Bukayo Saka: Little Chilli

[Bloodbather]

It's too early to start worrying about Saka leaving, but if we can't get back to Top 4 level by the time his contract nears its end he'll move on and nobody can claim to be blindsided by it.

 

[Sapient Hawk]

Not even 20 & he's established himself as an induspensable first team player.

This lad is destined for things greater than the current iteration of Arsenal can offer him.

He'll be off in a few years time & we had best get the maximum value out of the deal that we will be forced to strike.

 

[Macho]

https://theathletic.co.uk/2402940/2...-afford-to-burn-out-bukayo-saka/?redirected=1

Spoiler: Arsenal cannot afford to burn out Bukayo Saka

Arsenal cannot afford to burn out Bukayo Saka

By Art de Roché Feb 22, 2021

38

Bukayo Saka has underpinned everything positive about Arsenal this season but Mikel Arteta’s reliance on the 19-year-old must become more measured.

After playing the 90 minutes in Rome on February 18, rescuing a Europa League first leg draw with Benfica in the process, the teenager was called upon again just three days later against Manchester City.

Enduring another full game, Saka remains Arsenal’s most-used outfield player in the Premier League and Europa League combined this season. A pillar of the squad, he has played 2,066 minutes across the two competitions, with Bernd Leno (2,682), Hector Bellerin (2,033) and Granit Xhaka (2,019) the only others to top 2,000 minutes.

At the back end of an all-encompassing 2019-20 season which saw the youngster play at left-back, left-wing, right-wing and in central midfield, Arteta rightly voiced concerns about burnout — not just in Saka’s case but with other Arsenal youngsters in heavy rotation at the time such as Eddie Nketiah and Joe Willock.

“I have a lot of faith in all the young talent we have at the football club but we need the right stability and foundations around them to make sure they develop in the right way, at the right moment, with the right amount of pressure behind them,” the Arsenal manager said last June.

“In order to do that, it’s a process. If you speed up that process, you risk burning them (out) and we cannot do that. We have some really young players who are playing more football than they probably should be but they are showing great maturity and personality to play in difficult moments, which is great for their experience.”

During the restart last year, especially in Saka’s case, Arteta stuck to his word. Arsenal played 14 games in 46 days (one every 3.29 days on average). Between June 17 and July 7, Saka started six times and was an unused substitute once. Between July 12 and August 1, he started twice, was subbed on once, and was an unused substitute three times (including for the FA Cup semi-final and final).

With everything to play for in the second leg against Benfica this Thursday, the Manchester City game appeared to be the natural time to offer him similar respite. Both Emile Smith Rowe and Dani Ceballos were rested, and understandably so, but, used on the left, Saka was crucial once again to Arsenal’s plans.

On paper, he was a left winger but in reality, he did the job of a central midfielder in Sunday’s 1-0 defeat to the likely champions — similar to his performance at Brighton last June.

Whenever Arsenal tried to build up the pitch, he was the free man dropping deep into midfield from what would be a natural winger’s position and pushing forward from there.

In the opening minutes, City press Leno. Having started the press from their left, Saka is free of midfield markers when Arsenal move the ball back across the pitch.

Joao Cancelo almost follows him, which creates spaces further upfield when Saka receives the ball.

He bends the ball into Kieran Tierney’s path but, as the winger, has to make up that ground himself to support his left-back.

He was able to do that on this occasion and did so many times during the first half, but when tasked with building play in the defensive third, progressing through the middle and applying the finishing touches in the final third so often in one game, it shouldn’t be too much of a surprise when the execution further upfield was slightly lacking.

This approach worked to an extent as City manager Pep Guardiola was forced to adapt: “In half-time, we adjusted our pressing with Leno and won a lot of balls in that tempo (which), in the first half, we could not. Especially (the) left side with Saka, Tierney and (Pierre-Emerick) Aubameyang creating the three against two in this area, and we could not control it,” Guardiola told Sky Sports post-match.

