As we're unlikely to see terraces again at football, this is the virtual equivalent where you can chat to your hearts content about all football matters and, obviously, Arsenal in particular. This forum encourages all Gooners to visit and contribute so please keep it respectful, clean and topical.
Yep both his reds have come from tackles made in his own half, completely preventable.
"Intelligence means you don't make the same mistake twice, I hope he learns from that."
That's what Wenger said after he was sent off against Swansea. Now, leaving aside the irony of that particular statement coming from our manager, it's pretty clear that intelligence and Xhaka should never appear together in the same sentence.
However in my book he's also being failed by the club because you would have to think he wasn't pulled aside and spoken to after the Swansea red or the needless penalties against Stoke or Bournemouth because if he was and he still lunged in like he did on Sunday then the guy truly is a simpleton. There's got to be a level of personal responsibility sure but he's also victim of the "do what you like" mentality when going out on the pitch that seems to run through the club......similar to the issue with Sir Flicks-A-Lot.
The Swansea red card was "taking one for the team" trying to stop a counter attack. Should have been a yellow, but Moss decided that it fell under the remit of ""The Arsenal rule", or "had no chance of getting the ball" therefore deemed to be a red card offence. A bit like the challenge on Alexis (15 minutes after the ball had gone) when we were breaking away on Sunday.
Still can't believe neither official saw the blatant penalty for the foul on Mustafi....and what's with the elbows recently? Guarantee if Giroud catches a defender in the head with a stray hair on his arm he'll walk for it.
There was still no need to make that tackle though, and he does need to learn that side of it.
I get the feeling that the whole 'racist ' label is one used to demonise him for being shit on the pitch. Could you imagine a thread like this, if Sanchez was accused of it? Everyone would be defending him. If Xhaka is proven to have said something racist then offload him, but lets not jump to conclusions until anything is proven.
mcdowell42 wrote:Excuse my naivety,but a white man calls a white person white and he's accused of racism ,surely using the word bitch should be where people should be offended.
Good spot, McD. People are so offended they aren't even sure which bit offends them!
My favourite was the Liverpool fan who complained that Arsenal's 20th Anniversary Anfield 89 shirt was an insult to the memory of the victims of Hillsborough..I know some Liverpool fans that were embarrassed by that..
I actually think he's a good player and was having a good game Sunday until that red. Waynama would have been the better and cheaper buy, but can't trust AW with that shit. Still though, Xhaka has promise.
DB10GOONER wrote:Regarding Xhaka. He seems an average player. But as augie says, he is new to the PL and it's a bit rash to write him off already. The problem is that with Wenger there I don't hold out much hope for the manager "getting the best from him".
Regarding his red card on Sunday? Not a red for me. But then I'm a man, I grew up watching and playing a man's game, with contact in what is, after all, a contact sportyou fucking whiney bitches. He didn't go in over the ball and catch the oppo player mid shin on his standing leg, he wasn't steaming in at pace in a totally reckless fashion. He went to the side of the player and barely caught him. How many of those did Vieira throw in during his heyday and oh how we cheered him on! Especially if Roy Keane was on the receiving end!
It was a foul, a yellow at worst.
BUT...
As the rules currently stand, yep it's a deffo red card because he was not in control and his feet were off the ground. A stupid rule, but it is the rule. And even though I don't think it was a red on Sunday, I do agree he is as thick as shite. He knows the rules so he needs to adapt his playing style to stay within the rules. Also, have you noticed he (like our last "hard man" Captain Stupid Flamoney ) has that penchant for throwing in these unnecessary tackles in nothing situations out on the half way line or the touchline?
Still, let's give him a season or two to settle in and see where he is at that point.
DB10GOONER wrote:Regarding Xhaka. He seems an average player. But as augie says, he is new to the PL and it's a bit rash to write him off already. The problem is that with Wenger there I don't hold out much hope for the manager "getting the best from him".
Regarding his red card on Sunday? Not a red for me. But then I'm a man, I grew up watching and playing a man's game, with contact in what is, after all, a contact sportyou fucking whiney bitches. He didn't go in over the ball and catch the oppo player mid shin on his standing leg, he wasn't steaming in at pace in a totally reckless fashion. He went to the side of the player and barely caught him. How many of those did Vieira throw in during his heyday and oh how we cheered him on! Especially if Roy Keane was on the receiving end!
