By Daniel Finton (Deputy Editor)
What up, Pimps?
Welcome one and welcome all to the Finton's Frolic right opinion zone. Last week, I discussed how Dani Ceballos is football's ultimate polygamist, and I figured why not beat a dead horse and talk about the Spaniard once again? The likes of Granit Xhaka and Thomas Partey will both be heavily mentioned in this Frolic as well though so it'll provide some balance--do not fret, this ain't just a rerun, chief (like anyone gives a flying fuck). Anyways, the question in the headline has not even been alluded to as of yet so let me shut the fuck up and get on with it. Are the likes of Ceballos and Xhaka being scared into playing well by the ever-talented, God that is Partey?
Well, if the pairs performance against Crystal Palace tells us anything then it is a simple answer; yes. As everyone has been talking about, Xhaka was one of the few bright spots on the drab night--let's start with him. The chief editor, Alfie mentioned in yesterday's tactical analysis that the "ever-uncontroversial" Swiss midfielder managed an immense 6 tackles against Roy Hodgson's men. That is tremendous.
Xhaka was basically flying into tackles like he was Maldini or something and for once, it did not come back to bite him in the form of disciplinary action from the referee. It was really refreshing yet completely unheard of and hard to believe.
On the other side of the pivot, Ceballos was prancing graciously around the pitch like a polygamist, Iniesta. His multiple, effortlessly dangerous passes that dissected the compact Eagles did not receive the recognition in which they deserved because the players up front looked terribly tired and failed to make anything out of them.
Ceballos is often criticized and likened to a "spinning top" on the pitch because he just holds onto the ball, enters Beyblade mode and hopes for the best, on Thursday that was far from the case though. At times he held possession for too long, however generally speaking he was one of the few that was very eager and adventurous with his passes.
Maybe it's cynical to say what I'm about to say. Stating that players are only doing well because another guy behind them is breathing down their neck is a pretty pessimistic outlook, but alas, I'm doing it anyways.
Partey has scared the pair into their best. Let's be real, Xhaka tends to be pretty shit at tackling more often than not--his discipline since coming to England has been indisputably terrible. I really doubt the clumsiness and dare I say, stupidity within that side of his game just evaporated spontaneously yesterday. We've seen such performances like Thursday's from Ceballos before so his great outing is less difficult to fathom but it still seems a bit too ironic.
The irony of the Spaniard and Swiss Captain playing well was accentuated by the manner of the other players when Partey came on. It seems like he is seen as a God amongst men. Each Arsenal player would immediately look around for the Ghanaian as soon as they received the ball -- you could practically see the desperate pleading in their hopeless eyes, "Please... Do something with this, Father. Lord knows, I sure as shit can't."
Xhaka and Ceballos see partey as a God too. That is surely why they played their socks off yesterday. In hopes of gaining his approval. Let's hope the fear within the often lethargic duo remains. Apparently, a scared pivot of the polygamist and the man with a ridiculous jawline is a good one. Who knows, maybe Partey's presence will make them so good through petrified ness that the former Atletico man stays parked on the bench. As if...
Well anyways, that's all of this week's installment. Stay alive so i can have your view next week and hope our midfielders stay scared. Why do people read this shit? Toodloo...!
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