First of all, I should clarify that I have always viewed Bukayo Saka as overrated. A good player, but not world-class, as some Gooners would have you believe. Certainly, he is young enough to develop into someone special.
If you had said that Arsenal would be top of the league with seven fixtures remaining, yet some would be asking for the ‘Star Boy’ to be dropped, I would not have believed you.
Form, Tactics and Expectation
Some pundits have debated whether Mikel Arteta’s tactics restrict his attackers, asking them to invest too much energy in defending without enough creative freedom.
It is not for me to tell any of my peers how to support their club. If you believe the 24-year-old should spend some time on the bench, then that is your opinion. Yet I think it is wrong to suggest that his form has coincided with his pay rise.
Rumoured to now be earning 300,000 per week, some have made comparisons to when Ozil and Aubameyang extended their contracts, leaving their employers with buyer’s remorse.
Injury, Context and Perspective
In reality, last December the player required surgery after tearing a hamstring in his right leg.
It was warned at the time that this would rob the Gunner of some of his pace, one of his biggest assets. A similar injury in the other leg has led to comparisons with Michael Owen, who was also a teenager accused of being overplayed.
It would take a brave manager, during a title run-in, to leave out a talent with Saka’s reputation, especially when the alternative is Madueke, who still needs to develop an end product. Another option could be to try Saka again as an attacking midfielder.
Physically and mentally, he will benefit from a rest this week, but then it needs to be decided in the FA Cup whether it is worth playing him back into confidence or saving him for the Champions League.
A graduate from the academy who has not been shown much empathy from his own fanbase after a serious injury, with the assumption that he is motivated by money.
Are you watching Max Dowman?
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I don’t see how you can empathize with someone on £300k per week.
I don’t think that should matter with empathy. I don’t limit empathy to a certain salary threshold
Obviously, there are people in the world I have more empathy for. Many a lot more.
Saka was injured and is having problems returning to form. So I do empathise with him because it must be mentally difficult for him.
Agreed, because Saka has been paid handsomely to be one of our main attackers
He’s still the highly skilled, strong and talented Saka, but he hasn’t improved his tricks yet. EPL defenders seem to have already been familiar with his movements and tendencies in the games
His wage is currently one of the highest at Arsenal, so he should train harder if he wants to keep his place on the right wing
If he can’t increase his productivity there, he’d better train to gradually become an attacking midfielder. Many legendary wingers move to a central position after turning 30+ years old
but mate no matter how highly you ate paid
if the injury has robbed you of your pace then it’s robbed you of your pace ?
Like no matter how much your paid if the body can’t do it , the body can’t do it ?
are
Dan,
If his body is now an issue, then shouldn’t the club be questioned as to how wise it was to give him such a contract.
100 percent mate
and I can only hope they know his powers more then and this is just a blip
Mr Smith, you have your opinion and I have mine too which I would like to share
First, if we did not increase his wages somebody (could be you) would write a long blog throwing muck on the Kroenkes.
Second, if we did not pay him, somebody else would have and then it would be repeat of the above point
Third, your blogs have nothing positive, all doom and gloom , count yourself lucky to be an AFC fan (just imagine things down the road…..)You may advise me not to read your blog, its okay with me
And now to the real point of Saka, the lad has been overplayed for club and country, both managers need to manage his gametime well, specially Mikel, now that we have Noni and Max. Lets not put too much pressure on the young Max or else he could be the next Ethan or Reiss Nelson or Skelly.
The upcoming world cup is not going to ease things for Saka, he deserves a long break to rejuvenate. I remember you giving excuses for Ozil’s drop in form ,please understand Saka. It is not his fault he is paid that much. Give him a breather, he is worth every penny.
Finally every footballer has a price, if it can be matched for the fee and wages, club s and player can decide what is best for all. Till then cheer for the lads in Red & White (and the man in the black jumper on the sideline!)
I stopped at doom and gloom.
did you read the article?
what is doom and gloom about it ?
