Bukayo Saka: 2019/20 Performances

[Hunta]

His contract renewal could lift the team and the fans up.

It’s all we have left, my Icelandic sister in law.
No reason why Saka shouldn’t be getting a new deal for whatever he wants.

**** any **** of a player who complains, sell them and use that money to pay more to Saka.

 

[Anders Harbo]

His contract renewal could lift the team and the fans up.

Agreed. I’ve come to peace with this season being absolutely trash, as long as we extend this boy’s contract.

 

[14Henry]

McTominay signs new contract at United. Seems other teams dont have a problem getting players to sign contracts.

People were blaming CV19 etc on the delay.

 

[Dutch D]

Could the left of a midfield 3 be his best position? Almost like a left footed De Bruyne. Gives him the ability to go from inside to out, has a good delivery like De Bruyne, does have goal threat that could develop more, intelligent enough to link play in the centre, give us a bit athleticism & dribbling ability from the middle of the park that we sorely lack?

It's hard to say at the moment. He's so smart and has so much ability he can flourish anywhere you put him on the field.

He's such a threat further up the pitch that I'm still inclined to see him as a LW, but fair play to @The_Playmaker for suggesting Saka as LCM.

For next season it seems easier to buy a creative CM than to buy a top LW, so makes sense to move Saka there.

For now, I could see Arteta playing Saka at LCM to address the complete and utter lack of threats coming from our midfield.

Martinelli - Auba - Pepe
Saka - Maitland-Niles - Xhaka/Guendouzi

Seems like the best we can do atm.

 

[The_Playmaker]

Could the left of a midfield 3 be his best position? Almost like a left footed De Bruyne. Gives him the ability to go from inside to out, has a good delivery like De Bruyne, does have goal threat that could develop more, intelligent enough to link play in the centre, give us a bit athleticism & dribbling ability from the middle of the park that we sorely lack?

He's playing the exact role De Bryune plays.

Its the other two players we have wrong.

 

[Dutch D]

He's playing the exact role De Bryune plays.

Its the other two players we have wrong.

Where would you like to see him long-term? And who would you place on the other position (could be a summer transfer)?

 

[Oxeki]

Where would you like to see him long-term? And who would you place on the other position (could be a summer transfer)?

I like him in his current KDB role. He drifts into that space on left and put in dangerous ball. That's something I haven't seen from any Arsenal midfielder in a long time

 

[Oxeki]

He's playing the exact role De Bryune plays.

Its the other two players we have wrong.

Exactly.

His other midfield partners are trash. He's playing very well, just needs the midfield base to be solid

 

[The_Playmaker]

Where would you like to see him long-term? And who would you place on the other position (could be a summer transfer)?

The system Arteta used vs Brighton was good and only had one flaw systemically. This flaw was tucking Bellerin in, having Pepe hug the touchline and pushing Ceballos up in the half space. To be it makes no sense. He seems to be obsessed with having someone in the right half space and keeping Pepe stuck on the wing. There was a passage of play in the 86th minute. That is the first time in the match where we built effectively down the right. Pepe moved infield, Ceballos dropped deeper and fed Bellerin who went in on the overlap. Pepe needs to be the player in the right half space.

Saka has the freedom as a left 8 to go wide and to run forward. It is where I would play him as he isn't just stuck on the touchline, he gets to move in and see a pass. I'd also argue that it would allow us to play Martinelli where Auba is and move Auba to CF.

The other two positions are half problematic. The first issue is Guendouzi takes too many touches on the ball and he doesn't do enough work defensively. Torreira would be better in this position as he makes angles and knows how to play there. I don't think Guendouzi had a bad game, but I genuinely don't think his ceiling is that high. His ego is immense, he has a massive personality, but doesn't have anything to back it up.

We as a club have to realise that we have invested 70 million in a talent. Pepe is a very good player, he needs to ball. After we scored. He touched the ball 3 times. Thats not his fault. Our midfield didn't even pass it to eachother. AMN needs to take Ceballos's place. That will allow Bellerin to move wider and AMN will get the ball to Pepe.