In the bigger picture, however, it displays just how much use Arteta is getting out of Saka, not just in terms of minutes played but with the roles the teenager undertakes when he’s on the pitch. His influence on this team is unrivalled.

As The Athletic’s Amy Lawrence pointed out, this is shown in his confidence in demanding the ball and instructing more senior players such as Xhaka and Pablo Mari on what to do.

With each game as important as the next, whether or not Arteta could afford to rest a player of Saka’s quality is an understandable outlook. Had Arsenal managed to rescue anything from the City defeat, it would have come through either him or Tierney.

Marooned at 10th in the Premier League and with Saka still in the infancy of his career, care must be taken with his development. Although the game plan for Sunday was centred around him, Arsenal have players who should be ready to step up, even if the qualities they have may lead to different approaches.

Nicolas Pepe has proven himself as a left-footed option off the left wing (although that was with the right-footed Cedric behind him at left-back), Gabriel Martinelli can drift inside onto his right foot, whereas Reiss Nelson could take a place on the right.

Considering the importance of the second leg against Benfica in Athens, Saka will most likely start but should his side progress to Friday’s last 16 draw, Arteta must start making better use of what is a very big squad.

Saka is Arsenal’s present but they cannot risk jeopardising his role in their future.

 

[Oxeki]

 

[Red London]

I wish Wenger could come on MNF or something, why doesnt he do any punditry work here?

 

[dashsnow17]

https://theathletic.co.uk/2402940/2...-afford-to-burn-out-bukayo-saka/?redirected=1

Spoiler: Arsenal cannot afford to burn out Bukayo Saka

Arsenal cannot afford to burn out Bukayo Saka

By Art de Roché Feb 22, 2021

38

Bukayo Saka has underpinned everything positive about Arsenal this season but Mikel Arteta’s reliance on the 19-year-old must become more measured.

After playing the 90 minutes in Rome on February 18, rescuing a Europa League first leg draw with Benfica in the process, the teenager was called upon again just three days later against Manchester City.

Enduring another full game, Saka remains Arsenal’s most-used outfield player in the Premier League and Europa League combined this season. A pillar of the squad, he has played 2,066 minutes across the two competitions, with Bernd Leno (2,682), Hector Bellerin (2,033) and Granit Xhaka (2,019) the only others to top 2,000 minutes.

At the back end of an all-encompassing 2019-20 season which saw the youngster play at left-back, left-wing, right-wing and in central midfield, Arteta rightly voiced concerns about burnout — not just in Saka’s case but with other Arsenal youngsters in heavy rotation at the time such as Eddie Nketiah and Joe Willock.

“I have a lot of faith in all the young talent we have at the football club but we need the right stability and foundations around them to make sure they develop in the right way, at the right moment, with the right amount of pressure behind them,” the Arsenal manager said last June.

“In order to do that, it’s a process. If you speed up that process, you risk burning them (out) and we cannot do that. We have some really young players who are playing more football than they probably should be but they are showing great maturity and personality to play in difficult moments, which is great for their experience.”

During the restart last year, especially in Saka’s case, Arteta stuck to his word. Arsenal played 14 games in 46 days (one every 3.29 days on average). Between June 17 and July 7, Saka started six times and was an unused substitute once. Between July 12 and August 1, he started twice, was subbed on once, and was an unused substitute three times (including for the FA Cup semi-final and final).

With everything to play for in the second leg against Benfica this Thursday, the Manchester City game appeared to be the natural time to offer him similar respite. Both Emile Smith Rowe and Dani Ceballos were rested, and understandably so, but, used on the left, Saka was crucial once again to Arsenal’s plans.

On paper, he was a left winger but in reality, he did the job of a central midfielder in Sunday’s 1-0 defeat to the likely champions — similar to his performance at Brighton last June.

Whenever Arsenal tried to build up the pitch, he was the free man dropping deep into midfield from what would be a natural winger’s position and pushing forward from there.