I’m defending him ?
others have tried what your doing and then I sent the last 10 articles and proved it’s not me being negative it is certain peeps not liking anything critical
lets have a look …..
defending Saka – Positive
defending Ben White – positive
the three Gunners looking for a ticket for the World Cup – positive
I had to cover the league cup which unfortunately was a bad performance so
we have ……
one on Kepa
one will it impact the title race ,?
one letting moment pass us by
so let’s say in your world those 3 are doom and gloom ( though I maintain we played badly )
then we have where are they now ( all the winners from the last league cup )- positive
count down to Wembley -it’s all about the numbers – positive
then who needs the final more – positive
so out of the last 10 articles submitted.7 have been positive
3 covered the final so I guess are doom and gloom
so when you say
your blogs have nothing positive, all doom and gloom , ………you just made that up
most likely for attention
but I have a rule unfortunately, I will engage with most but if your going to intentionally make things up then nope lol
Oh the irony of you accusing others of making things up 😂😂😂
Messi lost his pace after turning 30, but his shooting, passing, playmaking, finishing and other technical skills has been making him a successful attacking midfielder
If Saka possesses similar football brain and skills, he could embrace a central role as Messi did
Saka is not and never will be Messi though
I heard Saka was a bright student in high school, so his intelligence and young age could make him slowly replacing Odegaard
Time will tell whether Saka can be an English Messi or not. He’s still got five years to do that before his contract expires
gotanidea,
What planet are you on. Saka is good, bot to even mention him in the same sentence as Messi is way out there.
Messi is a generational player, and if you think that Saka has half his talent, then you’re clearly watching a different player to me.
But, OOPS!.
People said the same thing about Salah, yet he won several major trophies with Liverpool and gave them almost 200 EPL goals
what they said when he was 24 he would be as good as Messi ?
they would be wrong
didn’t say Saka can’t or won’t win titles or score lots of goals.
I said he won’t ever be as good as Messi not has there ever been signs he will
gotanidea,
I hear what you say regards Salah.
But my main point was, that even trying to compare Saka and Messi is a complete miss match.
Messi is on a different footballing level than Saka will ever be, lets be real about that at least.
and then comparing Salah and Messi would be a miss match
so even if Saka does what Salah does….he’s not Messi lol
he can’t
hasn’t come close to those levels
but this is how he ends getting a hard time.
If you build him up to that level it’s impossible for him to meet those standards so it then feels like he’s doing worse then reality .
Hes a good player but not Messi
Dan,
Even on a bad day for Messi, I would suggest he still produces moments in games.
The same can’t be said of Saka. And that to me proves the difference in class.
As I said to even mention Saka in the same sentence is beyond a joke if we’re honest.
@Gai, for the purpose of rediscovering himself I think Saks should play at times as attacking midfielder IMO. It could make him unpredictable. Though he can still return to the wings with time
.
He also needs to work harder and be challenged by the likes of Madueke and Dowman. If Arteta would be bold to take him out if not playing to his pick in games.
He would be forgiven on his poor form if Arsenal wins Epl. If not this conversation will be revisited.
@Gai, for the purpose of rediscovering himself I think Saks should play at times as attacking midfielder IMO. It could make him unpredictable. Though he can still return to the wings with time
.
He also needs to work harder and be challenged by the likes of Madueke and Dowman. If Arteta would be bold to take him out if not playing to his pick in games.
He would be forgiven on his poor form if Arsenal wins Epl. If not this conversation will be revisited.
Saka played the right-sided AM role decently in a game, because he often swapped his position with Madueke in that game
He just needs to learn the playmaking aspect more for the central position, or learn more tricks to keep the right wing position
Dan
Everyone is entitled to there opinion on how they view players but imo he is far from being overrated.
I agree he has been far from his best this season.
Maybe we over played him at times but there has been numerous occasions where he has been the one player who has stood up and dug us out of a hole in past seasons.
We could all see it coming where he was going to pick up a serious injury and the team having a heavy fixture list doesn’t help but that’s what you get as the team becomes more successful.
I would say he needs a summer rest but he will be for sure on the ane to America if he stays fit.
Even if he is not he will still put him self forward and wants to play as he wants to be in the squad for the world cup
We do have cover now on the right but who ever starts first, either will play the minutes from the bench or starting.
