Arsenal: Granit Xhaka and Patrick Vieira have something in common after all

Granit Xhaka and Patrick Vieira are two completely different players, but the Arsenal men may have something in common after all.

When Arsenal first landed Granit Xhaka, the speculation ran wild, but the most outlandish idea of the bunch was that he was the long overdue replacement for Patrick Vieira.

What everyone soon learned was that this couldn’t have been any farther from the truth. The players were almost complete opposites. Vieira was built on athleticism, ferocity and all-around midfield dominance.

Xhaka, meanwhile, is built on passing brilliance, sturdiness in possession and tempo maintenance. There was very little overlap between the two midfielders.

This, in turn, spelled the immediate criticism of Xhaka, simply because he wasn’t what fans wanted him to be. Hardly a fair judgment, but I don’t need to tell you that, because I’ve told you about six-thousand times over the past two years.

Gradually the comparisons died away as people realized how silly they were.

Now, however, with the foolish and, dare I say, stupid suggestions that Xhaka be sold, I think I have finally found a way to compare Vieira and Xhaka.

More from Pain in the Arsenal

Arsenal sold Vieira and never replaced him. Not necessarily on purpose, but because it’s hard to replace an on-field leader with the attributes that he had. They sold him when he was just passed his prime, but some still reckoned it was too early. He did go on t have decent success elsewhere.

And still, the Gunners have never truly replaced him.

They wouldn’t be able to replace Xhaka either. Because Xhaka has such a unique combination of skills that you don’t find in a single midfielder. I would argue that there isn’t a midfielder in existence at the top tier of world football that does the things Xhaka can do. And yes, those things are very specified – long-distance passing, immaculate distribution, controlling tempo, etc. – but there is a formula to success around this man.

Just like there was around Vieira. And just like Vieira, I reckon that if Xhaka were to be foolishly sold this summer, there would be a vacancy that they can’t fill, and couldn’t fill for years to come.

When a team comes to rely on a particular skill set, like with Vieira or Xhaka, removing that skill set often leads to a lapse where the team tries to find ways around it.

Next: 3 Things Lucas Torreira Brings

We can avoid that lapse by just accepting and building around Xhaka.

Home/Arsenal News