Arsenal: Everyone should know Granit Xhaka’s best qualities by now

Go figure, more Arsenal legends are spouting off about the club, this time Emmanuel Petit has completed discredited everything Granit Xhaka is.

It’s going to be one of those weeks where everyone tries to outdo each other in their criticism of Arsenal. First it was Patrice Evra calling the club babies, now it’s Emmanuel Petit lambasting Granit Xhaka and essentially discrediting everything that Xhaka is as a player.

Of course, Shkodran Mustafi is familiar with the work of Petit, suffering from a similar criticism not all that long ago.

I really don’t see the point in completely eviscerating a player, right down to his essence. Petit genuinely asked no one in particular what Granit Xhaka’s best qualities are. That’s just disrespectful. If you can’t see what his qualities are then you’re either out of tune with the game itself, which Petit obviously isn’t, or you are blowing things way out of proportion, which Petit obviously is.

Xhaka is not a defensive midfielder. He never has been. He never will be. If you continue to look to him for defensive midfield attributes, you will end up like Emmanuel Petit, ranting and raving because you keep looking at an orange and wondering why it isn’t an eggplant.

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Xhaka isn’t there to defend. Which is why Unai Emery should not be playing Xhaka as the furthest midfielder back. Because it requires defensive skills that Xhaka just doesn’t have. And while he is not having those skills, he gets a bit trapped in trying to work with his own abilities.

There’s no denying that Xhaka is a specialist player. He needs some parameters to be successful and Emery is not providing them.

But to completely discredit the man as Petit did? That’s ridiculous. Xhaka is the best passer I’ve seen in the modern game. He hasn’t been able to really flourish because, again, this club has not been in the best sorts and Xhaka hasn’t been either.

Xhaka, when at his best, is the fabric of control that the Gunners need. He is so protective of the ball, he never loses possession… but again, we all knew this. And if we didn’t, then let me repeat—you either aren’t in tune with the intricacies of the game or you’re blowing things way out of proportion. Which one are you?

Granit Xhaka isn’t going to be the right player for a lot of fans. But don’t go off the deep end and discredit his strengths just because you don’t like him.