Xhaka should say sorry but cut him some slack

IF UNAI EMERY knew his players, he would never have put Granit Xhaka in the position he found himself on Sunday.

The Swiss midfielder seems to have had more yellow cards than good games in his 107 appearances for Arsenal.

Xhaka was an accident waiting to happen before Emery’s arrival.

So why on earth would the Spaniard increase the pressure on him by making him captain?

Of course Xhaka needs to apologise for telling fans to “f*** off” in response to the barracking he received as he was substituted against Crystal Palace.

Had he thrown away the shirt he had taken off that would have been it for him at the club, let alone as skipper.

But there are times when football comes second and the wellbeing of the individual comes first. This would appear to be one of those times.

Fellow midfielder Lucas Torreira was so concerned by the treatment his captain was receiving, the Uruguayan was almost in tears as he warmed up on the sidelines

(right).

Xhaka looks a man struggling to cope with the pressure of playing for Arsenal.

Since his £35m arrival three years ago he has been found wanting or guilty in key situations on too many occasions to mention.

His crumble on Sunday brings back memories of a fateful afternoon in 2008, when Emmanuel Eboue was reduced to tears by the booing he had received from Arsenal fans in the game against Wigan.

“When you are a footballer and your own fans boo you, it’s very bad,” said Eboue.

“Your confidence goes. After that happened I said to Arsene Wenger, ‘I don’t want to come in any more for training’.

“I got back home and I was crying. But the same week some of the fans came to the club to say sorry to me about that.

“That was very nice. It meant a lot. ‘Eboue, don’t listen,’ they said.