Xhaka - worst buy in recent history?: Page 39 - The Arsenal discussion forum and community: One More in the Tolly

Xhaka - worst buy in recent history?

MuswellHillGooner

Coombs

I just don't like Sokratis as a player. Wildly erratic in the air, last ditch on the floor, goes to ground too much, and is overly physical in a desperate way, rather than a display of strength. Poor on the ball and prone to picking up yellows, yea, he's not the future at all. Like to see him benched.

Qwiss

Coombs wrote:
Wildly erratic in the air

Absolutely. We are a lot worse at defending crosses and corners this season too. Sok and Luiz have been abysmal in the air.

Clrnc

Beg to differ on Luiz. Think his aerial ability is one of the best from our defenders in recent years

MuswellHillGooner

Clrnc wrote:
Beg to differ on Luiz. Think his aerial ability is one of the best from our defenders in recent years

High balls from free-kicks and corners haven't been a major issue with our defence in recent years and I agree Luiz has strengthened us in this department.
https://footballbh.net/2019/02/15/unai-emery-arsenal-premier-league-tactical-analysis-statistics/

Qwiss

We haven't had a problem on corners for years. We've already conceded a couple and looked really poor one a lot more this season.

Qwiss

Clrnc wrote:
Beg to differ on Luiz. Think his aerial ability is one of the best from our defenders in recent years

I thought he was pretty bad so I checked the stats and it turns out I've been a little harsh on Sok in the air. Luiz however is as I expected.

Here are the aerials won stats for this season of our defence vs some others

Sokratis 3.1
Luiz 1.3
Chambers 1.3
Xhaka 1.7
Laca 2
(the rest of our team is worse)

Chelsea
Zouma 3.9
Alonso 3.2
Azpiliqueta 3.1
Christianson 2

United
Maguire 4.4
Lindelof 3.1

Leicester
Soyuncu 3.5
Evans 3
Chilwell2.7

And nearly all teams have midfielders and fullbacks doing better than our defenders bar Sok. Most sides seem to have mids with better numbers too. I had my feeling we were bad in the air overall but the numbers are shocking.

And yes we were better in the air last season with Mustafi at 4 and Sok at 2.2 and Holding at 2.1. Season before even better with Mustafi at 4.5 and Kos at 3.2. Whatever else about Mustafis game we miss him in the air and its showing on set pieces.

Bold Tone

Wow!

I haven't been critical of Sokratis as I thought he was very good till the last couple of months of last season when he started getting yellows.
If he is still the best when in this trough, the rest are truly gash.

Qwiss

Just checked Luiz at Chelsea, 2.3 last year and 1.7 the year before so don't expect major improvement from in that regard.

Bold Tone

Laca 2 :gape:

jones

Lacas probably the most underrated Arsenal player ever on here.

BWoolley

Xhaka in training

A penny for Auba’s thoughts.

GooneriC

Such fire and determination, start him every week !

Captain

Qwiss! wrote:
Clrnc wrote:
Beg to differ on Luiz. Think his aerial ability is one of the best from our defenders in recent years

I thought he was pretty bad so I checked the stats and it turns out I've been a little harsh on Sok in the air. Luiz however is as I expected.

Here are the aerials won stats for this season of our defence vs some others

Sokratis 3.1
Luiz 1.3
Chambers 1.3
Xhaka 1.7
Laca 2
(the rest of our team is worse)

Chelsea
Zouma 3.9
Alonso 3.2
Azpiliqueta 3.1
Christianson 2

United
Maguire 4.4
Lindelof 3.1

Leicester
Soyuncu 3.5
Evans 3
Chilwell2.7

And nearly all teams have midfielders and fullbacks doing better than our defenders bar Sok. Most sides seem to have mids with better numbers too. I had my feeling we were bad in the air overall but the numbers are shocking.

And yes we were better in the air last season with Mustafi at 4 and Sok at 2.2 and Holding at 2.1. Season before even better with Mustafi at 4.5 and Kos at 3.2. Whatever else about Mustafis game we miss him in the air and its showing on set pieces.

What exactly are you trying to show with these numbers?

est

BWoolley wrote:
Xhaka in training

So, exactly like he is in games. Interesting.

lorddulaarsenal

Xhaka is the main reason we’ll not become real challengers

flobaba

Again, I don’t understand how Emery makes him first captain.

Makes it that much harder to drop him. But to be fair he dropped Cech, and he dropped 5th captain, so maybe it really doesn’t matter.

Bold Tone

Congratulations to Xhaka and his wife on the birth of their daughter!
https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news/arsenal-star-granit-xhaka-announces-16170765

Claudius

Congrats, Xhaka

Hopefully, our club is evolved and allows him to take 3 months paternity leave to be with his daughter

Bold Tone

That was actually fake news.
He only mentioned missing the two Swiss internationals in October and the papers made up the rest.
The below article even reports him being available for the Ireland game
https://www.the42.ie/granit-xhaka-ireland-switzerland-available-wife-baby-euro-2020-qualifier-4841034-Oct2019/

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