Tag Archives: Granit Xhaka

Arsenal’s Spine of Leaders

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A follow up on yesterdays blog about The Curse of The Arsenal Captain.

For the first time in a very long time, it feels we have a team of leaders. A team of captains. A team that can be relied upon to rise to the occasion.

Since the invincibles were demolished, we have always struggled from a leadership point of view. A team too young, a team too inexperienced, a ship without a captain. And we have suffered from it.

I am sure in 2007/08, we would have won the league had the leadership of the team been better. We were top of the league and flying when Eduardo had his leg broken against Birmingham. Our captain, William Gallas, sat on the floor and sulked. Arsenal won 1 of their next 7 games and finished 3rd.

In 2013/14, we were once again top in February. We had led since the 2nd game of the season. And we fell apart. Finished 4th in a one horse race for the title. A run of 2 wins in 9 games. Once again a lack of leadership on the field. A season saved by an FA Cup win. It should have been a league and cup double.

But looking at the time now, it looks different, it feels different. Arsenal have a spine of leaders.

Petr Cechuntitled

The goal keeper position at Arsenal had been a problemsince before Jens Lehmann left. Whilst Petr Cech has had a couple of off games, what is undeniable is the leadership and experience he has bought to the squad. Cech has played nearly 700 domestic games and capped for his country 124 times. Now retired, there was talk of him being next Arsenal captain in the summer. He captained the side against Liverpool, but ultimately the armband went full time to Per Mertesacker. He is a man who has won everything domestically and on a European stage.

Laurent Koscielny

For so long, Laurent Koscielny looked lost without a leader next to him. He would drift positionally and basically struggled. But something seems to happened over this summer. At the Euro’s for France he was the senior partner in all the centre back partnerships. He was the leader of the defence. On his return to Arsenal, due to Mertesacker’s injury, he found himself as the senior centre back, and how he has grown. At 31, he has now been at Arsenal for 6 seasons. A regular for club and country. It has got to the point where the timid Koscielny should now really be Arsenal captain.

Shkodran Mustafi

Whilst Shkodran Mustafi has not been around the club that long, his leadership was recently praised by Alan Smith; “Those at Arsenal confirm that he is no shrinking violet when it comes to speaking up in the dressing room. A new arrival, maybe, but the 24-year-old is not afraid to say his piece”. You see it on the pitch as well. The way he dealt with Diego Costa in the early exchanges against Chelsea set the tone for the rest of the side. Mustafi is a World Cup winner.

Granit Xhaka

Granit Xhaka: a born leader who will finally bring some grit to Arsenal. That is how The Guardian described Granit Xhaka upon his unveiling. Since then, Arsene Wenger has also commented on his leadership qualities. Last season he was made Borussia Mönchengladbach captain. As he grew as leader and talisman, the team grew around him. He is barely 24, but has already been capped 48 times by Switzerland. A future Arsenal captain? Many on this list could be.

Aaron Ramsey

It is over 3 years since I spoke about Aaron Ramsey being next Arsenal captain. Much has changed since then, and he has perhaps fallen down the pecking order a bit. But this is a man who was made the youngest ever Wales captain at the age of 20 years 90 days. He was the key man in Wales’ recent Euro’s run. He has already been at Arsenal 9 years and is 26 in December. He is one of the senior pros at the club. Someone others will look up to.

Mesut Ozil

Whilst Mesut Ozil has never really been a captain, his leadership comes across in his performances. A truly World Class talent, others look to him to perform. When he plays well, the team plays well. Everything go’s through him. German player of the year for 4 of the last 5 seasons , this is a man who is the best German player, in the best German team for 25 years.

Alexis Sanchez

When you see the man at the top of the pitch putting in a shift, closing players down, chasing every ball, it changes the mentality of the rest of the side. They all start doing it. For Chile, Sanchez is a God. He is the main man. And he revels in it. Leading the line, he is their superstar. Their game winner. Whilst Claudio Bravo might be captain, Alexis Sanchez is the leader. When he performs, Chile perform. What he brings to Arsenal is the cherry on the cake. The man at the top of the field, over the hill first, leading his troops. 100 caps for his country, he could become a legend for his club.

