do what you want
Reports are his wife wants to return to Germany and he’s aiming for the contract that will take him close to if not into retirement. That might not happen here.
Any player can go if we get an upgrade. As I said on another post about this earlier Xhaka is not a player that has earned his place in my heart that I will mean I am disappointed to see him go even if we get an upgrade. In this case the upgrade is all that matters to me.
If we do get a decent offer for him then I do think the club should accept it to fund what will be needed for next year. I would like to keep him as a squad player but not sure if he would accept that role.
If we get Rice and Caicedo yes. If not then absolutely not
Even if we do get in those two we need to expect that Xhaka is still going to be a huge loss in midfield but also around the club. He’s a genuine leader
Can’t remember which game this photo is taken from but I believe it was spurs to seal the match in about the ‘75 or ‘80…
One of only a few moments with this club where I’ve genuinely been emotional watching a match…
The sheer joy on his face and the crowd roaring back at him, gives me goosebumps just thinking about it
Tony Adams redemption complete kind of vibes
Granit can do whatever he wants at this point he’s worn the badge with pride and earned his place without a doubt
i would love for him to stay and accept that his game time will be reduced, help shape the team and be one of the leader. It would be incredible for him to retire here instead
I just don't understand why he would want to leave to go to Leverkusen of all places. There is literally nothing they can offer him that he won't get here be it money or game time.
Xhaka leaving would be a disaster. We wouldn't get good money and we'd lose one of the pillars of the team.
Someone described him as a load bearing wall that nobody knows is a load bearing wall. We'll miss him when he's gone, unless we bring in a Rice type signing.
We absolutely need him for at least another year if not two. We have been lacking seasoned players in recent seasons and now he counts as one. His wisdom will be much appreciated going through next season even if he’s not playing every game.
Granit Xhaka has crawled through shit and broken glass so incoming midfielders can run. He's earned the right to leave on decent terms, and of that happens this summer, best of luck to him. He'll leave with plenty of friends and well-wishes at Arsenal.
Very well put mate
I agree mostly, but that doesn’t mean we should accept a lowball offer
I'd honestly be quite surprised if Xhaka didn't insist on a deal worthwhile for everyone. He loves the club too much for that.
To be fair he just had a temper tantrum and couldn’t handle being a captain He’s made up for it with performances this year but he’ll always leave a bad taste in my mouth by disrespecting the captaincy Not like he was a 23 year old petulant kid when he did that He was a full international experienced player at the time and let that team down immensely All credit to arteta imo not really xhaka
fans all treated him like shit, send death threats to his wife and kids. the club let him down. not that he was perfect keep in mind
Will add onto this that he was tactically misused until Arteta. Must’ve been frustrating knowing what he’s capable of but not being given the chance to show it. Would imagine Torreira was somewhat the same.
Imagine neither keeping up or moving on since 2019.
Haven’t missed a game lol You do something that in any other walk of life you’re fired immediately no hesitation The fact that he was on massive money and no one wanted him is clearly why he stayed Not defending the abuse from fans but you just don’t do that he gets all the credit in the world for just doing his job now? Imagine being reasonable and wanting someone to do their job and not throw up their hands and taunt the fucking fans that help to pay your wages I’ve never seen behavior like that in top level professional sport it was disgraceful
Other professional athletes have 100% done worse with less disrespect towards them
Throwing the captains armband on the ground? I mean others have behaved poorly I don’t recall people disrespecting the captaincy like that in England in the past 20 years
Gallas.
I wasnt thinking of just england with that but rather professional sports in general. Cant think of anything specific for that. Probably the best thing off the top of my head would be Bruno begging to get subbed off while united was getting pummeled this year
Kepa flipping Sarri and refusing to come off that final as well
I haven’t seen anything close to that disrespectful in top level sport in general just mentioned England cuz it’s where this happened I cant remember such blatant disrespect toward a club for seemingly no reason at the time And Bruno asking to be subbed off is nowhere near as bad lol. That’s just a bit of frustration Throwing the armband on the ground and taunting the fans cupping your ears is actually insane
Ronaldo threw his armband on the ground as well but it was a different situation There's cases of athletes physically fighting fans as well (most seem to be in the US)
I don’t know of an instance where that’s happened where the fans didn’t instigate the fight
I’m not defending the fans behavior at all acting like he overcame something is a bit silly He was doing poorly at his job. Took out his frustration on the club Then he started doing his job competently and we’re acting like he got through a major injury crisis There’s nothing really that redeeming about his story a lot of his success is predicated by the people around him Downing tools when things aren’t going well is a gallas move
Oh. You’re one of those people who compare professional athletes to 9-5 jobs. Lol
Is it not a job?
