Brentford vs Arsenal - Match reaction and player rating

[HCZ_Reborn]

Problem is that you are approaching Xhaka this season with confirmation bias. You are waiting for things to go wrong with him based on what has happened in the past (btw I agree that he is too slow to be a covering MF for us), and your ideal of what his position requires, and therefore (in my view) failing to acknowledge what is actually an impressive adaptation to a new and much more effective role. The debate on the Manure game highlighted this. Xhaka was criticised for not being Partey - ie able to provide the defensive cover in MF that Partey can - and therefore he was blamed by some for Manure's goals happening down the centre - whereas the reality was that Lokonga was the weak link, not Xhaka.

It may be that he is found wanting against better teams (mind you - Brentford are no pushovers - however we made them look), and without Partey there. But the problem here is that Partey is fairly unique - and we ain't going to find a ready made Partey replacement to come straight into the team for less than £50M, and a Partey back up of sufficient quality isn't going to come as back up.

Over the past season or so, the manager has shown that he understands what is needed to put his vision into practice - yet there have been greater priorities than replacing Xhaka. In other words those with far more knowledge and understanding of the game than me or you have not seen him as the weakest link. So what if Xhaka has had to be moved to get him contributing more effectively (and less riskily) for our team? All teams are a blend. Henderson is a limited technical player for Liverpool but he has worked for them in a MF role. Jorginho divides opinion at Chelsea. The fact that Xhaka has been one of our best performers - and his skill set can be utilised effectively - this season in a new role is a good thing. Not all out players (or all players in any team) need to have pace and power - even in today's EPL.

I respect your views to the contrary, but for me Xhaka has earned the right to wait and see whether he will indeed become a weak link in Arsenal 22, rather than automatically assuming he is one.

Again and with the highest respect to you, you’re talking out of your bum hole

It’s beyond me why I need to make this point again but we are beyond confirmation bias we are taking about Empirical evidence

What you’re asking is that I suspend my belief and have faith that counter to any sound principle of a players footballing progression that a player that has been bilge for the previous six seasons, is going to be useful to us in a seventh at the age of thirty when the legs are starting to go.

As to your argument that I’m waiting for him to make a mistake, not at all…the same mistakes have been on display in every game this season….we are just seeing more of him from an attacking sense because Arteta has given up on asking him to have positional discipline. I’d like to see the stats on which Arsenal player has given the ball away the most because if he’s not leading or in the top three I’d be astonished.

Brentford it didn’t matter because every time he did give the ball away Partey was there to wipe his bum for him…but Partey won’t always be there. Not just City either but a midfield like Spurs, Chelsea, even Liverpool will punish us for this. Even Brighton…Partey is playing and he’s playing well…all it takes is for him to be off form and we are going to have fuck holes carved into us like we are Jason Swift.

So no im not waiting for him to slip up, I'm waiting for us to be punished for his slip ups. We might get extraordinarily lucky and not have it happen to us….but empirical evidence suggests it will.

No one is asking you to agree with me, but if you can’t comprehend of anything but I hate Xhaka because he’s been shit in the past….then really it’s you who are being blinded by your own assumptions

I struggle to see this forward vision that Arteta has shown. His history includes persisting with Willian for half a season resulting in 7 defeats in ten games and a brief flirtation with relegation, persisting with Laca for just as long…not trusting his squad enough to rotate and giving both Eddie and Lokonga more game time. Throwing Nuno Tavares to the wolves.

The catalogue of this man’s personal and tactical failings are to say the least large.

I cannot see therefore how Xhaka’s continued presence at this club amounts to more than galaxy brained obdurateness