West Ham skipper mark Noble leapt to the defence of Arsenal captain Granit Xhaka, when writing his regular column for the Evening Standard.
The Swiss midfielder received large amounts of abuse from Gunners fans on Sunday. He was substituted after 60 minutes against Crystal Palace and reacted to boos from the home fans by mouthing obscenities and cupping his hand to his ear.
Xhaka has never been a very popular player with Arsenal fans.
He is slow, error-prone, and lacks any kind of discipline.
It seems as though Xhaka needs the perfect conditions to flourish. And Gunners fans are not shy about letting him know it.
West Ham midfielder Noble stood up for Xhaka, when writing his column for the Evening Standard, however:
“Granit has taken a lot of flak for his reaction after being substituted last weekend but — as a fellow captain, I did have some sympathy for him. I know what it’s like when things are not going as well as you would like. It’s a tough one and a fine line because you’re trying your best, but if you’re booed by your fans it is inevitable that your confidence will take a hit. Obviously, Granit has made mistakes and sometimes his discipline may not be the best, but he is one of those players who wears his heart on his sleeve and it’s tough for him at the moment.”
Xhaka could learn from Noble…
Noble has always been adored by the West Ham fans. He has gone through tough times too, however.
Xhaka’s situation at Arsenal could be beyond repair, but even so, he should cast an eye over to east London and learn from the example being set by the Hammers skipper.
Now’s the time for the Swiss to show his mettle. And learning from Noble would do him the world of good.
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