Bukayo Saka: Little Chilli

[Hunta]

Possibly Arteta’s biggest crime is his over reliance on Saka. He has no excuses either considering Pepe is finally showing glimpses and Martinelli is raring to go.

How can Saka be subbed off with a hamstring injury, miss a game and then be rushed back after making a final training session, then be delayed going to England camp due to the same hamstring, awful management.

 

[Geofranco]

Rivaldo, Ronaldinho, Figo, Suarez, Iniesta, Silva, Bergkamp, Van Persie, Nasri, Cazorla.....

Rivaldo was a great athlete. Ronaldinho was very explosive in his prime. Figo, Suarez, Bergkamp were all very good athletes too. Only Van Persie, Nasri, Cazorla and Silva weren't that great as pure athletes, but all were pretty agile and nimble players.

 

[AbouCuéllar]

I have already said multiple times that Pepe, Nelson and Martinelli need a lot of game time, the team isn't competing for anything in the EPL anymore.

Still competing for EL spots (risking everything on a potential EL final is really risky), finishing above Sp**s, Everton, West Ham, etc... I love the idea of developing talents, especially Martinelli (because he is the most likely to make it here), but unfortunately we actually have quite a lot to play for in the EPL and it would be rather mad to not take getting into EL spots very seriously (again, banking everything on an EL final from the prospective of a multi-million dollar business that the club is, is equivalent to madness, even if EL is not as important financially, it's still rather important and preferable to not having it--from a sporting perspective too, we need those games to be able to get bench players involved).

Only Van Persie, Nasri, Cazorla and Silva weren't that great as pure athletes, but all were pretty agile and nimble players.

Silva was quite nimble and agile as a younger player. Nasri if he took care of himself was a decent enough athlete. van Persie isn't someone I'd consider unathletic either. Cazorla didn't have an athletic body but was also very nimble and explosive in terms of agility. FootballManager has some of the weirdest arguments. Imagine having an obsession with artistic / beautiful football and not considering Özil a technical player / beautiful footballer.

 

[A_G]

He's coming home

 

[Hunta]

Poor Bukayo, injured by Arteta and has now lost his chance to audition for a place at the Euros.

Hope he gets a proper coach that looks after him soon.

 

[Pop Tart]

Poor Bukayo, injured by Arteta and has now lost his chance to audition for a place at the Euros.

Hope he gets a proper coach that looks after him soon.

He be in the squad so shut please.

 

[Geofranco]

Poor Bukayo, injured by Arteta and has now lost his chance to audition for a place at the Euros.

Hope he gets a proper coach that looks after him soon.

Saka is still so young and will get his chances in the future. No need to rush. Let the process happen organically. I agree with your point about Arteta though. I just don't get why he wasn't giving Martinelli and Nelson any chances at all, yet he was overplaying Saka even when it was clear he was close to burning out mentally and physically.

 

[GoonerJay24]

Arteta is too young and inexperienced for this game. The way he's managed Saka proves this clearly.

 

[Mrs Bergkamp]

It would be interesting to compare Saka's minutes with Wilshere's minutes in his breakout season. I do feel that Saka has pretty much carried our attacking threat on his own until ESR emerged. It's been a heavy burden for him and one that Pepe abd and Nelson could have shared

 

[CaseUteinberger]

It would be interesting to compare Saka's minutes with Wilshere's minutes in his breakout season. I do feel that Saka has pretty much carried our attacking threat on his own until ESR emerged. It's been a heavy burden for him and one that Pepe abd and Nelson could have shared

Pepe should have gotten more of Saka’s minutes for sure.

 

[Hunta]

It would be interesting to compare Saka's minutes with Wilshere's minutes in his breakout season. I do feel that Saka has pretty much carried our attacking threat on his own until ESR emerged. It's been a heavy burden for him and one that Pepe abd and Nelson could have shared

Wilshere 10/11: 3820 minutes
Saka 20/21: 2788 minutes

A minimum of 11 games and a maximum of 14 games left for Arsenal this season, Saka is on course to play as many minutes or even more than Jack back then. Making the same mistakes all over again.

 

[Mrs Bergkamp]

Pepe should have gotten more of Saka’s minutes for sure.

Agree. But he took a little while to be this beast version of himself that we see now. Nelson and Willian could have done more

 

[Mrs Bergkamp]

Wilshere 10/11: 3820 minutes
Saka 20/21: 2788 minutes

A minimum of 11 games and a maximum of 14 games left for Arsenal this season, Saka is on course to play as many minutes or even more than Jack back then. Making the same mistakes all over again.

Thanks for this info. Covid might have helped Saka but it's a lot for a youngster especially in a poorer team than Wilshere broke in to

 

[Riou]

Wasn't Jack's issue that freak injury he suffered in the 11/12 pre season, which then made him injury prone?

Fabregas was playing every week too as a teen, in an even more physical league in the 2000s and he was fine...feel Wilshere's injury woes was just bad luck mainly.

Only worry with Saka is by the time he is 30 he might be finished, due to the amount of games he is already playing...but he will probably be at City by then, so who cares

 

[Hunta]

Thanks for this info. Covid might have helped Saka but it's a lot for a youngster especially in a poorer team than Wilshere broke in to

Will be a relief if he gets through the rest of the season without an injury. Think he’ll just miss out on the Euros which is good for him long term but obviously a disappointment for him personally.

 

[MikeVinna]

Wasn't Jack's issue that freak injury he suffered in the 11/12 pre season, which then made him injury prone?

Fabregas was playing every week too as a teen, in an even more physical league in the 2000s and he was fine...feel Wilshere's injury woes was just bad luck mainly.

Only worry with Saka is by the time he is 30 he might be finished, due to the amount of games he is already playing...but he will probably be at City by then, so who cares

I remember reading Jack was playing through injury/pain and subsequently got injured when with England in 2011. Then he missed over a year of football and never recovered.

Edit: Found a history of Jack’s injuries. After this one it was all ankle injuries so pretty safe to say this is where it all went south.

 

[TheIceman85]

Only worry with Saka is by the time he is 30 he might be finished, due to the amount of games he is already playing...but he will probably be at City by then, so who cares

Was just thinking about that recently. Not many players break through at an early age and aren’t physically completely finished by early-30s. Owen, Rooney, Wilshere, Fabregas, etc.
There are exceptions like a Ronaldo or a Giggs, etc.
Hope he is more like the latter ones.

 

[Hunta]

Was just thinking about that recently. Not many players break through at an early age and aren’t physically completely finished by early-30s. Owen, Rooney, Wilshere, Fabregas, etc.
There are exceptions like a Ronaldo or a Giggs, etc.
Hope he is more like the latter ones.

Yeah, the likes of Iniesta and Xavi broke through in their twenties and played at the top level until 33/34. Think of how Pep handled Foden, everybody wanted him starting at 18/19 yet he’s only now becoming a starter at nearly 21.

I think elite players have about 10 years at the top, with a few exceptions.

 

[Maybe]

Yeah, the likes of Iniesta and Xavi broke through in their twenties and played at the top level until 33/34. Think of how Pep handled Foden, everybody wanted him starting at 18/19 yet he’s only now becoming a starter at nearly 21.

I think elite players have about 10 years at the top, with a few exceptions.

All the guys from Barcelona avoided serious injuries simply because their league is a joke.
It's not the same playing Albacete on a sunny day or going to Stoke on a rainy night. Every PL game is a fight while 70% of their season is mostly relaxation

 

[Oxeki]