Arsenal: Solving Granit Xhaka problem avoids crux of issue

Pundits, analysts, and fans are always debating how to solve Granit Xhaka. But solving Xhaka misses the crux of the issue: the Arsenal midfielder isn’t worth solving.

Ever since he arrived in North London two years ago, people have been discussing how Granit Xhaka should be best used. Is he a defensive midfielder? Is he a box-to-box player? Is he a deep-lying distributor? Everyone has their own opinion on the thoroughly divisive Arsenal midfielder.

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Throughout this period, I myself have come up with various ways in which Xhaka can be protected and ‘solved’. The introduction of a pacy, athletic midfielder to cover the ground alongside him. Speed in wide areas to provide outlets for his passing. A high-pressing tactic for him to collect loose balls and have more time on the ball.

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And I am not the only one to think of way to ‘solve’ Xhaka. Indeed, this week, Mattias Karen of ESPN wrote this piece: ‘How Arsenal solve a problem like Granit Xhaka: Play to his strengths or bench him?’ In it, he provides a series of formations and midfield personnel structures that Unai Emery could utilise to put Xhaka in the best possible position to perform. Some of his suggestions are good ones. I agree with them. But has Karen, like myself, missed the point a little.

Let me explain. Like Xhaka, people have continually discussed how the Gunners can provide the right structure in place for Mezut Ozil to flourish. Ozil is a very particular type of player and he requires a particular set up to get the best out of him: a lack of defensive responsibility, players who can provide movement off the ball, a mobile, quick striker to play behind.

But there is a key difference between Mesut Ozil and Granit Xhaka. When Ozil is put in the position for him to play at his best, he has a very real and rare influence on games. There are things that Ozil can do that few other players in the world can do.

Xhaka is not like that. Re-shaping the whole team to get the best out of Xhaka is like re-organising your birthday party just so that one friend who you don’t really like that much can get there. It doesn’t really make sense. It’s all a bit backwards.

This is the issue that I have with trying to solve Xhaka. Even if he is solved, the results are little more than an adequate midfielder with a neat and tidy range of passing. Not even on his very best day is Xhaka in the same league of midfielder as even a Santi Cazorla or Aaron Ramsey, nevermind title-winning ones like Cesc Fabregas and Frank Lampard and Paul Scholes, players who are worth building around to protect.

The crux of the Xhaka issue is simple: he’s just not that good. Would providing him with the right surrounding players help him and improve him? Absolutely. Is he largely underrated and harshly criticised by the fan base? Yes, he is. But solving him does not solve Arsenal. He’s just not worth it.