Angry man says angry things after football match that made everyone angry – it really shouldn’t have garnered as many headlines as it did but this is the world we live in.
Asked for his reaction to Granit Xhaka’s spiky interview after Monday’s defeat to Newcastle – one in which the midfielder inferred some Arsenal players lacked balls for the big occasion – manager Mikel Arteta was never going to pour fuel on the flames.
“What we do in the dressing room, we don’t comment on it,” he said ahead of Sunday’s final game of the season.
“The moment you allow a person to be in front of a microphone is to express what their feelings are and Granit is someone who does it in front of the microphone, in front of your eyes and in your face. So there’s nothing different.”
The Spaniard also wouldn’t be drawn on who exactly was the subject of Granit’s ire.
“Well, you’ll have to ask the question to him exactly what he meant or who he was pointing at.
“The comments are clear, and then it’s down to OK, who it’s directed to, if it is somebody [else], or himself.”
Reaction to Xhaka’s two-minute tirade was, much like the reaction to the man in general, typically marmite.
While some were happy to see a player speak so frankly about a disastrous performance others took mortal offence to the Switzerland international’s tone.
Arteta sat on the fence about whether or not the interview had overstepped the mark.
“I prefer today not to comment too much on that, but when you allow people to speak in front of the media, you have to allow them to say what they feel, and knowing Granit, that’s what he felt.”
Things were blown out of proportion
That’s because a large majority of the football media – outside the Emirates – are a bunch of Arsenal-hating muppets.
Sky, TalkSport, BT Sport, Metro, Evening Standard, the tabloids – the usual suspects. Dickheads. Too busy wedging their tongues up Lampard’s fat arse.
That last line is quite the visual. 🙂 LOL
Well, it is Arsenal and Xhaka so,…
If finishing fifth is considered success for some then there needs to be a serious re-evaluation of where Arsenal stand in club football.
We had such an opportunity – one that would have catapulted us to that higher level but instead we crumbled.
We are right back to square one.
Arteta should do the decent thing and walk away…
If you thought Arsenal should have been winning or challenging for the league title after 2 consecutive years finishing 8th, then it’s you my friend, that needs to re-evaluate. Before the season, 5th would have shown progression, 3 games into the season, it would have seemed a miracle. Yes we are all gutted that we had an opportunity to get 4th and it’s unlikely to happen. But 5th place with the youngest team, with some (hopefully) great new additions, being only 5 points off the team that won the champions league last season…smells like progression to me. COYG
Word. 😊👍🍺
improvement is being back at square one? What kind of math is that?
Surely 8th is being back at square one.
That’s what I would have thought!!
Morrisey sux #2’s
Common core.
But if you look at it like that then surely finishing 4th is also shit. You still havent won anything, just in a competition you arent going to win. The foundations are there, we will get back to the top. Whether its in a couple of years or in 10, we will get back there, its just how football goes
Ageeed. Every dog has its day. But Sp*rs are just dogsh*t so they will never have their day.
Amen. Glory hallelujah 🙏🏻
LoL. Arteta is going to ride this gravy train until it derails off its tracks. What other club in Europe’s top 5 leagues will give him, this much power, this much money and this much time?
The Kroenkes are happy with stability even if it likely also means stagnation. It could be 2024 in Arteta’s reign and we’ll be saying that the Conference League was “more than expected”.
Wah, wah, wah. You spend a lot of time crying. What an existence.
Arteta should do the decent thing and walk away after spending millions on players that will help impose his style of play? The next manager will come in and spend millions and fans like you will then demand his sacking and this will go on and on until the club collapses like Everton. And then what?
Be patient. We can’t act entitled. History means nothing nowadays.
Mate, I suggest you look up the word Development in the dictionary.
Last year we finished 8th. This season we’re finishing 5th – maybe even 4th.
Go figure.
I think there has been development. But I can’t understand you guys saying it has been more than expected. If we have finished 8th, and then have invested in some quality players, and a new manager’s process for a couple of years, should we expect to finish 7th then? How many years it should take to get to a competing level? I think we should have expected 4th or 5th place this season (obviously not going past Liverpool, City and Chelsea with this squad) otherwise we are just wasting resources.