In the opening minutes, City press Leno. Having started the press from their left, Saka is free of midfield markers when Arsenal move the ball back across the pitch.

Joao Cancelo almost follows him, which creates spaces further upfield when Saka receives the ball.

He bends the ball into Kieran Tierney’s path but, as the winger, has to make up that ground himself to support his left-back.

He was able to do that on this occasion and did so many times during the first half, but when tasked with building play in the defensive third, progressing through the middle and applying the finishing touches in the final third so often in one game, it shouldn’t be too much of a surprise when the execution further upfield was slightly lacking.

This approach worked to an extent as City manager Pep Guardiola was forced to adapt: “In half-time, we adjusted our pressing with Leno and won a lot of balls in that tempo (which), in the first half, we could not. Especially (the) left side with Saka, Tierney and (Pierre-Emerick) Aubameyang creating the three against two in this area, and we could not control it,” Guardiola told Sky Sports post-match.

In the bigger picture, however, it displays just how much use Arteta is getting out of Saka, not just in terms of minutes played but with the roles the teenager undertakes when he’s on the pitch. His influence on this team is unrivalled.

As The Athletic’s Amy Lawrence pointed out, this is shown in his confidence in demanding the ball and instructing more senior players such as Xhaka and Pablo Mari on what to do.

With each game as important as the next, whether or not Arteta could afford to rest a player of Saka’s quality is an understandable outlook. Had Arsenal managed to rescue anything from the City defeat, it would have come through either him or Tierney.

Marooned at 10th in the Premier League and with Saka still in the infancy of his career, care must be taken with his development. Although the game plan for Sunday was centred around him, Arsenal have players who should be ready to step up, even if the qualities they have may lead to different approaches.

Nicolas Pepe has proven himself as a left-footed option off the left wing (although that was with the right-footed Cedric behind him at left-back), Gabriel Martinelli can drift inside onto his right foot, whereas Reiss Nelson could take a place on the right.

Considering the importance of the second leg against Benfica in Athens, Saka will most likely start but should his side progress to Friday’s last 16 draw, Arteta must start making better use of what is a very big squad.

Saka is Arsenal’s present but they cannot risk jeopardising his role in their future.

Do we have our heads in the sand about this? He's only human, we act like he'll never get injured. Maybe there are exceptions but generally 19 year old players shouldn' be playing every minute of every game.

The game is littered with overplayed kids whose late careers were damaged as a result, Rooney and Owen come to mind, Wilshere too.

 

[avenellroad]

Do we have our heads in the sand about this? He's only human, we act like he'll never get injured. Maybe there are exceptions but generally 19 year old players shouldn' be playing every minute of every game.

The game is littered with overplayed kids whose late careers were damaged as a result, Rooney and Owen come to mind, Wilshere too.

In contrast, I like the way Pep is managing Foden. Arguably they have the squad to negate any drop in quality, but he is getting good minutes to show his Undoubted talent.

Saka really needs a break, especially if he is going to go to the Euros at the end of the season.

 

[MutableEarth]

https://theathletic.co.uk/2402940/2...-afford-to-burn-out-bukayo-saka/?redirected=1

Spoiler: Arsenal cannot afford to burn out Bukayo Saka

Arsenal cannot afford to burn out Bukayo Saka

By Art de Roché Feb 22, 2021

38

Bukayo Saka has underpinned everything positive about Arsenal this season but Mikel Arteta’s reliance on the 19-year-old must become more measured.

After playing the 90 minutes in Rome on February 18, rescuing a Europa League first leg draw with Benfica in the process, the teenager was called upon again just three days later against Manchester City.

Enduring another full game, Saka remains Arsenal’s most-used outfield player in the Premier League and Europa League combined this season. A pillar of the squad, he has played 2,066 minutes across the two competitions, with Bernd Leno (2,682), Hector Bellerin (2,033) and Granit Xhaka (2,019) the only others to top 2,000 minutes.