It is a simply formula. Defenders have the ball, midfielders move to receive it on the half turn, to try and feed it in to the forwards. We should be using triangles and one touch passes to create space. Instead Ceballos and Guendouzi have no confidence, and simply need 3 touches to feel good about themselves.
How many one touch passes do we flick around the corner in midfield?
How many times do they set the ball and then spin off and move?
How often do they move out and in to receive it?

Torreria, Tierney, Bellerin, Nketiah, Auba, Nelson, AMN, Willock, Pepe. They can all move. Ceballos and Guendouzi simply do not have the athleticism. You can get away with it with one of them at the base of a 3, but if it were me, I would be working towards the following:

Saka-----------AMN

--------Torreira

It won't happen though. Arteta has his favourites and Xhaka is improving every day he doesn't play. He offers even less movement that Guendouzi.

 

[MikelHadADream]

I don't think he has that electric pace/1v1 ability/scores instinct to become a top class wide player in a 433. He looks suited to playing that advanced 8 role in a 433, his ability to play at different angles and end product will stand him in good stead.

 

[Aussie_gunner123]

I reckon it's only a matter of time before we get him resigned, I think he wants to stay to get his abilities up & more game time. I heard they nearly had a deal before the break & he is keen to stay.

 

[Mrs Bergkamp]

Hudson Odoi got £120k. Bukayo and his agent know that and know he can get similar if not more. He’s a year younger, producing better numbers, more important at Arsenal than CHO is at Chelsea and Arsenal are under huge pressure to get him tied down.

We find it ok to hand over £100k a week to clowns like Sokratis and Luiz, time to bend over and let him take us for £150k a week. What’s the excuse? Other kids will ask the same? Let them perform like Bukayo first.

We low balled Ashley Cole tbh. No need to repeat our mistake here. 80k minimum should do it esoecially as FFP has been suspended for two years.

 

[GunnerShy]

No point having an academy if you're going to lose any player that breaks through.

I think we will manage to keep him. If not though, close Hale end down. I'll go burn it down myself.

He looked good in that role. Have us something we missed. Whilst he's not KdB he did remind me somewhat of him. They're both difficult to dispossess. If he gets a bit of space he can trouble the keeper. Can't say that of any other midfielder.

 

[Monstar-Gunn4r]

The system Arteta used vs Brighton was good and only had one flaw systemically. This flaw was tucking Bellerin in, having Pepe hug the touchline and pushing Ceballos up in the half space. To be it makes no sense. He seems to be obsessed with having someone in the right half space and keeping Pepe stuck on the wing. There was a passage of play in the 86th minute. That is the first time in the match where we built effectively down the right. Pepe moved infield, Ceballos dropped deeper and fed Bellerin who went in on the overlap. Pepe needs to be the player in the right half space.

Saka has the freedom as a left 8 to go wide and to run forward. It is where I would play him as he isn't just stuck on the touchline, he gets to move in and see a pass. I'd also argue that it would allow us to play Martinelli where Auba is and move Auba to CF.

The other two positions are half problematic. The first issue is Guendouzi takes too many touches on the ball and he doesn't do enough work defensively. Torreira would be better in this position as he makes angles and knows how to play there. I don't think Guendouzi had a bad game, but I genuinely don't think his ceiling is that high. His ego is immense, he has a massive personality, but doesn't have anything to back it up.

We as a club have to realise that we have invested 70 million in a talent. Pepe is a very good player, he needs to ball. After we scored. He touched the ball 3 times. Thats not his fault. Our midfield didn't even pass it to eachother. AMN needs to take Ceballos's place. That will allow Bellerin to move wider and AMN will get the ball to Pepe.