If we’d bought a different profile of player I would have expected 4th but the club didn’t gamble with big names instead they took a measured approach in buying a number of affordable underrated players.
Who have resale value should they not turn out as we had hoped. Lower risk strategy than buying another Pepe and sometimes you will out smart the market such as Odegarrd. I can never understand the entitlement of some supporters who think every season is a failure if we don’t win the league. That type of entitled thinking is weird and an oversimplification of all the variables that need to happen from injuries, form, referee decisions, financial resources etc. to win the PL. Is Liverpool’s season a failure? I don’t think so.
I feel you. We have been here many times and let down when things were in our hands. But before the start of the season if you told me we would be finishing 5th I would never believe it. There’s not much more we can do really than hope a miracle from Norwich and a miracle in beating Everton. If we can finish higher next season again then I will take 5th.
Say you don’t know anything about football without saying it.
https://arseblog.news/2017/04/walcott-they-wanted-it-more-from-the-first-whistle/
https://arseblog.com/2017/04/crystal-palace-3-0-arsenal-unfixable-desperate-spineless-mess/
We haven’t had a St Totteringham’s Day since Xhaka started playing for us – coincidence?
About the same time refs started turning against us..
It was long before Xhaka arrived that that happened…
Yep.
Ted Drake actually scored eight goals at Aston Villa in 1935, not seven. But the ref disallowed what would have been his – and Arsenal’s – eighth.
In a televised interview for a programme called ‘Britain in the 30’s’ which was put out in 1984, Drake said
“I turned away to claim the goal and the ref said to me “Come on Ted, you’ve already got seven” “ *laughs.
Fucking refs. 🙄
Would you care to include other variables, for example, since Arsene Wenger and Pat Rice left or even the fact that we haven’t had St Tott’s Day since Boris Johnson was PM?
It is a question.
Correlation does not imply causation you need a better argument. What is making me more optimistic is the fact that our players are now being linked with Europe’s elite like Tierney – Madrid and Gabriel – Juve etc. You would be concerned if it was the like of Hertha and Roma coming in for your players for instance.
It is a question.
And the funny thing is even during that time we have won more trophies the them:-)
#facts lol
Who is this mysterious downvoting Spud…..?
Is that you, Neville?
If so, did Man Utd get 4th – as you were telling anyone who would listen a couple of months ago – cuntchops…..?
I thought his comments were bang on, got no issue with it whatsoever.
Xhaka’s comments were bang on, the only thing they lacked was any semblance of self-awareness – he was just as fucking useless as anyone else. What’s new though. Xhaka not taking any responsibility for his own actions, Xhaka not being good enough, and Arsenal falling apart at the bitter end.
Sometimes the issue isn’t what is said but who is saying it.
I’m still angry about Walcott saying they wanted it more than us
Exactly – that kind of ‘stating the obvious’, after-the-fact, mouthing off of stuff that every single human watching the game could work out for themselves (thx for the insights, Granit!), is utterly unhelpful.
And – as you rightly state – given the obvious lack of any ‘I’ or ‘me’ admissions in that rant, It is also simply another narcissistic display from someone who does not deserve to wear our shirt: neither for his basic football ability, nor his mental attitude.
Absolutely.
In terms of the team progression overall, they did need a kick up the backside.
And Mikel needed a leader to do it for him.
It takes courage to stand up for what you believe in when you are being bullied by those with the biggest voices of all…
Where was that ‘courage’ during the game??? He was as toothless, listless and wasteful in possession (beside losing that possession numerous times!) as anyone in the team.
Mouthing off about his team mates after it’s too late is just cowardly.
He’s never going to do a Party and turn into space or glide past the first press, he needs players in front of him to work hard to find space and show for the ball, which they weren’t because Newcastle out hustled us across the pitch and I think there was a nervousness throughout the squad about what was on the line. Some chocked on the night, that’s where his frustration came from.
Unfortunately, instead of a leader, he had Granit Xhaka do the talking.
I haven’t been his biggest fan. What he said here was spot on. I have no issue with any of it.
Easy to point the fingers at others… Xhaka is body good at that. Harder to stand up and admit you’re just as much a part of those issues as anyone else.
Bottom line is we need an upgrade on him. Amazes me how fickle lots are. “He’s shit, he’s got go” to “he’s a leader” 😂 we won 5 of last 9 games. Let that sink in.
