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Joe Cole suggests Arsenal’s Granit Xhaka needs to accept criticism
Joe Cole that the Arsenal players have been wrong to hit back at the criticism coming their way following Granit Xhaka’s recent response to Patrice Evra’s scathing assessment of the Gunners.
, Xhaka slammed Evra’s comments about Unai Emery’s side, with the Frenchman suggesting that there is something wrong with the squad’s mentality at the Emirates.
Some of Arsenal’s players have come in for plenty of criticism this term. But Cole insisted that it is something that the players need to accept as fighting back in interviews is doing them no favours.
“You’re getting players in the dressing room biting back. Sometimes when you’re losing and you’re making mistakes, like Xhaka, when you’re losing and you’re getting stick in the media – we’ve all had it – you just have to button it, and just take it,” .
“Because round the corner, they’ll be good times and we’ll all be praising you. I think they’re very catty. Sometimes it feels like they can be very catty.”
It has been an interesting season for Arsenal so far. They could back to within two points of the top four with a win over Crystal Palace on Sunday. And they now have one foot in the knockout stages of the Europa League.
Nevertheless, a number of the performances have not been convincing. And it is hard to argue with those who wonder whether the club are moving in the right direction.
And while Xhaka feels that he needs to respond to the criticism, he must surely realise that stepping up on the pitch would be the best way to silence those who have slated the Gunners.