Good to see some genuine knowledge on a player on here for once.
Granit Xhaka
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That an amazing post by @andersj. I'm sold.
Very interesting read, Xhaka does look like one of 5 best options we could aim for in a role that is looking more and more like being a replacement for Carrick than a box to box role.
There's usually knowledge on players, it's just at a minimum. Not that hard to find the posts that you can be less skeptical about taking at face value.
Great post @andersj. Xhaka should definitely be an option for us. I think we need 2 midfielders, not one, so I'd be happy if Xhaka was one of them.
Its difficult for me to compare him and put him up against the options we got since I do not know the options. I won't claim that we should buy Xhaka, but I would dear say that he should be one that we keep an eye on. Based on what I've seen the last couple of years, most players will be a step down from Michael Carrick a balancing midfielder in 433. In fact, probably every single one that is available. Granit Xhaka included. Michael Carrick at the same age was still at West Ham.
Who else are you thinking of?
I'm undecided where his best position will be, but for now I think we could use him as an 8 or the holding midfielder, which could make him very useful for us, since this season has shown we need quality in both areas if Fellaini or Blind aren't performing. With that being said the best thing for him might just be stay at Gladbach and build on this season.
Xhaka, Schneiderlin, Verratti, Kondogbia and Gundogan were the 5 I was thinking of, players that can play #8 and #6, although not in quite the same way as Carrick.
That's true and I think that's because the role is one that takes experience to become really good at, it's an older players role if you want the passing, discipline and defensive reading/positioning aspects all at the highest level.
Yeah, that's a good list.
We could have bought Carrick a year earlier (he was excellent for Spurs that last year whenever I saw them) and if we buy Xhaka (or any young DM) this summer we'll have options if they start slow or need some time to adjust, as Carrick will still be around and Blind has been mostly good there and could kick on in his 2nd year in England and being a year closer to what should be his peak.
I would have no reservations about buying a younger DM this summer. Blind is here for a while and he is youngish, generally healthy and pretty good as a DM (and can get games backing up Shaw at LB). We can take a risk and go for high upside here. It's not like LW or RB where we need a signing to immediately perform at a high level.
Not sure of the exact pronunciation of his name... hopefully close enough to make some songs to the tune of Frère Jacques
We were linked with him back in 2012,which is promising because it means the club would have kept tabs on him, if the link has any truth to it anyway.
I assume we're not signing a left-footed player at his position, after Van Gaal's comments.
We'd be mad not to, if it's just about his preferred foot.
It's the same reason we'll probably miss out on Stones.
To be fair, we have Smalling and Jones in his position, there might be less of a need to go after him. Wouldn't mind him obviously.
I just think that when an English player with truly huge potential and already doing well in the PL comes along United should be in for him, the fact we'd not bother because LvG wants to buy another left footed CB is kinda crazy IMO.
Smalling looked fantastic at the start of his United career and Jones was the new Duncan Edwards. Just saying, but who's to say Stones won't become injury prone like those 2 as soon as he joins us? In general I agree with you. Going after Varane, when he was still with Lens seemed crazy considering we had Ferdinand, Vidic, Smalling, Evans and just bought Jones. In hindsight we could have done with him. The same thing could happen here. Anyway that's not what this thread is about, back to Xhaka!
He's great.
He wants to buy a left sided CB, not necessarily a left footed CB, no? Hummels for example.
Kramer is their best CM
He really isn't. Xhaka is the best central midfielder outside of Bayern in Germany.
He was extremely ordinary last season and there are very few things he does more often than Kramer
Kramer runs around a bit more, but Xhaka is definitely better.
He also makes more tackles, is more accurate a passer, more key passes, more dribbles and thats just this season. He was arguably better last season than this season.
Meanwhile Xhaka was the definition of average. He's improved this season but theres still barely anything he does more often than Kramer
It sounds like he's more of a box to box midfielder.
