Arsenal: Granit Xhaka a black eye this club really didn’t need

Arsenal are already beaten and battered, but with all that’s happening with Granit Xhaka, it’s just another added black eye. And we’re running out of eyes to black.

Arsenal finally anointed what appeared to be a long-term captain when the players chose Granit Xhaka, but the “fans” thought they knew better and essentially broke the Swiss midfielder, invading his personal life and harassing his wife and infant daughter. A class act, these folks.

Now, it only gets worse. According to Unai Emery, it’s been Xhaka himself who hasn’t been keen to get back on the pitch. Emery highlighted Leicester City specifically, saying Xhaka said himself that he wasn’t ready, but it stands to reason that this can be extended to his previous absences as well.

Which leads to a probable exit in January. There’s only so much a man can take, and these people who think of themselves as fans have seen to it that Xhaka was pushed to his limits. And the worst part is they will celebrate what they’ve done.

This was supposed to be a time of Renaissance for Arsenal. Unai Emery was meant to bring the club into the modern age and we were all supposed to be drinking champagne and celebrating trophies, but instead, we are crumbling to bits.

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It’s bad enough on the pitch. But seeing fans holding no bars as far as who they harass, and seeing players clearly shaken by what’s happening at the Emirates, it’s further proof that the club is not headed in the right direction. Unai Emery is not in control. He has never been. What I wouldn’t give for a good old fashioned Arsene Wenger press conference where he stood up for his players and called for unity and support.

The body of this club is already beaten and bruised even before the Granit Xhaka situation reached new lows. But seeing the way it’s going, it’s a further black eye on a failed era that we really didn’t need. Take Thumper’s advice on this one: “If you can’t say something nice, don’t say nothing at all.”

If only these “fans” took Bambi more seriously, maybe then mess wouldn’t be quite so messy.

Emery can’t fix this. There are far too many wounds. Some bleeding, some broken bones. He doesn’t have enough time to fix it all. And when all is said and done, there will be lowlights that most of us would like to forget. And this Xhaka situation is one such lowlight.