Granit Xhaka Took Sunderland? What the Hell Happened?

Okay, Granit Xhaka, huh? "Signing of the season," they're saying. Give me a break. We're barely a quarter of the way through, and already the hype train's left the station.

The Sunderland Miracle?

So, Sunderland signed Xhaka from Bayer Leverkusen for £13m. Not exactly chump change, but hardly breaking the bank either. And suddenly, because he scored a goal against Everton – a draw, mind you – he's the second coming?

Jamie Carragher, bless his heart, is quoted saying, "Is there anyone in the Premier League having such an impact anywhere? Arguably not." Arguably? ARGUABLY? What are we even arguing about? One decent goal doesn't make you a legend. It makes you… well, someone who scored a goal.

And "man of the match"? Against Everton? Let's be real, Everton's defense is about as solid as wet tissue paper.

Look, I’m not saying Xhaka is terrible. He's probably decent. But this level of hyperbole this early in the season is just… annoying.

The Problem With Instant Gratification

We live in an age of instant gratification, where everything has to be "the best ever" or "the worst ever" five minutes after it happens. No room for nuance, no room for waiting to see how things actually play out. Xhaka scores a nice goal, and suddenly he's carrying Sunderland to a Champions League spot. Because that's totally realistic.

Speaking of unrealistic, my cable company is still trying to tell me that their "new and improved" service is worth the extra $30 a month. It's the same garbage, just with a shinier label. And people eat it up! Just like this Xhaka nonsense.

Carragher also said he was "head and shoulders above almost anyone else on that pitch." Head and shoulders? Was he playing against a team of toddlers?

Here's a question: What happens when Xhaka has a bad game? Or two? Or goes on a scoring drought? Will Carragher still be singing his praises? I doubt it. He'll probably be onto the next "signing of the season" by then.

The Long Game (Or Lack Thereof)

The real test isn't scoring a screamer against Everton. It's maintaining that level of performance over an entire season. It's showing up when the team is down, when the pressure is on, when the weather is miserable and the fans are booing. Can Xhaka do that? Maybe. But we don't know yet. According to some, Granit Xhaka: How midfielder has taken Sunderland into top four, Xhaka's presence has already propelled Sunderland into the top four.

And honestly, who cares? We'll all be onto something else next week anyway. Some new app, some new scandal, some new "signing of the season." The cycle continues.

So, What's the Real Story Here?

It ain't about Xhaka, is it? It's about our collective need to find the next big thing, the next savior, the next reason to believe that things are actually getting better. And when that savior inevitably fails to live up to the hype – and they always do – we'll just move on to the next one. Rinse and repeat.