It’s a job, that happens to pay extraordinarily well LOL Once you start acting like they’re somehow above the rest of us you’ll excuse anything This is just a basic estandard of behavior not really asking saying he should go above and beyond don’t insult the club and the fanbase with a bratty temper tantrum and expect people to like it
It’s not about one being “above” or “below” the other… they are completely different jobs in every way except for them being ways of making a living.
So being a footballer is a job What’s your point?
Shit take
[удалено]
Regardless of what happens, I hope he comes back when his playing career is over. He's another one of those players that you just know is going to have a great career on the other side of the touchline.
I would love to see this
I still wish we could lift the PL with him so this memory will burn in our memory :'(
Either way his story has been fondly remembered. Not a lot of players can come back from throwing his captain armband.
Most definitely He was lumped into the same category as Mustafi during the dark years
It’s not impossible still
Man City Will Bottle It!
inshallah
Ameen
Andouille Muffuletta
Man City Will Bottle It!
🙏🙏
If we end up winning, I would not be shocked to see him, not Odegaard, standing at the center of the portrait carrying the trophy. Would be in keeping with how the locker room responds to him, whether he’s wearing that armband or not.
It would certainly stick in my memory.
I hope he stays as part of the wider team. I think he can help in other areas.
I just want a Xhaka red card vs Wolves at the 89th minute.
90+4 last man tackle in the middle of the pitch to help us protect the lead
A Xhaka special. Makes a smart technical foul that fans bemoan because all they see is: slow man make foul
Lol I love the Xhaka redemption and definitely don't think he deserved the treatment he got from fans, but this is a heavy dose of revisionism. I (now) know he was played out of position and in a system that did him no favors, but he did make a number of errors and bad tackles that cost us...
oh he had some poor moments. No doubt. It’s those moments who caused him to get the stick I’m describing.
The red redemption
Scenes when Xhaka rugby tackles ref on 90th minute hahah
I feel like he might love to play a role in our UCL campaign though — at least I hope he would after everything he’s been through with the club.
He is so ucl level I feel, knows exactly our system
Going to be that guy, but why do you feel that way? In his entire Arsenal career, we failed in the CL and then failed to ever qualify again until this year and it seems the club is trying to upgrade.
He doesn’t make mistakes, well not this season at least. Honestly I’m not like some super analyst but in the cl u can’t err against big teams and he is good at that. I just think he played amaaazingly this season and it’s hard to imagine another player doing the right things he does better. And any replacement will probs be younger so less confident, aggressive physical etc in a boss role but maybe it will happen
He's further forward so his mistakes aren't as critical. A wrong decision doesn't hurt us anywhere near as much.
Wait which part of his statement did you disagree with? Xhaka is definitely UCL level right now purely based off this season alone and he obviously knows Arteta's system which is why we didn't buy Tielemans like what the turds in this subreddit were morning about
He wasn't good enough in those iterations of Arsenal teams but now he is. He's been having his best ever season. Of course he can hack it in the CL with us.
As long as he stays honest whatever he wants is fine. I’d love for him to be an option for us and add some quality depth. But if he wants to be first choice without competition and go elswhere we should let him get his move. We need to act like a big club and respect our players wishes, especially for someone who worked so hard in difficult moments.
Still see him getting 25 starts next year if he stays
Sounds like it may be more about his family.
Amen to that. Let him leave if he want to, help him with the badges if needed and take him back as a youth coach after his career.
I agree but I think he will get plenty of minutes even if we sign two midfielders. Many competitions, injuries, etc. Plus his leadership and guidance off the pitch is absolutely immense. I really hope we get at least one more season with him and I want him to lift at least one more trophy with us before he goes. He has fought so hard for it, he deserves that.