At the back end of an all-encompassing 2019-20 season which saw the youngster play at left-back, left-wing, right-wing and in central midfield, Arteta rightly voiced concerns about burnout — not just in Saka’s case but with other Arsenal youngsters in heavy rotation at the time such as Eddie Nketiah and Joe Willock.

“I have a lot of faith in all the young talent we have at the football club but we need the right stability and foundations around them to make sure they develop in the right way, at the right moment, with the right amount of pressure behind them,” the Arsenal manager said last June.

“In order to do that, it’s a process. If you speed up that process, you risk burning them (out) and we cannot do that. We have some really young players who are playing more football than they probably should be but they are showing great maturity and personality to play in difficult moments, which is great for their experience.”

During the restart last year, especially in Saka’s case, Arteta stuck to his word. Arsenal played 14 games in 46 days (one every 3.29 days on average). Between June 17 and July 7, Saka started six times and was an unused substitute once. Between July 12 and August 1, he started twice, was subbed on once, and was an unused substitute three times (including for the FA Cup semi-final and final).

With everything to play for in the second leg against Benfica this Thursday, the Manchester City game appeared to be the natural time to offer him similar respite. Both Emile Smith Rowe and Dani Ceballos were rested, and understandably so, but, used on the left, Saka was crucial once again to Arsenal’s plans.

On paper, he was a left winger but in reality, he did the job of a central midfielder in Sunday’s 1-0 defeat to the likely champions — similar to his performance at Brighton last June.

Whenever Arsenal tried to build up the pitch, he was the free man dropping deep into midfield from what would be a natural winger’s position and pushing forward from there.

In the opening minutes, City press Leno. Having started the press from their left, Saka is free of midfield markers when Arsenal move the ball back across the pitch.

Joao Cancelo almost follows him, which creates spaces further upfield when Saka receives the ball.

He bends the ball into Kieran Tierney’s path but, as the winger, has to make up that ground himself to support his left-back.

He was able to do that on this occasion and did so many times during the first half, but when tasked with building play in the defensive third, progressing through the middle and applying the finishing touches in the final third so often in one game, it shouldn’t be too much of a surprise when the execution further upfield was slightly lacking.

This approach worked to an extent as City manager Pep Guardiola was forced to adapt: “In half-time, we adjusted our pressing with Leno and won a lot of balls in that tempo (which), in the first half, we could not. Especially (the) left side with Saka, Tierney and (Pierre-Emerick) Aubameyang creating the three against two in this area, and we could not control it,” Guardiola told Sky Sports post-match.

In the bigger picture, however, it displays just how much use Arteta is getting out of Saka, not just in terms of minutes played but with the roles the teenager undertakes when he’s on the pitch. His influence on this team is unrivalled.

As The Athletic’s Amy Lawrence pointed out, this is shown in his confidence in demanding the ball and instructing more senior players such as Xhaka and Pablo Mari on what to do.

With each game as important as the next, whether or not Arteta could afford to rest a player of Saka’s quality is an understandable outlook. Had Arsenal managed to rescue anything from the City defeat, it would have come through either him or Tierney.

Marooned at 10th in the Premier League and with Saka still in the infancy of his career, care must be taken with his development. Although the game plan for Sunday was centred around him, Arsenal have players who should be ready to step up, even if the qualities they have may lead to different approaches.

Nicolas Pepe has proven himself as a left-footed option off the left wing (although that was with the right-footed Cedric behind him at left-back), Gabriel Martinelli can drift inside onto his right foot, whereas Reiss Nelson could take a place on the right.

Considering the importance of the second leg against Benfica in Athens, Saka will most likely start but should his side progress to Friday’s last 16 draw, Arteta must start making better use of what is a very big squad.

Saka is Arsenal’s present but they cannot risk jeopardising his role in their future.

Can they afford to drop him though?

The drop off in quality is significant at this point, unless they figure out how to consistently get more out of Pepe, particularly on the RW. I really wish it was working out for Nelson, he makes the most sense but he's not even in the picture.

