26 Sep 2019 03:54:01
So Man U on Monday and then a run of beatable teams up until Citeh in December. A decent win Monday could square us up nicely for top 4. Let's face it, Spurs, Chelsea and Man U are doing everything they can to give us a chance of getting back into the champions league!
I really hope Holding gets his starting place back. I think he'll make a big difference.
So on to Xhaka. Will he still be a starter by Christmas? Surely the cheering when he was taken off has to be resonating with Emery? I get the impression Xhaka is a bit of a petulant character and will adopt a 'F you I'm off' mentality if the crowd keep hammering him. Or maybe that's just wishful thinking.
What's the thoughts? Will Emery bench him? Will the crowd push him over the edge?
26 Sep 2019 07:23:02
I think much like Arsene Emery is stubborn and the more he is questioned on Xhaka the more reluctant he will be to give in too fans pundits and media pressure, I don't get the impression he's one to bullied into doubting himself and his decisions but again like Arsene thinks he and Xhaka will prove everyone else wrong if he just keeps going with his plan long enough.
I don't want to see our fans boo any of our players as much as I don't want Xhaka in the team i don't want to see him publicly humiliated in an attempt to make the manager do what's right for the team.
Regardless of what we think of his playing abilty he's still a human being and that sort of thing could have a terrible effect on his mental health, he's a bad footballer not a bad person as far as I know.
All players at all clubs want to play every game but it's 100% down to the manager who takes to the field.
26 Sep 2019 09:13:13
Agree with you Gunner 62, humiliating a player is not the way.
26 Sep 2019 12:03:14
Oh totally. It’s just sad it’s got to this stage.
26 Sep 2019 12:55:02
It is sad Slaam mate, Xhaka is merely following orders and doing what he's asked to do to the best of his ability it's not for him to tell Emery he not he's not good enough to play and plenty of others are better than him, that's Emerys decision and job not Xhaka's.
The fans have a right to voice there opinions because without public passion no one in football would enjoy they're fame and fortune but there is a limit to how far the paying public have the right to go no matter how disappointed or angry they feel.
Banners and placards directed at the board and the manager who are the decision makers is in my opinion an acceptable peaceful and civilised way of expressing yourself and your feelings about the direction the club is going in but verbally abusing individuals isn't right no matter how you feel about their ability.
26 Sep 2019 18:05:52
I thought it was disgusting.
26 Sep 2019 19:56:02
Hopefully it’ll get sorted. I really don’t want us to get a reputation of bullying players from the stands. All a bit classless.
27 Sep 2019 13:01:39
Booing Granit is totally unacceptable in my opinion, agree woth most of the post, however, Xhaka obviously isn't a bad footballer or he wouldn’t of been signed by Arsenal, or be captain of club and country. However i feel the premier league just isn’t his game. Maybe 10 years ago he might of been a world class player when the games tempo wasn’t as quick.
Hearing news he has been made official captain toda, voted by the team and Emery, they must be something were missing if the players voted for him as wel.
27 Sep 2019 15:49:12
How could they vote any other way realistically? I'm totally shocked there was a vote at all, was it a show of hands or secret ballet :-) , to openly appose Xhaka and Emerys choice wouldn't bode well for any kind of unity in the camp.
27 Sep 2019 16:56:48
Just read the story from Ormstein, from the sounds of it there was no vote at all merely Emery making the decision himself and consulting players about his decision before making it public, that's hardly a vote more of a sounding of people's feelings about what Emery had already decided to do anyway before going public.
Obviously Emery is trying to give Xhaka a boost and official public backing in result to last week's booing.