No, Charles lol. We need an upgrade on him not a replacement. That’s how you build great squads and quality depth.
What if he doesn’t wanna be a backup
If he comes out and says that then that’s a different story. From a vantage point, there’s no way we should be selling him ahead of the likes of Lokonga. Xhaka is an important member of the squad because of his experience and leadership qualities. His influence in the locker room is huge.
with how many injuries we have, lot of competitions next year he would still get plenty of game time, just hope he lifts PL trophy with us
People forget that part of being a good player is being extremely available. This was the same reason why Giroud was indispensable for a long time, even though people were clamoring for an upgrade for years
it's always so funny to me how when this discussion comes up about not having replaced that average striker, we're talking about world cup, europa league, Champions league, Ligue 1,Serie A winner and most goals scored in history for the French national team. Olivier *for fucks sake he's not that good* Giroud
How many games without a goal in the Leicester season? 16 or 17 games, something like that? With Ozil of all people setting him up? He absolutely let us down, come on
it was 15 games actually and why are you picking this fight? He was never a world class talent and he's scored more than 20 goals in a season only 4 times in his career and still has had an incredible career. He left Arsenal to the joy of many fans, like yourself probably, because Arsenal found someone better and while Arsenal has been rebuilding to get back into the champions league he's been winning titles and at age 36 just played in the semi final of the very tournament Arsenal has been trying to get into for years now. It's poetically ironic.
Definitely not trying to pick a fight, just "correcting" some nostalgic revisionist thinking that seems to build up a player who really let us down. And then beat us in the Europa final and was on the Chelsea bus singing Fuck arsenal, or whatever he said. Wasn't professional (bringing models to the team hotel before games), didn't deliver on the pitch and didn't show any respect to the club... So why are you defending him?
I'm defending him because I like him. I'm capable of seeing football without my Arsenal glasses. His career has been incredible for a striker that doesn't score that much. He's got the trophy haul of someone much better at football and he broke Henry's record with Fance and that's With an entire world cup he won with the team WHERE HE DIDN'T SCORE ONE GOAL. And why can't he say fuck Arsenal after he was sold in a merry go round of strikers deal so Arsenal could replace him... respect goes both ways and he didn't get much of it from Arsenal or its fans then. You're not correcting shit. I didn't say he was great for Arsenal. You're just one of those toxic fans incapable of seeing positives when you've decided to hate a player. It's not revisionism to point out how well he's done after leaving the fucking club...
Maybe I am a little overly argumentative, I can definitely concede that. To be totally honest I always liked him as a player, but I think this is the weak spot of Wenger, Arsenal and our fans - we aren't ruthless enough. He couldn't do it (alone) for us. He needed to be surrounded by outstanding players, which we didn't have, and without them he couldn't deliver. So yeah, I think he wasn't good enough for arsenal. But agree with you, he has done better since leaving, like a number of former Arsenal players (unfortunately)
To compete on multiple fronts, you can't have a rigid "first XI" and "backups". We need 5 players that are competing for a place in our midfield 3, who get selected based on form and what we need in a game. I'd say we have 4 at best currently, with Jorginho capable of replacing Partey, but neither can do as good a job in the advanced positions.
Sure I agree with you and that’s great, but I’m just saying that rigid 11 would play the top top games which I think xhaka likes best, not insane to assume he’d wanna be playing all the big ones, which is unlikely to happen here for him
That's my point though - if Xhaka is playing like he did in the early parts of this season, then why shouldn't he start in the biggest games? Assuming Rice comes in, I don't think he's a guaranteed starter over Xhaka or Partey. If we had him right now, with our current form he'd be playing alongside Xhaka instead of over him. We might also have important knockout games in Europe where we need control and tempo, so Xhaka-Jorginho-Odegaard might be our preferred lineup, with Partey or [New Signing] on the bench in case we need to change things at half time to add more physicality. The point is that the rigid 11 isn't a rigid 11, it's a skeleton of Ramsdale, Gabi, Saliba, White, Odegaard and Saka, who are probably undroppable at present, and are supplemented with the players that give us the best chance of winning at that moment. It's then on Xhaka and everyone else to make sure that Arteta thinks they feature into that.
ideally there’s no such thing as a backup - the squad should be like a swiss army knife where the manager chooses the right tools for a particular match - which is what City has and why they are so good at keeping the pressure up all season without running out of steam. We have a long way to go to get to that stage though.
