SORRY MESS, XHAKA

I FEEL for Granit Xhaka because he’s put up with a lot of criticism from his own club’s supporters – but he made a huge mistake in showing such disrespect to the whole crowd at the Emirates.

I get what he says about the abuse, aimed towards his wife and his daughter. That is vile. It is disgusting, and it is not right.

I had it myself in my career, but from opposition fans. The abuse was pretty distasteful at times, and it got to me occasionally, though I think I’d probably better not dwell on a certain celebration in the Merseyside derby!

When it is coming from your own it must be a thousand times worst, but Xhaka (below) made the mistake of aiming his reaction at every Arsenal fan in that stadium.

You can’t do that, there are many who have supported him. It makes it a tough one to come back from.

One of the proudest things I take from my football career is my relationship with the Liverpool supporters. I never took it for granted. I always, always appreciated it.

It was an incredible bond that still holds to this day.

I’d like to think that’s because they could see how much the club means to me, and how much the fans mean to me. Somehow, Xhaka has to do the same now.

His apology didn’t go far enough, and that has not helped his position.

Football is a release, an escape for many supporters from the harsh reality of their lives. We are living in tough times, when ordinary people have suffered incredible hardship because of austerity, which has been cruel.

It’s right for Unai Emery to drop Xhaka, it’s right he steps away for a few weeks. Then he’s got to come back with a proper apology that conveys he has a passion for the club that matches the fans’ emotions. That’s the only way back for him.

Yet he was out of football for almost a year… had to take a job in Scotland on a 12-month contract, such was the lack of interest in Rodgers when he left Liverpool. I know it ended badly there, but c’mon. He almost won the title 18 months before he was axed. I believe quite a few teams – and some big ones at that – are now kicking themselves for not taking the ‘gamble’ on him. I never thought it would be a gamble, and I’m not jumping on a bandwagon here just because he’s had a few decent results. When he arrived at Liverpool and I got a close-up view of his methods, I could see a proper manager. I’ve been saying this for a while – just go back and read the wisdom of these columns! Rodgers has always conducted himself well, always come across as a decent person. When he was