Lost 5 🤓
It is hard to imagine how it became a thing in the first place. Emotional player in the heat of the moment give honest interview. I prefer that than modern footballer style say nothing sound bites.
Makes a refreshing change to hear someone say something from the heart, instead of media trained bollox footballers normally spout- being too thick to string a sentence together.
Not surprised to see that Arteta is cool with it. Granit has taken a page out of the Arteta school of press interviews. Ingratiate your superiors and throw the players under the bus after a bad match. He learnt from the best Funny that Xhaka made no mention of his actions (or lack of them) when Bruno G strolled past him to tap the rebound. He, himself, stood still and did nothing. How many of his teammates, after a match, criticised “their” lack of discipline when Xhaka was giving away penalties and getting sent off. All AFC is teaching the… Read more »
When he said you can be whatever age and mentioned ’10’ I have a suspicion he was pointing the finger at Smith-Rowe.
His diet has improved yes, under guidance from the club, however, his appearances have been minimal recently. He has had little effect in matches for awhile perhaps because of injury? Is he minding himself?
It’s hard not to remember a certain Jack Wilshere and the hype surrounding him at this stage. It’s a pity injuries took there toll. Maybe Granit is giving him a kick up the arse…. speculation really
Didn’t he say 3 other ages too? Xhaka doesn’t strike me as sharp enough or conniving enough to make coded comments on the fly after playing 90 min.
You are overthinking. He also mentioned 35; could that be Martinelli?
Meanwhile Everton celebrate like they’ve won the league but hardly anyone’s bat an eye
That’s because Everton aren’t Arsenal.
And they don’t matter.
Everton are a bigger club than many people realise – bigger than Spurs for a start. Check out their history.
They’ve won the title more recently than Tottenham. Then again, who hasn’t….
Both Xhaka and the manager showing good leadership skills, respectively.
As deep as the hatred goes, conte has made a huge difference only since November, they are going upwards trajectory and we aint, thats a fact proven by league table since then.
fake-teta is leading the club nowhere given the huge sums spent.
Oh dear…
Listen mate, as soon as they lose the first half a dozen games next season, Levy will pull the trap door and Conte will be gone. Tottenham’s defence will continue to Spurs it all up, despite the window licker being awarded a penalty every single game and the sly cheating antics of Son, who, despite scoring 152 goals will ultimately get pipped for the Golden Boot by Haarland, who will score 153, 17 of those coming in one match against Everton. Arsenal, meanwhile, will go about their business, slowly building more and more momentum, despite the not inconsiderate efforts of… Read more »
They will probably still be in the CL next season and we won’t.
If it means that much to you, take yourself off to the Lane then.
What i look forward to next season is Martinelli’s 154th goal which happens against Spuds around Christmas time where we also seal the earliest St Totteringhams Day in the club’s history. A loss so heavy for Spuds they sack their second manager (Ole Gunnar) of the season and begin talks with Neil Warnock (no one else was willing to come to an interview) in a last ditch attempt to save them from relegation. Warnock gets the job and immediately starts harassing all their foreign players focusing especially on Lloris for being French. Kulusevski walks out and joins us on a… Read more »
Xhaka bashing is so common now, this narrative by the media is now labelled Lazy Journalism.
Breaking: Teacher defends teacher’s pet
It sounded to me as if GX included himself in the criticism. He said “We”, not “They”.
Guys I’ve got to share this with you….
I’ve got this sneaky fucking feeling that Norwich are gonna beat the Spuds, we’ll turn over Everton – and do it. Don’t ask me why I’ve got this feeling – I just have….
The wife thinks I’m mad, the kids think I’m mad – even the dog gave me a sorrowful look.
But. Before you all call me mad, I had this same feeling when we had to go up to Anfield in 1989 and win by two clear goals…..
Come On You Canaries!
Come On You Gunners!
😊👍
I’m not a Xhaka fan at all but I think it was fair enough to say it wasn’t good enough and that players who aren’t ready for the fight shouldn’t be on the pitch. That is exactly the attitude that is needed to push you through to the end. A never say die spirit. That’s something we’re yet to see from this team but it can be developed and needs to come from the coach.
Xhaka’s the man!!!😃