I will let Arsenal legend Alan Smith’s comments summarise the article;

“Of course, that is how it should be. Strong voices and views go hand in hand with successful teams. Yet Arsenal have not always been blessed with such forthright sorts, whether by coincidence or through a deliberate policy from Arsene Wenger.

“They say that has changed now, that some players speak up with a little more force.”

Keenos

Note: If your comment is “Cazorla over Ramsey” please understand that is not what we are discussing in this blog. Well done to you for fixating on one single point rather than celebrating finally having a squad of leaders.

Nottingham Forest Result & Chelsea Team News

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Nottingham Forest Result

4-0 was a result that certainly flattered Arsenal.

Whilst we were deserved winners, Nottingham Forest created a few chances in the first half. Enough to worry Arsenal. Enough that Arsene Wenger should not be entirely satisfied with the victory. Another day, had one of their early chances gone in, we could have had a different story, a Sheffield Wednesday story.

But another stunner by Xhaka put us 1-0 up at half time. And the second half we controlled, dominated, wearing down Nottingham Forest. A penalty by Lucas Perez and a wonderful solo goal but the game out of sight.

I only realised it was 4-0 this morning. In the 91st minute my stream died, so I went to bed, missing Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain’s wonderfully crafted 4th goal.

Can much be read into a victory over a side currently 13th in the Championship? Probably not.

Emiliano (or is it Damian?) Martínez did little wrong. But also didn’t have much to do. He is now 24. David Ospina will surely not be round much longer at Petr Cech’s number 2. Did Martinez show enough that he could potentially step up next season? Inconclusive.

The surprise pick at right back was Ainsley Maitland-Niles. He of the angry mum, who was banned from Arsenal’s training ground after an “assault” and caused her son to be exiled at Ipswich by Mick McCarthy. You have to think the lad has extreme talent if Arsene Wenger is willing to stick with him despite the behaviour of his mum.

Maitland-Niles is not a full back. When I have seen him play in our youths, he was a winger, but often used inside. On loan at Ipswich last season he played 1,116 minutes on the right wing, 704 minutes in the centre of the park. He is a big boy, with a good touch, and good passing range. He can also travel with the ball. At just 19, I see his future being in the middle of the park. He played well.

The game gave Gabriel 90 minutes to get his fitness back and 90 minutes in an Arsenal shirt for Rob Holding. It also allowed Kieran Gibbs to get some match time in. Giving these guys a run out is important so that they are ready to be called upon.

Granit Xhaka and Mohamed Elneny have given Wenger something to think about for Chelsea. Both are aggressive, cover the ground and can pass well. Meanwhile, despite his goal, Oxlade-Chamberlain showed that he is not good enough for Arsenal’s level. The same errors of trying to take on one too many, perhaps Championship opponents is his level?

Chuba Akpom and Jeff Reine-Adelaide looked good in parts. One too many pirouette for my liking. Both could probably do with a loan move in January to a Premier League side to prove that they have what it takes to be part of Arsenal’s 1st team match day squad on a regular basis in 2017/18.

As for Lucas Perez. A well hit penalty followed by the type of goal which showed strength, balance and composure.

I think it is important not to read too much into his performance as it was just Nottingham Forest. I have seen people label him the Spanish Jamie Vardy and better than Olivier Giroud. This is a little bit too much too soon.

Vardy hit 24 league goals last season, Giroud has 82 goals in 191 games for Arsenal. Two goals against a mid-table Championship side is not enough to be compared to these two.

Saying that, it was a good outing for Perez. He looked sharp, quick and two footed. In the short term (with Giroud back) I can see him playing wide of Giroud on the right. I expect us to start again with Alexis Sanchez up top against Chelsea, but Perez, like Xhaka and Elneny, would have given something for Wenger to think about.

This time last week I was in Paris, sleeping off 24 hours of beer. Up to that point I had not missed a single game this season, home away or in Europe. I have now missed the last two games, both away victories, with Arsenal scoring 8. I am back for Chelsea. Sorry lads.

Chelsea Team News

Whilst writing the brief summary of the Nottingham Forest performance, it got me think about what side we will se against Chelsea this Saturday.

Petr Cech will start in goal. But there are plenty of positions up for grabs.

