Bukayo Saka: Saka The Net

[Batman]

He and the team actually might function better if he plays the left 8 sometimes. Let's pretend we could field something like this next season, maybe not Isak and Neto specifically but those sorts of archetypes:

Martinelli Isak Neto
Saka Ødegaard
Rice
Timber Gabriel Saliba White
Raya
​

I think that's much more difficult to defend than what we operate with right now because you now can't double anyone out of possession and if you lose the ball in our half, you're getting countered to death. Against a parked bus, now instead of Havertz or Rice at the left 8, you have a player in Saka who gets an easier matchup, is almost certainly faster than whomever is marking him and who can have the ball on his preferred foot to cross or shoot across the goal most of the time. He's much harder to mark at that position and there's a ton of pace and movement that will force teams to cede space for him and Ødegaard.

 

[Legend14]

Saka not being Saka is on him. Arteta can’t dribble or pass or press for him. He plays every match and so he has every opportunity to be world class. What else can he ask for?

Saka needs more to his game. Until then he is good, not world class.

 

[Sammy1887]

Saka shouldn’t be immune to criticism. This whole talk of talk him being tired is crap, just look at Ode. Truth is Saka hasn’t developed on his game and Teams have found ways to mark him out. He can’t beat his man and his crossing hasn’t been great lately. I also feel our Manager’s plan to detail out everything doesn’t help our attack.

For Example- somebody like Martinelli would have insane numbers if he played under Klopp.

 

[HighburyHigh]

Sir Limpalot again done absolutely nothing.
No way on Gods earth is this guy “World Class”.
He’s way too one dimensional and predictable, has flat feet and no pace to out strip defenders.

He had stunk the whole of April out (and most of the season in general)

And I don’t for one minute believe all this “Oh but his got an injury, Oh but his tired”
Load of excuses for a player that is essentially just decent, nothing else.

 

[Maybe]

Looks like the world class talk has started again, and fine, he isn't nearly as good as that, but he did carry this team for a while and you could say he had a good season.

I'm not exactly sure what the expectations are from some of you, maybe that he scores 30? Surely he has done his part and we need to look at others (LF, CF, LCM) as to why they didn't contribute anything this season.

 

[Tourbillion]

I've always thought his long term future should be as an 8. He doesn't have the burst or trickery to best or even compete with the best full backs in the game.

He played at 8 a couple of times in 2020 I think; at Brighton and at City away and it was interesting.