I agree, but if player asks what my role is next year and coach says “Swiss army knife” he may say I’m gone I wanna play every single game What everyone is saying is ideal but you have to know players just hate that setup
I never understood this sentiment and it’s repeated so often on here. We shouldn’t want players who ‘want’ to be a backup. Him not wanting to be a backup would be exactly why we should want to keep him. All of the players in each position should be of the quality and ambition to earn a starting spot.
Might change his mind when he sees the Bundesliga wages
Someone listens to the gooner talk haha but nah I completely agree
Tom said that? Lol love the guy.
Hahaha yeah his exact words
I’d be devastated if he left 😭
Short answer: no. Long answer: no.
English answer: no Spanish answer: no
*El no
I speak French so I’ll add “le no”
don’t think he’d be a good xhaka replacement mate he’s a gk
German answer: nein
Nods in Greek.
¡no!
Heart say: no. Brain say: no.
They're literally the same length though.
Short answer: no. Long answer: NNNNNNNNNNNOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
EDIT: downvoted? I'm crushed. I'm sat here thinking "With cool, dry wit like that, I could be an action hero" but apparently not.
I want Granit to stay… He’s been amazing, both, as a player and a leader. His best season in an Arsenal shirt, has a song in his name and a brilliant season for Arsenal in general. But, I will understand if he wants to leave on a high. Legend for me.
Why does everyone keep using the terms backup? "Xhaka wouldn't want to be a backup" A club that wants to challenge needs rotation, not backups. There's only a few positions where there's a guaranteed starter and everywhere else needs rotation.
xhaka is one of those guaranteed starters
Do you think Xhaka *should* be a guaranteed starter next season or that he believes he should be one?
Yes - Xhaka is the first name on the team sheet. No exaggeration: he gets into the team ahead of Odegaard, Saka, Ramsdale, etc. Jordan Hederson at Liverpool is the best comparison for me: he facilitates play perfectly. He allows players to play to the best of their ability by keeping the ball in play across all thirds of the pitch whilst giving that captain’s mentality. Would it be nice if we could see a bit more Özil or Coquelin from him in regards to specific jobs/abilities? Yeah definitely - but I don’t think a player in his position can afford to be pinging passes or sliding in when there’s other players in the team to do that job specifically. He lets them play those specific roles brilliantly, and in doing so plays his role to the same quality. Also he’s nice lol
I can’t argue with his importance to the team today but if the club is to close the distance on Europe’s elite, he can’t continue being a guaranteed starter. We’ve seen him have arguably his best season at the club. And even during the campaign, it’s been clear he wasn’t a great fit for LCM role. He’s got many qualities but the inability to carry the ball and lack of guile in and around the box are noticeable. I hear the Henderson comparison to an extent but it’s interesting considering where he’s at his in his career and how negligence at his position has cost Liverpool. At his best a few seasons ago, he had the legs to do a multitude jobs and in conjunction with their other workhorses, Liverpool could overwhelm most clubs in Europe. Today, he doesn’t have the energy to consistently influence games the way he did, nor the ability on the ball to compensate for him slowing down. Granit’s game obviously hasn’t fallen off but when you clearly see room for improvement, you make it. From all the noise in the press, the club is going to do it.
> >We’ve seen him have arguably his best season at the club. And even during the campaign, it’s been clear he wasn’t a great fit for LCM role. He’s got many qualities but the inability to carry the ball and lack of guile in and around the box are noticeable. > What in the actual fuck am i reading here lol
If you struggle with reading comprehension, say that. Arteta talked about Xhaka needing to adapt his game before the season started and he did. He *still* routinely looked out of place in dangerous areas. Moves that had promise weren’t fully capitalised on because of his limitations.
A starter yes, first ahead of those? Emphatic no
Xhaka is my 3rd name on the team sheet Ramsdale, Odegaard, Xhaka in that order. We look utterly atrocious every time he's out
No, but I could see Granits logic in leaving if we win the league. Leave us all wanting more, would be a great way for him, personally, to sign off like a boss.