It is a simply formula. Defenders have the ball, midfielders move to receive it on the half turn, to try and feed it in to the forwards. We should be using triangles and one touch passes to create space. Instead Ceballos and Guendouzi have no confidence, and simply need 3 touches to feel good about themselves.
How many one touch passes do we flick around the corner in midfield?
How many times do they set the ball and then spin off and move?
How often do they move out and in to receive it?

Torreria, Tierney, Bellerin, Nketiah, Auba, Nelson, AMN, Willock, Pepe. They can all move. Ceballos and Guendouzi simply do not have the athleticism. You can get away with it with one of them at the base of a 3, but if it were me, I would be working towards the following:

Saka-----------AMN

--------Torreira

It won't happen though. Arteta has his favourites and Xhaka is improving every day he doesn't play. He offers even less movement that Guendouzi.

Id change AMN out for Nelson, Nelson hasshown an ability to get out of trouble in tight spots and keep the ball at his feet, he also has a good passing range and an eye for a good pass as well. Every time he gets played he creates at least one chance. His only weakness is his ability to drift out of games and not get involved enough, but if you keep him more central and make sure he knows he has to be available for a pass all the time from the wing and Torreria it would work really well. We have should have Saka, Nelson and Torreria for years so we have the opportunity to build on it as well.

Tbf to Arteta Torreria was injured and I guess Xhaka gives us more of a physical presence in midfield.. although I would still try other in the midfield before putting him in there again.

 

[Goonger]

It's hard to say at the moment. He's so smart and has so much ability he can flourish anywhere you put him on the field.

He's such a threat further up the pitch that I'm still inclined to see him as a LW, but fair play to @The_Playmaker for suggesting Saka as LCM.

For next season it seems easier to buy a creative CM than to buy a top LW, so makes sense to move Saka there.

For now, I could see Arteta playing Saka at LCM to address the complete and utter lack of threats coming from our midfield.

Martinelli - Auba - Pepe
Saka - Maitland-Niles - Xhaka/Guendouzi

Seems like the best we can do atm.

Yeah, was a decent call by @The_Playmaker. It was a role I had questioned if Thomas Lemar could play for us when we were linked to him. Fully agree about the players beside him being the problem as well.

 

[The_Playmaker]

Id change AMN out for Nelson, Nelson hasshown an ability to get out of trouble in tight spots and keep the ball at his feet, he also has a good passing range and an eye for a good pass as well. Every time he gets played he creates at least one chance. His only weakness is his ability to drift out of games and not get involved enough, but if you keep him more central and make sure he knows he has to be available for a pass all the time from the wing and Torreria it would work really well. We have should have Saka, Nelson and Torreria for years so we have the opportunity to build on it as well.

Tbf to Arteta Torreria was injured and I guess Xhaka gives us more of a physical presence in midfield.. although I would still try other in the midfield before putting him in there again.

Nelson has excellent traits for an 8. Nagelsmann even played him there. The difference is defensively AMN is better and he is physically stronger and more aerially competitive.

I'd actually argue that Nelson could play right back of we inverted Tierney on the left side. With Saka able to drift left, you could let Martinelli hug the touchline and move infield while also moving pepe infield . So your line of 5 becomes:

Saka-Martinelli-Auba-Pepe-Nelson

And your midfield is:

Tierney-Torreira-AMN

 

[GDeep™]

Utd sign Mctominay to a 6 year deal basically. Hope we do something similar here.

Unless he ****s off, which you can’t rule out now.

 

[Hunta]

Utd sign Mctominay to a 6 year deal basically. Hope we do something similar here.

Unless he ****s off, which you can’t rule out now.

McSauce, the 28yr old youngster.

 

[truth_hurts]

I don't want a teenager being given our creative burden, much less a converted winger. Saka has looked sturdy out wide, let's develop him there.

 

[El Duderino]

I don't want a teenager being given our creative burden, much less a converted winger. Saka has looked sturdy out wide, let's develop him there.

He's signing for Man City or Dortmund anyways.