Zaragoza vs Barcelona

Another Xavi is not possible. He's one in a gazillion, maybe more. And it is easy to point that out. The difficult question is how to replace a player like him.

Wilshere was accused of being defensively poor. I agree, his defensive positioning and awareness has been questionable at times but we're talking about a guy who, at the age of 19, nullified Xavi and Iniesta in his biggest match to date. He can tackle all right and helps tremendously when pressing (not that Xavi is great at defending anyway).

I think we all agree that he's a box to box midfielder. Isn't that evidence to his ability in playing deep? I don't see why having the ability to dribble his way out is a bad habit. Especially in a team where his task is to move the ball forward at all times which is why he has to take more risks (see: Arsenal's Song vs Barcelona's Song). What is obvious to me is that he's a passer with pin point accuracy and range and also very capable of receiving the ball in tight situations. This is the basis of possession football, and what made Xavi an icon. My opinion. And while we're at it, I 100% disagree that he gives the ball away easily. He's a nightmare to get the ball from.

As for his injury prone status, it's a myth. The guy has been playing in one the most physical leagues week in week out since he was 19. It has more to do with his manager's stupidity/desperateness to play a teenager so much that he is left burned by the end of every season.

All that, and he's only 21. Where was Xavi at his age?

I think you guys need to prioritize our transfers, stop worrying about Xavi, worry more about our defence, keeper, wingers then we can worry about the aging midfielder.

Meh...his passing is not at all as good as you think it is. For one, he completely lacks a final ball. While Wilshere is good at driving forward with the ball and creating space through his dribbling ability, he is not someone who can (yet) consistently provide a final ball. Playing against a high line employed by AVB in the NLD, Wilshere had several opportunities to play Arsenal forwards through, yet he was unable to do it, sometimes with some wasteful passing, or being too slow in possession and not releasing the ball fast enough.

This is something Sigurdsson and Brave Scotty Brave Scotty Parker were able to do against the high line of Arsenal. That says a little bit about the defenses of those respective teams, but it also says a fair amount about Wilshere. I too, find him pretty wasteful, like Moal.

As for his ability to play deep, being a B2B CM does not say anything about your ability to play deep and while before I said he played well deep, Moal said he has played poorly. Moal watches Arsenal on a more consistent basis than me I'm sure and I would trust his judgement on that one. Also, Wenger has been playing him farther forward than as a B2B CM or deeper, so I trust Wenger's judgement as well.

And his injury prone status is a fact. He's constantly getting injured. You can say all you want about how much he plays but the fact of the matter is he's been injured quite a lot. Messi plays more and isn't injured nearly as much.

I don't understand why replace Xavi with Wilshere when Thiago has shown his ability to do it time and time again.

He's more of an Iniesta player anyway, as both Moal and I said.

Who expects him to be consistent though? he was injured for over a year. He's shown occasionally this season and a lot during the 10 11 season attributes to become a class "orchestrater". His passing was better in 10 11 so you must really ask, judge a player by their fully fit season, or judge them when returning from injury? What he is really good at this year is keeping possession under pressure and sharp short passing, but he is also capable of switching play and long passes expertly but hasn't shown often this season. He is capable though

danyjr wrote:Abut we're talking about a guy who, at the age of 19, nullified Xavi and Iniesta in his biggest match to date.

Nullified I'm sorry but this is the match when Xavi made over twice as many passes as Wilshere did. Yet Wilshere nullified them. What a load of dogmatic nonsense. The way people overated Wilsheres performance in that match is hysterical.

And our team were tired that game, we were at a physical low as we always were under Pep in Febuary.That was evident in the game a few days before that leg against Arsenal when we scraped a 1 - 1 draw with Sporting Gjoin.Maybe that's why Wilshere won a few 50/50 with Iniesta and Xavi.He was nowhere to be seen in the 2nd leg.

Wilshere is a headless chicken.Nearly every single times he gets the ball he runs forward with it.Something tells me he would be Fabregas 2.0 for Barca, only less talented than Cesc. Hopefully we won't get to find out and he will stay in the EPL where he belongs.

Regardless of Wilshere's attributes, why would we ever sign him considering we have Thiago? Why would Arsenal sell? Why would he want to leave?

One of the more improbable signings out there.

I'm a fan of Wilshere, but I don't think it makes sense to sign him if we can't even give enough playing time to a bigger talent than him, like Thiago. And we are the best at the world in producing CM. Rafinha and Sergi Roberto are coming around, Sergi Samper too. And probably some other great CM that are under the radar. Signing CM it's stupid for us.

Jesus... why is this discussion still going...

Iniesta is still 28 and Thiago 22... Cesc might not be going brilliantly, but he's a valuable player. He's a good backup at the least.

Then we've got an outrageous production line going for our 4th CM? Lol please, we'd be idiots to buy someone.

Finally, Xavi has the potential to play some role at Barca for quite a while in my opinion.

Wilshere is a good player... but Thiago >>>

BarrileteCosmico wrote:Why would Arsenal sell? Why would he want to leave?

Ask Flamini, Nasri, Fábregas, RVP, Gallas, Henry, Song, Adebayor, Clichy etc.

Wilshere isn't like any of them though, except maybe Henry, and Henry left at the end of his career as an Arsenal legend to play for a club like Barcelona before going to the MLS to retire.

Arsenal WOULDN'T sell him, and Wilshere is in love with Arsenal and if he leaves it won't be soon.