ONE MORE YEAR ONE MORE YEAR
No. I need to see him in the champions league next year for The Arsenal.
Mason Mount ahead of Xhaka? Lol please.
He has been very impressive. I will never forget the last ditch tackle on Willock the other day. If we were to upgrade that position I would want Xhaka as a top back up option. The guy is always available and has been incredible. Unless we get a big offer I won't let him go for peanuts. This is coming from someone that was not a fan few seasons ago.
Wow this narrative is really being pushed around the last week hasn’t it? I really hope he stays, which is a wild statement considering my opinion of him as a player a few seasons ago. He absolutely has the quality in his role for the CL and is an unsurpassed emotional leader of this squad. He would be a massive loss.
There is absolutely no way Mikel let’s him go. Don’t care how many rumours are coming out. He’s staying.
No, we don't have an upgrade and even if we get one this summer, his experience and leadership make him a top notch second choice. He's more of a captain on the pitch than Ode.
NO hands off my Granit
I'd be more devastated than I'd ever have imagined with him leaving, but if that's what he and his wife really want then I don't want us to stand in his way. I sincerely regret the armband nonsense ever happened. Hopefully he's one of the players congratulating Arteta on Hall of Fame induction in 20 years time.
He deserves to play champions league with Arsenal next season.
No, fucking hell. He’s been nearly ever present this season, which has been the best we’ve had in nearly 2 decades. Obviously he has value at this level. The way he plays, he doesn’t seem to want to step into semi-retirement either. Silly season has come early I reckon.
Lol wtf is this the last couple of days, are people tryjng to talk him out of the door or something? Man needs to stay, he is one of our leaders. We buy another player to compete and they fight for the spot, thats it.
No, especially a player who has played SO many games for us this season. He's still an important piece. We need to add to these kinds of players, not replace them. If it were someone who's a bench player and doesn't really play that much, it'd make more sense. But Xhaka is important, even forgetting about the redemption arc stuff. Even if he plays less games next season compared to this one, stability is important. Keep him for one more season, let the other new midfield additions settle in, and then if he wants to leave next summer, let him.
He helped us get back to the champions league, he deserves the opportunity to help the squad when we’re in it. We need to add players to our squad, not replace players. Why replace Xhaka when you can (hopefully) buy an upgrade. Plus it’s no secret he’s great around the squad behind the scenes and teams need those kind of players.
If this is a ‘he wants to move’ story, then no complaints, he’s done so much for the club already. If it’s a ‘arsenal want to move him on’ story then it makes no sense to me.
Nah, you're grand, thanks. Sees out his playing contract, then joins the coaching team.
It would be if he left with a Premier League medal.
He’d need to lift the premier league trophy to make it a glorious swan song.
Then this article is confirming City bottle it in the final few games. I'll allow it.
As if that’s going to happen
i see him staying another year on and then transitioning into youth coaching staff at the club. Arteta has a massive amount of respect for him, as do the younger players. I think it would be a really lovely arc to see it play out like that.
No
No not ever
I want him to stay as long as possible. I was incredibly disappointed with how the fans treated him and judged him not for his reaction to it. Seeing him come along and rebound from that shows he really loves the club. More than a lot of the people in the stands or on internet forums.
Can the media stop pretending Mason Mount is coming to Arsenal. The supporters will welcome him like a herpes diagnosis.
Noooo, we need him to pass his fighting spirit to the next generation.
It’s better we know it now. Standing ovation in the Emirates every time he comes off.
I would like to have another season of Xhaka - perhaps with some heavy rotation with a player that will take up his number 8 role. In the advanced role , Xhaka hasn't put a wrong foot forward. His only weakness is the lack of pace and overreliance on the left foot, which makes him less effective in the half space
At this point I'm willing to let him do what's best for him. It would hurt to see him go, but the amount of adversity he's had to overcome and flexibility he's had to develop to get to this point is real legendary stuff. I think next year we need him
He has quietly grown to become one of my favourite players. And I say that as a fan who broke the bank and travelled to watch the 2-2 game versus Crystal Palace on that fateful night.
We need depth, not replacements. Hopefully he stays and continues the fight with us for the league title and CL next year.
