Granit Xhaka shouldn’t reach out to Twitter trolls – you can’t reason with them

Granit Xhaka would be wasting his time meeting up with his online abusers because you cannot reason with some of these people.

I sympathise with him because I’ve had plenty of abuse online too. I do social media. But I don’t read it. Or I try not to. We all peek sometimes don’t we, even if we shouldn’t?

Xhaka says he wants to sit down and ask these people why they feel they can say the abusive stuff they do.

But I would like to sit down sometimes with players these days and ask them why they are on social media at all.

While I was drinking, there were certain pubs I wouldn’t go in because if I did I knew something could happen. But when you go on social media you are taking a chance too because there are so many idiots out there.

I’m someone who’s trying to turn their life around. I’ve been sober for over two years. But I still get comments about drinking, drugs and gambling – and worse.

I’ve detailed on today’s back page how I was attacked online by one of these people, who said things nobody should be subjected to.

I felt I had to share it with my wife and we talked about whether to report it. We chose not to but I still wonder if we made the right decision.

I decided to stay on social media. But if you’re doing it just to make money and get free stuff, and you don’t have a thick skin, you might want to think again.

No-one goes on Twitter to say anything positive about you. And while Instagram is supposed to be a nicer platform, people spoil it for the good ones who just want to see how you live.

Sometimes I think we feed these people because we put it on the news all the time. When you see it all over TV, it’s like we’re giving these people more oxygen.

Some of these people will get a rush from seeing what they’ve done all over the TV. They will be straight on the phone to their mates.

It’s hard. People say coming off social media is giving in. I understand that. But how are you going to beat these idiots otherwise?

Scott Parker said this the other week. Players have a choice. They don’t have to be on social media.

If you do go on there, you have to be prepared that there are idiots out there. You need to be a strong person or it can get to you. If you can’t handle it, don’t go on.

I can’t handle drink, drugs and gambling. So I don’t do those things. If you can’t handle the abuse on social media, just don’t go on.

I try not to read it. But I still get comments about all sorts of things I’ve said. Kevin De Bruyne. Seriously. Let that go now.

I criticised him years ago and said he wasn’t good enough, and people still have a go at me now for it. It’s like saying Jose Mourinho shouldn’t be a manager any more because he sold him. Ridiculous.

I watched Kevin De Bruyne at Chelsea. He wasn’t good enough. He’s gone on to prove me horribly wrong. I know. I’ve said so. Let it go.

I don’t know how people like Steve Bruce and David Moyes cope. They get dog’s abuse. But the bigger man walks away with his head held high.

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Thomas Tuchel needs to get Mason Mount and Timo Werner playing closer together for Chelsea.

There is too much going on out wide with overlaps and crosses to no-one in the box at the moment, and nothing coming through the middle.

They have a lot of the ball but the opposition keeper doesn’t have to be man of the match to stop them scoring bundles.

I still think Liverpool will finish in the top four ahead of them because I can’t see Chelsea blowing anybody away playing like this.

How many times does Mount pass to Werner, or vice versa? It’s minimal. They should be more connected with one another.

It looks nice, but it’s a bit negative. I personally think Tuchel will get it right. He’s just going to need time.

I’ve said all along that Chelsea are set up for three at the back. But it’s going to take a bit of time to get it right.

And they are not going to win the league with Olivier Giroud and Tammy Abraham as their two centre forwards.

Roy Hodgson is right to say careful what you wish for to Crystal Palace fans.

I think he’s done a great job keeping them in the league this season. If he isn’t there from the start of the season, I don’t think Palace are good enough to stay up.

They have some brilliant attacking players but they don’t have a dominant midfield player or brilliant defenders.

If they had a go at teams every week they would get rinsed every week. They are not good enough defensively to open games up.

That’s why they play a midfield that can protect their back four. If they played an open, attacking game like the fans want to see, they would get relegated.

So they keep things tight and rely on Wilfried Zaha and Eberechi Eze to be their X-factor.

I think they have done great to stay away from the relegation battle. Next season, when the fans come back, they will be watching Premier League football.

It’s okay talking about ambition. But how many millions would it take to get them into Europe? Newcastle have spent money and look where they are…

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