24 Jan 2017 19:36:59
A lot of this Xhaka chat is seriously overblown. How anyone can't see that it was a ridiculous tackle worthy of a red card is baffling. What made things worse was Xhaka's dreadful attempt to play the ball out immediately before that.
Don't get me wrong - clearly the lad has the best range of passing out of all of our fit CMs, but that ball that went straight to their player was an embarrassment of a pass for a player of Xhaka's quality on the ball, meaning any ref can see that he hadn't expected to give it away and was therefore acting on impulse when he lunged in on Defour like that.
Why else would he react that way immediately, while still in their half? I've heard people talking about how the ref was looking to send him off from the start. Sounds like total BS to me, but if so, Xhaka only gave him licence to do so.
I think people are only asking such questions about Sunday because of what happened to Xhaka against Swansea. The Swansea one was less obvious in my head but the red didn't seem the weirdest of decisions to me - not least because it wasn't the safest professional foul you'll see.
I think there was an argument made back then that he was sent off because of his reputation. Hard to believe as he had no real reputation in English football at that point, but if that sort of thing does carry any weight, then he'll have to watch out now.
Even if his rep doesn't alter the decisions made by refs, it is likely to encourage teams to target him as a player they can provoke to good effect - and that's a genuine concern for us fans.
Still, at least if that happens he'll probably wind up being booked so many more times than Paddy Vieira that the seriously premature comparisons between those two players become a definite thing of the past.
25 Jan 2017 10:23:17
Swansea was a definite red card.
I don't get the Viera comparisons either, completely different players although they are both midfielders. Maybe it's because they are a couple of the only modern professional footballers who aren't soft as sponge or scared of getting hurt/ hurting others.
25 Jan 2017 11:43:08
TBH wasnt koscielney sent off on his debut and twice sent off in his first season, its quite emberassing all this talk give the guy a chance its his first season he just needs to stop lunging in
25 Jan 2017 13:39:51
I'm for giving him a chance and I have all season been fighting his case! But my patience is wearing thin. Like Steve has been saying it's not a case of him been overly aggressive and flying in to tackles it's the fact that he can't tackle he is playing like a school boy in that respect and it's all in no danger areas which then puts question on the ability to read the game!
Obviously still to early but it's worrying that he ain't learning by his mistakes. And if late his passing has be atrocious which it wasn't at the beginning!
25 Jan 2017 14:43:42
He had a slight tussle with Defour at the start of the game, ref probably remembered and htought he was dishing out revenge.
25 Jan 2017 15:04:49
The bigger problem now, if it wasn't already is that he will be targeted by other managers who'll get their players to rile him and see what happens.
We don't need another weak link. Yes he may need time to adapt to the football before we've see the best of him but common dog says wise up mate.
25 Jan 2017 15:59:44
Fair point there stoner, I think he needs to get used to the pace of the league more and his tackling will improve
25 Jan 2017 17:43:28
Sell him and buy Kroos
25 Jan 2017 18:47:51
MG for what we'd get for xhaka, we would only get kroos's socks.
25 Jan 2017 18:58:43
Stevie I would take his sox, rather having to watch a mediocre player
25 Jan 2017 20:05:33
Xhaka is decent enough player but does he really improve the team. Carzola is our most talented midfielder still and he can control games, he is the one we miss most.
If Xhaka can't tackle he just needs to learn to stay on his feet. There is a skill to slide tackling and some players don't have it. Scholes for all his talent was a terrible tackler so he learned not to really bother trying unless he really had to. and Xhaka may have to learn the same
25 Jan 2017 20:06:35
Whig Kos fan but people forget 2 red cards in first season and 4 in total with us plus lots of rash tackles giving penalties away. Same people were probably slagging him off then, that love him now - may be Granit will be the same. Let's give the guy a chance.
He needs to bloody learn with a tackle against Swansea which was an old skool yellow then a rash stupid tackle of late that was a red and one that happens a lot when a player has a bad first touch and over reacts.
25 Jan 2017 19:52:10
That's the thing Malaga I don't think he's a mediocre player it's just his judgement is very poor and I don't think he even gets that riled up I think he just doesn't think at all about the situation which in my opinion is worse. It's like the saying you can teach a tricky pig but you can't educate pork