Arsenal: “Indestructible” Granit Xhaka the best part

Arsenal fans have never been kind to Granit Xhaka, but knowing that he is “indestructible” is probably the biggest perk of the multitude he brings.

Arsenal brought in Granit Xhaka amid belief that he would be the next Patrick Vieira. Right from the off, the Swiss was set up to fail because nothing about him said “Vieira” other than his position and his ability to make an impact.

And granted, even I’ll admit that Vieira comparisons or no, he struggled for the first half season or so as he got up to speed with the  brutality of the Premier League. But once he made that adjustment, it was clear what his facilities were going to be. He was going to control play, brak lines with his passing, and provide a tad of a defensive boost.

But that wasn’t enough for a lot of fans, who still wanted the reincarnation of Vieira, or someone who only played defense, and the outcry against Xhaka was, from my point of view, embarrassing. Here was a perfectly good midfielder being devalued because of the couple of things that he wasn’t.

Xhaka has spoken up about the criticism before, saying that all it does is make him stronger. As I always say, words are cheap. Very cheap. People say stuff all the time that they can’t back up with their play.

But Xhaka is different. Xhaka actually has kept steadily improving amid the criticism. So much so that at this point in time, there are a lot of fans coming around, seeing what value he has. Particularly with Lucas Torreira next to him.

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Criticism can wear down a player. Being unappreciated just as much. It feels unwinnable, it feels like there’s nothing you can do to win the most elusive of approvals – the millions of fans that you’re playing for.

Xhaka has spoken out again, more adamant now about the criticism that he constantly receives.

"“Criticism can make you stronger, and that’s what it should do. If you are criticised, you can’t let your head go down or let it destroy you inside. You have to keep going, keep working and improve on those weaknesses, as well as your strengths.”"

And then he closed out one more time saying that criticism should make you stronger.

Again, the best part isn’t what he’s saying, it’s how he’s proving all of these things he’s saying. Xhaka is indestructible, and that is going to pay off incredibly well the longer we hold onto him. If this is what he does when he is wracked with criticism, what’s going to happen when he actually feels the love and support?

Time will tell. But in the meantime I’ll be over here giving thanks for having a player like Xhaka.