Arsenal: Granit Xhaka Setting Bar Incredibly High

Arsenal’s newest (and only) signing of the summer is pretty enamored with the club. But is Granit Xhaka setting the bar too high or can Wenger deliver?

Expectations can be a nasty thing. The fact that Arsenal are expected to run away with the Premier League title every year is one of those nasty things. But there are other examples of how expectations can be a real pain in the tush. Or a pleasant boon.

Granit Xhaka is one of the best signings Wenger has ever made and I feel confident making that claim, even having not seen him perform in the Arsenal red. But that doesn’t make him immune to lofty expectations.

Wenger set the bar incredibly high already when he essentially told Xhaka that he would never enjoy football if he didn’t come to Arsenal. “This is paradise” he told him. Talk about sweet talking. When Wenger wants to be, he is a suave salesman.

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But that is only half the trick. Now the club has to deliver what Xhaka is looking for and that is not a fourth place finish. Arsenal has to push for a title and win some major silverware, because what kind of paradise doesn’t involve silverware?

That isn’t the only statement raising the bar however, or I wouldn’t be writing about it. Now, Granit Xhaka has told reporters that “Arsenal are the greatest club in the world”

I mean, we should be flattered and all, I love the spirit and think the world of his positive attitude. But again, given Arsenal’s recent history of underachieving, should we be a bit concerned that Xhaka and Arsenal expect so much out of each other?

On one side of the spectrum, it’s a good thing, because Xhaka is always going to be pushing for the most and motivating his team mates. He’s a leader, after all, and this season will give him an excellent opportunity to make strides towards being the leader of this club for the long haul.

So many times we complain about a lack of urgency and no one on the pitch motivating Arsenal’s troops. Well, high expectations from Xhaka will apply to him having high expectations of his team mates, which we all should rightfully have. The trick is extracting those expectations, which not even Wenger has been able to do consistently.

The positives are overwhelming from these high expectations, but there are naturally drawbacks as well. The same drawbacks that accompany Ozil and Alexis. These guys expect trophies. It’s not just a lofty goal that would add a little icing to their cake. It is the cake. Without a trophy, these guys go hungry and that makes them irritable, frustrated, and, worst of all, they start thinking. They think where else they could win trophies and where else might be a better ‘paradise’ than Arsenal.

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But for now, all we have to think about are the positives. Watch Xhaka take control of his team mates on the pitch when it starts to go bad. It will be a new thing for them and it will bring about positive results.

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