Or, and just go with me here, we sign Xhaka to play LCB and Stones as the right-footed DM. It doesn't work at all and eventually gets sorted out by the next manager.
Should have stated he's definitely been better this season and is more talented. Not sure if you purely basing your argument on statistics, but Xhaka has been more influential and integral to Gladbach than Kramer has been. If you want to talk stats, then here we go. Xhaka has made 500 more successful passes than Kramer has in the same amount of games in the Bundesliga. Per game Xhaka makes more than 20 passes more than Kramer. While Kramer has a pass completion of 87%, Xhaka has 86%. So that's your 1% argument. They make a similar amount of passes backwards, which probably means that Kramer is keeping it safe more often than Xhaka. Also Kramer made 1 more key pass than Xhaka. Xhaka has 21, Kramer 22. They have the same amount of assists and goals. Kramer fails more often with his dribbles compared to Xhaka. Xhaka wins 10% more of his aerial duels than Kramer. He has won roughly 80 aerial duels, while Kramer has won something around 30. Xhaka has more interceptions than Kramer. Xhaka attempts more through balls than Kramer. Kramer gets dispossessed more often than Xhaka and has more problems controlling the ball. And that's just the Bundesliga. The stats are even more in favour of Xhaka, when we are talking about their games in the Europa League. There, Xhaka has (one) more assist(s), more key passes, has scored more goals, he has won more tackles and in general is better in the same categories he's better in the Bundesliga.
What the stats might tell you or might not is that he has become Gladbach's leader. He has a better passing range than Kramer, he's the player that keeps Gladbach ticking, similar to Carrick or Keane for us. His decision making is better as well. Also, he's more likely to step up, when Gladbach is struggling. All of this is quite remarkable for someone, who's just 22 years old. Furthermore he wasn't "average" or "extremely ordinary" last season, he improved throughout. You are probably thinking of his first season in Germany, when he really was struggling.
Do not sign, we have Hererra already, what would the point of this be?
Having another quality midfielder so we do not have to play Rooney there again.
Trust the youth, we have many talented young players to fill in. Also rooney being back in recently is more about a crisis in the base of midfield, rather than the box to box role that he fills in.
He wouldn't compete with Herrera for a spot.
Who?
It's Stones composure, one one one ability and quality on the ball that just reminds me a lot of Rio, and I could see him developing really well under LvG, where as Jones needs a brain transplant I feel. At any rateI agree with you on Xhaka, he's been very good this season and ticks many of the boxes I see as being Carrick-esque.
Hummels is two footed which is why he'd accept him playing as the LCB, but I think if we don't get Hummels he'll go for a left footer to give us 2 CB's for each side of the defense.
It's Stones composure, one one one ability and quality on the ball that just reminds me a lot of Rio, and I could see him developing really well under LvG, where as Jones needs a brain transplant I feel. At any rateI agree with you on Xhaka, he's been very good this season and ticks many of the boxes I see as being Carrick-esque.
Hummels is two footed which is why he'd accept him playing as the LCB, but I think if we don't get Hummels he'll go for a left footer to give us 2 CB's for each side of the defense.
Agreed on the comparison to Ferdinand. Still feel people are way too harsh on Jones.
Edit: Just realised, if Moyes was watching Xhaka instead of Herrman last season, then I should probably respect the man more.
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Him or Scheiderlin is my thoughts.
We need quality CMs, esp DCMs.
We need quality CMs, esp DCMs.
IMHO, he is not ready for the next step and should stay for another season and get CL football. One of his weaknesses for me has been his mental strenghts. There was a time where he believed his own hype and wasnt even a guaranteed starter for Switzerland. He also had a tough time at his current club with some interviews that were very arrogant and stupid. Whilst not playing well, he had to sit on the bench and there were rumours that he should be sold. Maybe that was the lesson he needed but I feel that he should stay put, establish himself as one of the best midfielders in Germany and then move on
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