Very interesting shout that! You're a lateral thinker mate.
I know I should have the capacity to forgive Xhaka but I don't. My distaste for him has become as suffused with arbitrary meaning as my love for Arsenal in general. Go he must if I am to be happy.
Oh I fully understand and get that view Burnsy. He has come a fair way from the days where he’d seemingly half heartedly track back or brainlessly concede possession in our own half.
The discipline issues remain though.
Wonder if his improved performance levels are due to the fact he can feel the potential and sense of purpose the squad now has?
He’s always been highly rated in Switzerland for his play making ability. Without that you’d essentially be left with a Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg which we’d all wanna toss in the bin without any hesitation
He's doing well at the moment, you've got to give Artetaball credit for that … position juice gets a better output from players who aren't as bright about their roles or location on the pitch.
https://arseblog.com/2022/04/granit-xhaka-soup/
"Xhaka’s future was one of the many arrows slung in Mikel Arteta’s direction upon taking the Arsenal job. Not many players demonstratively tell their own fans to fuck off and survive (in the footballing sense, of course. Though there are plenty of countries where such an act would land you in physical danger with your own supporters!)
Persuading Xhaka to stay was quite the test of Arteta’s diplomatic skills and exactly the sort of issue that requires management as opposed to coaching. Xhaka stayed but I think he remains fairly unrepentant about the whole incident.
He is not the kiss and make up type by the looks of it and he has been relatively straightforward about his relationship with Arsenal fans, even though he has not been on the receiving end of any sort of stick since. It is clear that he has been willing to forget but not necessarily forgive."
IMO this is the point of failure in regards to Arteta's non-negotiables and cultural rebuild, and more so after the removal of PEA for a free after having also done so with Ozil previously.
I'm also curious as to why he would think he is owed an apology when he has not done so himself.
Why do you think he thinks he is owed an apology?
flobaba wrote:Why do you think he thinks he is owed an apology?
[font=Source Sans Pro]Forgiveness usually follows after an apology?[/font]
"[font=Source Sans Pro] Xhaka stayed but I think he remains fairly unrepentant about the whole incident."[/font]
[font=Source Sans Pro]" It is clear that he has been willing to forget but not necessarily forgive."[/font]
[font=Source Sans Pro]Suggests he does not think he is in the wrong and the fans started it?[/font]
That’s some bloke on the internet’s opinion. Why do you think it must accurately reflect Xhaka’s own feelings. Is that blogger Xhaka’s spokesperson?
flobaba wrote:That’s some bloke on the internet’s opinion. Why do you think it must accurately reflect Xhaka’s own feelings. Is that blogger Xhaka’s spokesperson?
Fair call, & I will also admit that I am likely bias towards those comments because they fit my Xhaka agenda and my opinion of him.
That said the key for me is he has never apologised for his actions to anyone (team or club, let alone the supporters), so far as we know. I can understand his reactions to the supporters and his comments at the time regarding the online abuse, however I still think he should have apologised to the team and the club.
Further to this are his comments made last summer when he said in his opinion he had a good season and basically blamed the team for not being good enough and/or up to his standards.
I find his continued presence at the club offensive and a sign of Arteta having double standards in terms of both his non-negotiables in regard to Respect, and his cultural change. I am hopeful the recent change to our midfield shape and roles means he will be gone this summer. Either way IMO he is a prick and for me he cannot fuck off soon enough.
Granit Xhaka has said that he almost left Arsenal after experiencing “pure hate” and “disrespect” from the club’s supporters.
In October 2019, the then-captain was booed off the pitch by supporters during a 2-2 draw against Crystal Palace. He tore off his shirt and stormed down the tunnel.
The 29-year-old was stripped of the captaincy by Unai Emery, and replaced by Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, who was himself stripped of the captaincy in December 2021.
He told The Players’ Tribune: “I was done with Arsenal. Finished. There was a contract on the table from another club, and all I had to do was sign.”
Remembering the incident, he describes: “When I close my eyes now, I can still see their faces. I can see their anger. It’s not that they don’t like me. No, it’s different.
“This is hate. Pure hate. I am really not exaggerating this.”
Xhaka revealed that his family attempted to persuade him to leave the club, but he changed his mind when Emery was replaced by Mikel Arteta later that season, who assured Xhaka that the midfielder was part of his plans.
“Mikel and I didn’t speak about my future again, because after six months I was happy. Today, I know I made the right decision, absolutely, because I’m still here.
“But I can’t pretend that my relationship with the fans will ever be the same, because that moment will always be in my heart.
“It’s like broken glass, you know? You can piece it together, but the cracks will always be there.”
Xhaka has made 22 appearances this season, having suffered an injury to his knee ligaments against Tottenham in September.
Arsenal play Southampton next on Saturday, when they travel to St Mary’s
Credit to him. He’s a really important part of the squad. Hope he stays
lol your trolling knows no limits. amazing
Fuck crediting him with anything. The guy shows no remorse whatsoever for what's happened and continues to play the victim. The sooner he leaves the club the better.
Inability to take accountability or blame must be a narcissistic trait.
I knew when he didn’t take the captains band the other day it wasn’t just a matter of Nketiah making a mistake trying to give it to the wrong person, it was/is personal with him.
And that’s totally understandable.
He's a c*nt with a chip on his shoulder.
There have been no incidents reported since then about match supporters getting into him, and yet he acts like it was recent or is ongoing. Nowhere does he acknowledge his actions escalated the response from the supporters.
Whilst I can understand (but not condone) his reaction to the supporters when he decided to stroll off the pitch, I cannot and will not accept his subsequent actions and disrespect to the Captain's armband and then the shirt, nor telling the supporters to f*ck off in between.
He should have been the first player out the door when Arteta took over if we are to believe the non-negotiables about respect.
Everytime Xhaka opens his mouth it's clear he had no self awareness and a real sense of constant entitlement. Never does he acknowledge any of his contribution to what has happened. The incident with the fans happened because when we were behind he deliberately slowly trudged off the pitch when we were losing which just incensed more of the crowd.He couldn't help but to make it about him.
He's the glaring fault in Arteta's non negotiable idea, a player who has disrespected the club, is bang average and never despite his age acts as an experienced player so totally adds nothing. Until we rid ourselves of him we can't properly break with the period of mediocre underachievement of which he's the perfect embodiment.
@lorddulaarsenal wrote:And that’s totally understandable.
Not really. Fans are fans. They do what they do. You’re a professional. You do what you do. You can’t take it personal. Imagine, this privileged dunce. What has he experienced? Fans booing him because he’s error prone and significantly limited and lacking urgency at critical moments? Why does he think he’s special? Eboue should come tell him a story. At least he was booed for being shit, not for being black. Fuck him.
Why are you stooping to accommodate a Xhaka! while consistently attacking Smith Rowe?
Ramsey was booed for being bad after he had his fucking leg broken and came back from that, becoming one of our best players and a fan favourite for years, never once did he bitch and moan about that or flirt with other clubs, let alone Mourinho. And not even he got the kind of understanding and support some of you are giving Xhaka, who's done fuck all for us except being a mediocre at best starter for years. Guy still sees himself as 100% as the victim and blames the fans for being horrible. I'll never condone one of ours being singled out and booed by the crowd, but he's handled it about as badly as possible.
