Xhaka likes axes.
Granit Xhaka
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Well done Arsenal (if true), but should have signed Schneiderlin, and a decent striker last close season and they could been champions now.
I'd keep the Ox, get rid of those two though. Ox just needs a season without injury and he'll push on, Theo has had his time and Joel won't ever be good enough.
For me Striker was #1 and CM was #2. Our midfield play was so bad this season, worst I've seen under Wenger. We struggled badly to build quickly and well from midfield. Every game you'd see Ozil dropping deep or just pointlessly passing around, no structure and a complete shambles. Easily pressed off the ball and not able to win the ball back quickly enough either. Really think that needed a big shake up because if the midfield is dysfunctional then the defence and attack will also be. Cazorla + Coquelin for me was a makeshift duo and this should have been addressed last season. Xhaka is suppose to be a fairly strong and robust tackler as well, always helps in that role
I was hoping Gabriel would come good but he doesn't look good enough, he's had 18months to adapt and hasn't really done so. So CB has become a big problem but I think there are a few options around. Striker is the main worry though, top quality strikers who are available are in serious short supply.
Don't think the fee is that high, Ornstein who is as reliable as they come is quoting around £30m. Don't think it will rise any higher than £35m
I agree about the striker but was never fully sold on Schneiderlin. I think his passing is too slow and not really good enough. Think he would have been a small upgrade over Coquelin which is not what we needed. We needed someone who could pass/dictate from deep but also defender. Schneiderlin is not that kind of player, think Wenger would have signed him a lot earlier if he was.
If Arsenal sign Xhaka, plus a top striker and a CB, they are going to have a quality team to compete for the league next season. He could have been a decent Carrick's replacement.
On the plus side though you have cl football and the whole London is (apparently) a cool place to live on your side along with a healthy bank balance to help you find somebody.
Personally I'd like to see you buy zlatan just for the meltdown it would cause on here
Never been a big fan of Zlatan, really good player but I've never really wanted him in my team. Even though Higuain has a superb goal scoring record another player that doesn't really excite me. Morata is another being talked about, looks an exciting player but there is a real shortage of top strikers. Most of them have already been snapped up by the top clubs, they won't let go unless silly money is thrown at them or the player wants to leave.
He´s a complete hot head, but maybe that´s something that Arsenal actually needs. Last season he managed to get send off three times in the opening 17 games and collect four more yellow cards. The seasons before send-off once and addditional 10 yellow cards each. I wouldn´t pay €43M, and since Arsene is a penny pincher Xhaka will probably stay. Gladbach already lost Nordveidt and they won´t sell Xhaka for cheap, when they need to find a replacement. Eberl is one of the most capable DOF in Germany, when he´s not buying dutch strikers.
Arsenal have been three players away from winning the league for the last five years.
Wenger is reluctant to spend big on three or four because if they don't win it he's got no excuses.
Some extreme banter here. I'd like to see Arsenal buy Messi just for the meltdown it would cause on here.
Yeah, they need a CDM so it's a good business defo, but isn't this guy a bit mental? As in, likes to do some reckless shit and get sent off?
You Never know with signings. Just look at Memphis who might still get good. I will judge the new ones in dec
Indeed.Did Arsenal really need another holding midfielder? I thought they had the position covered with Coq, Elneny & Chambers (if and when required).
Is this guy's passing superlative? @Balu, please shed some light. If you already have, please direct me to your previous posts.
Is this guy's passing superlative? @Balu, please shed some light. If you already have, please direct me to your previous posts.
you always find a place for a quality player, he also offers something else than the three
That's why Real Madrid must have won nearly early possible trophy for the last 7 years? You nead to build a team, a functional machine, not just put the 11 best players you can get (or even more in some cases).
True. However, it's surprising that a club not known for spending a lot of money will spend around 45m Euros (Though, knowing Wenger, it'll only be half of that when the actual figure comes out) on a position that they did not need to strengthen immediately. Isn't Arsenal's priority a CB, a winger and a striker?
May be Arsene will break all his previous transfer records by a distance and spend 200m Euros this summer?
I am just surprised why they would get another another CDM. I was under the impression that Elneny has done well.
He'll play together with one of Coq / Elneny. He's a holding midfielder as much as Schweinsteiger is one.