 

[Macho]

Can they afford to drop him though?

The drop off in quality is significant at this point, unless they figure out how to consistently get more out of Pepe, particularly on the RW. I really wish it was working out for Nelson, he makes the most sense but he's not even in the picture.

Well, there were some games that weren't must wins and had mixed personnel anyways and Saka still started.

I hate bringing up Pepe nowadays, and I know people have no time for him, but there was absolutely nothing wrong with what he produced against Utd, Southampton, Wolves, even Villa. In a couple of these games he was even better than Saka but he was dropped *shrugs*

Had Mikel shared the minutes around a bit better this season some other players might have been in form and Saka wouldn't be overworked. Some of this was indirectly of Mikel's making and it just is what it is now- whichever game Saka is rested is probably dropped points.

 

[Garrincha]

only seems to be one set of midweek prem fixtures left & thats in May

if Arteta cant deal with that & hopefully a run in the Europa needs a new job

 

[Iceman10]

Well, there were some games that weren't must wins and had mixed personnel anyways and Saka still started.

I hate bringing up Pepe nowadays, and I know people have no time for him, but there was absolutely nothing wrong with what he produced against Utd, Southampton, Wolves, even Villa. In a couple of these games he was even better than Saka but he was dropped *shrugs*

Had Mikel shared the minutes around a bit better this season some other players might have been in form and Saka wouldn't be overworked. Some of this was indirectly of Mikel's making and it just is what it is now- whichever game Saka is rested is probably dropped points.

Good to see Athletic point out that Arteta needs to use his squad better which means this observation of Arteta is being increasingly recognised. Every match from hereon is big but at least it will add to discussion of Arteta at the end of the season and if he stays on at least there is a chance of him taking note of room for improvement.

 

[MutableEarth]

Well, there were some games that weren't must wins and had mixed personnel anyways and Saka still started.

I hate bringing up Pepe nowadays, and I know people have no time for him, but there was absolutely nothing wrong with what he produced against Utd, Southampton, Wolves, even Villa. In a couple of these games he was even better than Saka but he was dropped *shrugs*

Had Mikel shared the minutes around a bit better this season some other players might have been in form and Saka wouldn't be overworked. Some of this was indirectly of Mikel's making and it just is what it is now- whichever game Saka is rested is probably dropped points.

Agree completely - additionally a huge part of the issue was the insistence on trying to make Willian happen aswell - he's figured arguably more than Pepe, Nelson and Martinelli overall this season yet produced almost nothing.

Pepe has had an understated season but he's still produced end product with what he's been given, even if his overall performances have been somewhat erratic.

 

[Macho]

Agree completely - additionally a huge part of the issue was the insistence on trying to make Willian happen aswell - he's figured arguably more than Pepe, Nelson and Martinelli overall this season yet produced almost nothing.

Pepe has had an understated season but he's still produced end product with what he's been given, even if his overall performances have been somewhat erratic.

The bad situation about Saka is if he doesn't play we will now be depending on players coming in cold like Nelson and Willian.

I said it was indirectly of Arteta's making but it's hard to blame him, he has to win and Saka can handle the demands and is one of the few where his base performance is never below a certain level. What else is he realistically going to do?

 

[ScotsGooner89]

Give this man a 1 million/week 10 year contract, and the player/manager role. He can do it all. Absolutely love him man.

 

[Dial Square 1886]

What a player.

Enjoy him while we have him.

 

[razörist]

This kid... number 1 reason I can still find some joy watching Arsenal

 

[MikelHadADream]

Where would we be without this kid? Carrying the club on his back.

 

[AberGooner]

LB, LWB, LW, RW, RWB, kid can play anywhere and produce. Absolute star this lad is, now please please rest him at the weekend.

 

[Riou]

 

[Lady_Gooner]

You can see he’s physically exhausted but mentally? At 19 years old??? Unreal