Monday, October 28, 2019

Everyone Is In The Wrong When It Comes To Granit Xhaka, Even The Skipper Himself


Just to get it out of the way, do I know Arsenal are in a dire way right now? Yes, yes I do. Do I need think pieces and reaction about it coming from opposing fans, ESPECIALLY Spurs fans? Heavens no. They pass their judgment on how our players act as if they don't have a few issues of their own to worry about (more like PochettinOUT imo), and so here I am as the savior you never asked for for opinion you also never asked for. What transpired in North London on Sunday was nothing short of theatre. A car wreck you can't look away from. Seriously, view the footage for yourself:

Lets tackle all of this bit by bit:

1) Granit Xhaka Is Subbed Off
In the 61st minute of a 2-2 draw with Crystal Palace at The Emirates, Arsenal captain Granit Xhaka is subbed off for 18-year-old attacker Bukayo Saka in an attempt to grab a late winner. This in itself is pure hilarity that Arsenal need to bring on a teenager to try and win a game at home against Palace.
Say what you will about Xhaka at this point, but the man wants to play. Getting subbed off when you believe you still have more gas in the tank as a captain and competitor feels bad, plain and simple. Should he be in this position anyway? Probably not given his form and lack of ability in the role Unai Emery has given him. But he was starting and leading this side, so I can see why he'd be angry at the substitution.

2) Granit Xhaka Takes His Time, The Fans React, And Then Xhaka Reacts
Upon getting subbed off, Xhaka takes his sweet time leaving the field despite knowing his team want to make the quick change and get on with trying to score a late winner. The fans gave his name a sarcastic cheer when he was being taken off, but that turned into boo birds quickly. Apparently eager to get into a pissing contest, Xhaka mouths the words 'Fuck off'' in regards to the fan response, and gives sarcastic pump up gestures and motions to the fans that he can't hear them, the aren't loud enough. Again, I don't totally blame Xhaka for his reaction. Imagine if you knew you were doing your best but it wasn't enough, and then your friends and family, the supporters who are supposed to be there for you in the tough times, jeer you off your home field. How would you feel?

3) Granit Xhaka Throws The Captain's Armband 
When a captain is taken off the field, either for injury or strategy as seen with Xhaka in this moment, he hands the armband to another player, usually the vice-captain or another senior player depending on the players out on the field. As Xhaka came off the pitch, he took off the armband, but instead of handing it to vice-captain Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, he tossed it in his general direction, leaving the reigning Premier League Player of the Month to grab it off the grass. This I cannot dismiss, it is nothing short of shameful. I get his emotions were clearly running high but that's unacceptable behavior by anyone calling themselves a professional.

4) Granit Xhaka Whiffs On A Handshake, Tears Off His Jersey, Goes Down The Tunnel
After discarding the captain's armband to the turf, Xhaka finally made it off the field. Unai Emery went for the handshake as managers will do when a player is subbed off, but Xhaka, seemingly untethered with rage...

...goes for the HULK SMASH high five and whiffs, potentially on purpose but we will never know. Instead of taking a seat in the dugout with the rest of the squad, he walked straight down the tunnel to the dressing room, ripping the shirt off his back like the plague. One of the most un-captain displays I have ever seen, granted Arsenal have had quite the recent history with that sort of thing.

All in all, literally everyone is culpable here.

Granit Xhaka: You are the club captain whether you or we agree with it. You don't act out like this, save your frustrations for the privacy of the locker room. A bit of anger is never a bad thing on the field, but some of what you did was appalling. Totally let your emotions get the better of you, though to an extent I do not blame you...

The Fans: STOP BOOING OUR OWN PLAYERS! WE DON'T EVEN HAVE A 'BURNS' TO BE ABLE TO SAY WE WERE OPNLY SAYING 'BOO-URNS'!

I'm not saying don't be angry or passionate or what have you. But if a player is clearly giving their best and their best isn't good enough, you should not jeer them. Will other players want to wear that badge after all this abuse? After the abuse the likes of Eboue, Ramsey and Giroud had to endure? To me it seems like players like playing where they are appreciated and supported, not tossed into a meat grinder. 

Unai Emery: Look, you dug your grave when you made Xhaka captain and made it clear he will not be dropped from the first choice team if he's anything resembling fit. You have put this player into an impossible position where his ability and play style just do not match the team nor the league itself, really. A good manager would recognize that something is not working and ratify that ASAP. Emery has continued to plug him in and pray it works out. You are just a big a part of this failure as anyone, as big a part of this train wreck that went down on Sunday as those directly involved. And unlike the others involved, you are the only one where I cannot go, "Well that sorta makes sense given the emotions of the moment." You did this hours before the situation unfolded on the field.

The Aftermath

 -Lucas Torreira Gets Emotional: What spawned this whole post. Spurs fans getting on Torreira for being emotional in that moment can lick chicken wire.
Caught up in this shitstorm and not being played in his best position, if he gets played at all that is. He cares so much for this team and its paining him to see what's happening. Now, I don't necessarily agree with the legendary Stuart MacFarlane as to the cause of this emotion, and theres a good deal of hyperbole used, but the idea is the same. He's in a bit of shock as to what's happening to the team he loves, just like the rest of us.

-Xhaka Leaves The Stadium: Granit allegedly left the game before it ended as to try and make it out of the area before the vitriolic fans were able to berate him more near full time. Great! Exactly what we need!

-Xhaka Is Visited At Home:
Some of the only good to come of yesterday is the news that Xhaka's teammates were worried enough about his mental state that a few went to his home right after to see how he was doing. THAT is being a teammate and a friend. That's leadership.

So none of this is at all good; even the slight positives, like Hector Bellerin's response, get obliterated by how negative a situation this is right now. Emery and Sokratis both said Xhaka was in the wrong, Arsenal legends like Ian Wright were all over Xhaka in the post game punditry, there are reportedly set to be talks between the brass and Xhaka regarding this incident and his role as captain moving forward is very much in doubt. I would not be surprised to see him move as soon as the January window is open. I pray that things get better before they get worse, I just have no confidence that is what will happen.

Everyone involved, from the player to the fans, are to blame. However the man shouldering the most blame is Unai Emery. This was my breaking point I think. I gave him trust but he was not the man for this job. It's officially #EmeryOut friends.

What a mess this club is right now. What an unequivocal, absolute, fucking mess.
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