In defence, Hector Bellerin and Laurent Koscielny are shoe-ins. But will Wenger be tempted to return to Gabriel? Or has Shkodran Mustafi already shown enough that he is Koscileny’s undisputed partner in life?

Nacho Monreal has underperformed this season. Looked off the pace. Did Gibbs do enough against Nottingham Forest to force his way in? Unlikely.

The likelihood is Wenger will start with the same back 5 as he did against Hull. Meaning the above 71 words are pretty pointless. Filler. To get the word count of the article up.

The centre midfield is a more interesting debate.

Francis Coquelin and Santi Cazorla have looked good this season, complimenting each other behind Mesut Ozil. But Granit Xhaka is our best central midfielder. And Elneny performed solidly alongside him last night.

Does Wenger go with the tried and tested Coq/Caz partnership? Pr does he drop one for Xhaka, a risk in such a big game.

I actually think he might play the 3 of them. A central midfield with Coquelin and Xhaka deep lying with Cazorla just ahead. This will push Mesut Ozil out wide on one side with Alex Iwobi the other.

Playing Xhaka and Coquelin together will give the team a lot of solidity in the middle of the park. With Cazorla just ahead of him, we then have a tight midfield 3 that should be hard to penetrate, but still has creativity.

Mesut Ozil on the right is then giving a free role. It might damage us defensively as he will not track back as much, but it is the way you accommodate him. With the extra power in the middle of the park, his defensive frailties can be covered.

Likewise on the left, Alex Iwobi is not the best defensively. You are basically saying to Iwobi, Ozil and Sanchez (who will surely start up front): “You 3 attack, the rest will defend”. With Cazorla also given the time to get forward.

Likely line up:

Cech
Bellerin Mustafi Koscielny Monreal
Xhaka Coquelin
Ozil Cazorla Iwobi
Sanchez

Keenos

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Delighted in Arsenal’s CENTRAL position

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132Up to this point, Arsenal’s transfer window has been a little under-whelming. Some might say that is not strong enough.

The team so clearly needs strengthening in the same, obvious places that it has needed strengthening for the last decade.

However, one place where I am happy with the make up of the squad is the middle of the park.

During the discussion about why Arsenal did not go for N’Golo Kante, my eyes were really opened up to the strength in depth we have in midfield moving forward into the 2016/17 Premier League season.

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In Granit Xhaka, we have the man to make the team tick. A defensive leader who has the all round game to dominate the middle of the park whilst starting attacks. His ability will allow Aaron Ramsey to move further forward up the pitch, relinquish him of much his defensive duties, allow him to continue the great form he showed for Wales.

And then we have Mesut Ozil. A truly world class performer.

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Imagine a side where Santi Cazorla and Jack Wilshere are not in the first team. They would start in the middle of the park for almost every side in the Premier League. A case could be made for both to start in Arsenal’s first team ahead of Ramsey.

When fit (and for Jack that is a big when they are both top players.

Then in behind them we have a new-ish boy. Mohamad Elneny, who performed well at the back end of last season. He will be a good understudy for Granit Xhaka.

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This time last year, Francis Coquelin was our undisputed 1st choice defensive midfield. It sent shivers down a fans spine when the names Flamini or Arteta on the team sheet. The fact that he is now 3rd choice shows the improvements we have made in the area.

Oxlade-Chamberlain has a big season coming up for him. Make or break (although the same was said last year). And Iwobi has shown enough in 6 months that he deserves a place in the first team squad.

It is all very exciting.

There has been some very light talk that we might play a diamond. Even then, with a 4 man midfield, we look very strong.

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This summer, we might have lost 3 midfielder in Flamini, Arteta & Tomas Rosicky, and replaced them with just one, Granti Xhaka, but we go into this year stronger, not weaker.

Last season, Rosicky and Arteta played less than 200 minutes of Premier League football between them. Those minutes do not exactly need replacing.

Another way to look at it is last year, we started the season with our defensive midfield options being:

Coquelin, Flamini, Arteta

This year, they are:

Xhaka, Elneny, Coquelin

The centre of the park is strong. Now Arsene Wenger needs to be focusing on the forward line and defence.

Keenos

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