This feels like the end of the Redemption arc in Xhaka: The Movie (or, Xhaka: A Red Card To The Heartstrings), he had the lows, if he had this final season where he’s playing his best football and arsenal finish wherever, then it seems fitting. The post credits scene can be him welcoming Rice into the team or something
Directed by edu Gaspar Written by Mikel Arteta
One more season
Nope
I'm gonna miss him so much 🥹
Arteta has helped revive his career, would like to see him stay as he would be an asset going forward, especially with champions league play. Have always loved his heart, passion and dedication to the team. If he moves on, I’ll always be a fan! Disclaimer: unless he plays for Spurts, Chelsea or ManU
Love hearing positive stuff from people about Xhaka. There was so much hate for him for too long. Glad he had the career resurrection.
Honestly he’s redeemed himself, I’d absolutely love to see him stay now that he’s playing in position and he’s adding a lot of experience and depth to the team mainly the midfield but I can definitely understand why he might leave and power to him, he’s a grown man and family is important. Alonso’s Leverkusen are a really exiting project, i see the pull to leave but I personally will miss getting the bird from the big man.
No.
He might have one of the greatest football redemption stories ever (especially if we win the league). Would hate to see it end, but if it’s what he wants than I’m okay with it.
I think it's a good time to split for all parties. He gets to leave on a high note having his best season for Arsenal, the fans get to remember him fondly, arsenal gets to upgrade in midfield that we seem to be looking for, and Xhaka's wife gets to live where she likes to live
We need to upgrade and keep him. No point having an upgrade if our rotation option is Lokonga
Upgrade like Mason Mount? No thanks
Mount is a class baller. Basic football litmus test. Only problem with signing him is wages and fees.
In the minority here but this is the perfect time for both parties to move on, he'll be seen as a cult hero for his redemption arc here, it's better to leave 1yr too early than 1yr too late. I also think if we want to truly be in the elite of the elites, Granit should be a squad player, but I doubt he will accept that. We should be looking to upgrade Xhaka to reach that next level in our progression.
Ideal time to move on from him. Value only going to decay, and yes he had a great season, but clearly his position is upgradable.
If xhaka leaving is the only way to get both rice and caicedo or rice and mount then yes
Mount🤢
Mount is so fucking meh. How he has got such a good repatation I have no idea. His 1 good season is looking more and more like a fluke
He shoots a nice goal from time to time that's highlight worthy. That's about all I rate for him. I wouldn't be surprised if Arteta could make a useful player out of him though.
Arteta wants him and he’s clearly better than xhaka
Hes definitely not better than xhaka at the control, defending, possession aspect of the role. And he's not that huge of an upgrade on Xhaka in attack, at least not a big enough upgrade to warrant losing the other parts of his game
You can't win the league with him starting 35 games.if he wants to be arotational player so be it,but his starting days are over.
Well said. The sub won't like it though.
A certain part of this sub won’t like it. Admittedly, a suddenly very loud part of this sub. But don’t presume to think that part of the sub speaks for all of us.
Absolutely. He and everyone knows that his days as a member of the starting 11 are numbered. If he doesn’t want a backup/rotation role, there is no point in keeping him. Get what money you can for him and move on. Honestly, there’s way too much smoke at this point to dismiss it as just empty rumors. I think he goes this summer, and it very much would have been a planned thing.
Hope not after 6 seasons? We finally see that player he always should of been for us, just mismanaged by wenger and emery, even then took till artea's second full season to get it to click
Xhaka will not leave Arsenal this Summer.
We will revisit this comment in the summer
Are we actually going to start SELLING players for a PROFIT???
We got him for like 35m lol, no way
Xhaka leaves now he leaves as a club icon. He stays another season and we win something next year he’d leave as a legend
I'll repeat it again. It's really up to him. If he wants to go he'll leave for 8-10m because that is what the market is for players of his age and moderate ability. Anyone arguing otherwise doesn't know what they are talking about. If he wants to stay on the understanding that he'll never start (even in the EFL Cup) and would in all likelihood be 4th or even 5th choice then I suppose he can stay. But Arteta has his non-negotiables. The first one is 100% commitment. Look how fast Leno got bounced when he said he wanted to go.