The one in the combination with Martinez under Jupp? Or the current version? Or one that played at the WC?
Yes.
I wasn't being sarcastic, mate. It was a genuine question.
Schweinsteiger's role was more box to box when Bayern won the treble and he was more in a holding position at the WC. Do you mean to say that Granit is a box to box midfielder?
And I know that these definitions are too simplistic. I am just wondering what type of midfielder he is. You think he is going to play along with a holding midfielder - lying deep and passing - Ala Scholes with Carrick, or is he going to run up and down?
He's going to do whatever Wenger wants him to do mate. I think his qualities and weaknesses are similar to Bastian's that's all. His passing is good, long and short, he likes to shoot from distance and he can put in a hard tackle. I don't want to get into discussions about the imaginary midfield role variations the caf loves. He could play in different ways, depending on various factors, like most other half-decent midfielders, including all the players you've listed above.
That's fine. You think he is the central midfielder in the traditional sense with a good range of passing and defensive awareness, who can be asked to fulfil the midfield role his manager wants. And of course, he is top quality.
That's all I wanted to know. Thanks.
Pretty much, yeah. It's a good signing, in my opinion, but they've got more important ones yet to make. He's not going to take them to the next level on his own.
why do you mention Madrid, why don't you mention Manchester United and SAF instead? It's his claim and I fully support that, when you don't overdo it it's perfectly okay. I am not convinced by Elneny and Coq is a quality player but he's totally different to Xhaka if they think they need proper no6 who can pass the ball then it's their call. think he would be a sensible signing for them.
The transfer window has just started and it's a long summer ahead, think they are working at more than one front, besides media speculates about the prices.. if they get him as early as now, good for them they can concentrate to get a their man up front and perhaps a defender..
Manchester United and SAF, I'd rather call SAF the prime example for building a team, and not just trying to get the best players available. He built teams in a way that the players in it improvednand looked to exceed their ability/standard, look at the decline from some of the players in SAF last season.
Good signing.
On the basis of feck all, as I haven't watched football much outside of the Premier League since i entered a relationship 5 or so years ago.
On the basis of feck all, as I haven't watched football much outside of the Premier League since i entered a relationship 5 or so years ago.
Are you unhappy now? Was easier back then...
I'm unhappy, but not because of her.
I was ok with cutting back on watching football all the time and limiting it to Premier League, with Manchester United games as the only non-skippable ones.
What I'm not okay with is becoming more depressed over the play we've had than the prospect of killing myself over new years (which is no longer an issue, nor does it seem to become one).
Venting a bit, i get talkitive when i'm on more morphine than usual.
Superlative? No, he's no Pirlo. But it's quite good for a holding midfielder, who reads the game well and can tackle. He's more an allrounder but usually played as the deepest midfielder at Gladbach, next to for example Kramer or Dahoud, who are in my opinion actual box to box midfielders.
It was more box to box, when he played next to Martinez, but he was still the one doing most of the build-up from deep and usually was the deepest midfielder playing the disciplined holding role when we were defending. Martinez was the agressive ball-winner next to him, marking opponents or chasing the ball.
The place is going bonkers. Wanting quality players to move to rivals so that the Caf has a meltdown. Talk about being crazy.
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He looks good. I'm real happy about this.
Rumoured €45M+add-ons.
I'm okay with this as long as they don't sign Kante as well. If they get Kante on top of Xhaka (who everyone in this thread seems to rate highly) I might get a bit worried.
That'll be the basic price now for a half decent player. I can almost guarantee we'll pay more for a worse player this summer.
Massively overpriced (although these transfer sums will probably be the standard this summer).
His skillset is good but his game intelligence is low and he's a reckless hot head who'll get send off a lot.
Won't improve arsenal a lot I think.
His skillset is good but his game intelligence is low and he's a reckless hot head who'll get send off a lot.
Won't improve arsenal a lot I think.
Pretty interesting to see them get the deal done so quickly. I wonder how much more business Wenger will conduct. There will definitely be a few departures t come.
I guess the reason for that is Mönchengladbach.....they have said very clear that Xhaka must move before the Euros or he will stay.
Yeah, Flamini, Arteta and Rosicky all confirmed to leave.
With Welbeck's injury I think they'll hang on to the likes of Walcott and Giroud.
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