It was a foul, a yellow at worst.
BUT...
As the rules currently stand, yep it's a deffo red card because he was not in control and his feet were off the ground. A stupid rule, but it is the rule. And even though I don't think it was a red on Sunday, I do agree he is as thick as shite. He knows the rules so he needs to adapt his playing style to stay within the rules. Also, have you noticed he (like our last "hard man" Captain Stupid Flamoney ) has that penchant for throwing in these unnecessary tackles in nothing situations out on the half way line or the touchline?
Still, let's give him a season or two to settle in and see where he is at that point.
rodders999 wrote:Yep both his reds have come from tackles made in his own half, completely preventable.
"Intelligence means you don't make the same mistake twice, I hope he learns from that."
That's what Wenger said after he was sent off against Swansea. Now, leaving aside the irony of that particular statement coming from our manager, it's pretty clear that intelligence and Xhaka should never appear together in the same sentence.
However in my book he's also being failed by the club because you would have to think he wasn't pulled aside and spoken to after the Swansea red or the needless penalties against Stoke or Bournemouth because if he was and he still lunged in like he did on Sunday then the guy truly is a simpleton. There's got to be a level of personal responsibility sure but he's also victim of the "do what you like" mentality when going out on the pitch that seems to run through the club......similar to the issue with Sir Flicks-A-Lot.
The most sent off player across the top leagues in Europe over the last 2 years -if intelligence means you don't make the same mistake, what does it make you when you've done it 5 times in less than 2 years. The bloke is an absolute fucking moron - and unlike John Terry, Steven Gerrard, Paul Merson etc, he isn't even a good footballer. £32m on this stinking pile of shite - its outrageous. TO1AW used to crow about Captain Stupid...."I'm sorry he did not cost £20m".....well fuck face perhaps the laughs are on you because we're all sorry this fuckwit cost a lot more than that
Average player with no real discernable talent. Supposed to be a hard man but isn't, supposed to be a good passer but isn't, supposed to be a good reader of the game but isn't, supposed to be what we need but isn't, supposed to be better than Kanté but isn't. Average player who is badly coached and managed.
Perryashburtongroves wrote:Average player with no real discernable talent. Supposed to be a hard man but isn't, supposed to be a good passer but isn't, supposed to be a good reader of the game but isn't, supposed to be what we need but isn't, supposed to be better than Kanté but isn't. Average player who is badly coached and managed.
Perryashburtongroves wrote:Average player with no real discernable talent. Supposed to be a hard man but isn't, supposed to be a good passer but isn't, supposed to be a good reader of the game but isn't, supposed to be what we need but isn't, supposed to be better than Kanté but isn't. Average player who is badly coached and managed.
Eh? His passing and vision is world class, unfortunately everything else isn't. He was highly rated in Germany and suddenly when he is coached by the serial loser he goes to shit.
Not writing him off yet, waiting until he has a decent coach to get the best out of him. The bigger problem is that useless shite Mustafi. He's worse than Vermaelen.
rodders999 wrote:Yep both his reds have come from tackles made in his own half, completely preventable.
"Intelligence means you don't make the same mistake twice, I hope he learns from that."
That's what Wenger said after he was sent off against Swansea. Now, leaving aside the irony of that particular statement coming from our manager, it's pretty clear that intelligence and Xhaka should never appear together in the same sentence.
However in my book he's also being failed by the club because you would have to think he wasn't pulled aside and spoken to after the Swansea red or the needless penalties against Stoke or Bournemouth because if he was and he still lunged in like he did on Sunday then the guy truly is a simpleton. There's got to be a level of personal responsibility sure but he's also victim of the "do what you like" mentality when going out on the pitch that seems to run through the club......similar to the issue with Sir Flicks-A-Lot.
To be fair, Wenger never makes the same mistake twice ... its many times more
As for Xhaka, if I never saw him on a football pitch again I doubt I could give less of a fuck ... and I'd probably say the same about 90% of our squad.