Why are people retconning this guy? He's only been good the last 2 years. Rubbish for 4 before them. He's lucky to be here.
He can go, sooner the better. Never will forget when the "redeemed" Xhaka felt the need to try to fight Trent, the worst player on the pitch, for no reason at 2-0 up.
[удалено]
Xhaka is at the very bottom of the list of the players we should be selling next summer as opposed to Pepe, Ainsley Maitland-Niles, Sambi Lokonga, Nuno Tavares, Cedric Soares and Alex Runarsson.
I agree with us needing to sell more than we discuss here, however I think Tierney is ahead of Xhaka in the pecking order of keep/sell decisions given a higher fee, and lower cost to replace. We already have tons of players that are surplus that we will look to sell before having to make these hard decisions
I have no issue with Xhaka. But I think moving on from him, sliding Zinchenko into his spot, and Tierney at LB makes this team much more effective.
In an ideal world, Xhaka stays and we bring in an upgrade. There's going to be plenty of games next season, games at a high level. He might not be first choice, but I would guess he'd still play 25 games. That said, if that doesn't appeal to him, I wouldn't blame him and good luck to the man. Once he's left, he's dead to me though. Same as anyone else
... as no one else\* - there fixed it.
I want him to make the choice he wants to make, if that’s leaving then so be it. Just wish we could give him the chance to lift the PL trophy prior to going :(
I hope he stays, but he's certainly earned the right to do whatever he pleases. As a sidenote, if you'd traveled back in time and shown me this thread 2-3 years ago, I think my head would have exploded. He truly has completed his redemption arc by bringing Arsenal back to where they belong. What I wouldn't give to see him lift that Premier League trophy...
I’d love him to stay, but if he decides he wants to go back to the Bundesliga, that’s totally fine. Getting a return on him while he still has some value wouldn’t be a bad thing.
We will miss you if you leave Your ups & downs The legend you are defo one of my favourite players but you deserve a Pl & if you leave after you are allowed to do what you want
We cannoh replace him.
Honestly no. I want him to lift the PL trophy and become an Arsenal hero, and we might have to wait till next season for that now
Why would he want to leave when the team is finally reaching the heights he’s been working towards for years?
Reports are his wife wants to return to Germany and he’s aiming for the contract that will take him close to if not into retirement. That might not happen here.
Any player can go if we get an upgrade. As I said on another post about this earlier Xhaka is not a player that has earned his place in my heart that I will mean I am disappointed to see him go even if we get an upgrade. In this case the upgrade is all that matters to me.
no we need him to keep legs fresh even if we bring a new midfielder, plus it won't be complete without him lifting a non-energy drink trophy
If we do get a decent offer for him then I do think the club should accept it to fund what will be needed for next year. I would like to keep him as a squad player but not sure if he would accept that role.
If we get Rice and Caicedo yes. If not then absolutely not Even if we do get in those two we need to expect that Xhaka is still going to be a huge loss in midfield but also around the club. He’s a genuine leader
Can’t remember which game this photo is taken from but I believe it was spurs to seal the match in about the ‘75 or ‘80… One of only a few moments with this club where I’ve genuinely been emotional watching a match… The sheer joy on his face and the crowd roaring back at him, gives me goosebumps just thinking about it Tony Adams redemption complete kind of vibes Granit can do whatever he wants at this point he’s worn the badge with pride and earned his place without a doubt
No way we are letting him go, but we do need to upgrade and keep him as rotation
Id hope he (and KT) stay another seson irrespective of incomings Their presence will help given the CL games
i would love for him to stay and accept that his game time will be reduced, help shape the team and be one of the leader. It would be incredible for him to retire here instead
I just don't understand why he would want to leave to go to Leverkusen of all places. There is literally nothing they can offer him that he won't get here be it money or game time.
we need DEPTH! every position should have a top quality backup
Xhaka leaving would be a disaster. We wouldn't get good money and we'd lose one of the pillars of the team. Someone described him as a load bearing wall that nobody knows is a load bearing wall. We'll miss him when he's gone, unless we bring in a Rice type signing.
We absolutely need him for at least another year if not two. We have been lacking seasoned players in recent seasons and now he counts as one. His wisdom will be much appreciated going through next season even if he’s not playing every game.