I for one am definitely grateful that he puts on our shirt rather another teams shirt.
Ps
Money on wages doesn’t come in to it
Oveer the last 5 to 6 seasons he has earned the right to negotiate the best deal for him self and don’t begrudge us paying the 300k. It is insane money to play someone that amount but unfortunately that is the world of football. Its one of numerous sports that dont really doesnt represent the normal working persons wage pay
Onwards and upwards
I suggested in the past that he be sold when his stock was still high but was ridiculed by fellow fans.Like you,i also see him as overated,Madueke is much better for me,though he has to work on his end product to be considered great.I have no empathy for him whatesoever and wish he be dropped as soon as possible.and let me confess, i was happy he got injured in the warm up for the Leeds game because i felt that’s the only way Arteta would’ve dropped him,but it’s unfortunate that Arteta didn’t learn anything from that game as we played better&scored more without Saka.
I can see why you was ridiculed!
At his best,Saka is a very fine player,but he lacks the consistency to be regarded as “world class” in my opinion.He is not a one trick pony but he has become somewhat predictable when it comes to taking on defenders and he tends to lose possession too often for my liking.That said,to give him more opportunities to express himself effectively i do think Arteta needs to give our front three the freedom to rotate more often,as,from the terraces, our wingers in particular seem to be under instructions not to venture from their touchline which is not the case with the likes of PSG who play with a fluidity which we have not been able to replicate this season.Whether or not Saka would benefit for a positional change is debatable and at this crucial stage of the season Arteta is unlikely to experiment.Personally, i think the Cup tie against Southampton would be an opportunity to try Saka as a number ten particularly if Odegaard is still unfit.
In my opinion, Saka has leveled off in terms of of his development and progression; has not advanced as a player. Perhaps it is due to injuries, perhaps fatigue, perhaps overstimulation, I don’t pretend to know. Anyone that does is merely guessing themselves.
A point well made is that Saka has scored what, 2 goals in his last 24 games, something like that? Well deserved seat on the bench IMO.
We don’t rely on a single player, it is not Arteta’s way; even if we did, it would not be Saka we rely on, my guess would be Declan Rice. We struggle without Rice in midfield, I can’t say the same about the attack; it has been glitchy with and without Saka, so no consistency this year.
I think many are concerned how many games he has played at such a young age, and I fear a shrotened career like Jack. Our club should have done better with a backup competition to avoid overplaying Saka.
Dan, the last paragraph in your article is provocative to say the least.
Not shown much empathy by the fanbase?
Despite not returning to his pre injury form, Saka has been treated well by the fans and receives applause bordering on worship from the Emirates.
I first noticed his drop in form and intensity during the home game against Wolves.
As usual, he was double marked (sometimes three) but the drive to take on players wasn’t there and, I’m afraid, hasn’t been seen since.
I do have great sympathy with Saka when it comes to the standard of refereeing in the PL, as he’s given no protection when being targeted.
Being assaulted in the recent final and not even having a free kick awarded, was indicative of the poor level we see in the PL.
Of course, our opponents are wise to his preferred way of playing and doesn’t help him either.
As for your point regarding his reported salary, I don’t see why this should be used in any way when judging him as a footballer.
I hope he isn’t used during the international games and, if possible, even rest him for the Southampton game as well.
He looks tired, is playing like he looks and certainly deserves the empathy you refer too.
Mind you, there are certain other players, earning less, who also deserve the same empathy, but that’s what happens when scapegoats are singled out. Let’s hope Saka doesn’t become one!!
only read the first paragraph but no I don’t think it’s provocative
it’s all true
Saka is from the academy who was told he was world class and in my opinion over hyped and in his first bad spell fans want him dropped for ……Maduake lol.!!!
so it’s a fair comparison
Why only the first paragraph Dan?
I just assumed the rest would be critical lol
Then try to educate yourself a little more by reading other fans thoughts.
I read all of your articles and comments Dan, because I believe your a real Arsenal supporter.
What a shame you don’t return the compliment.
Although he can use his right foot, his continual cutting in from the right is becoming to predictable.
Play him more on the left and see what he can do there for a while. At least there he can take on the fullback and get more crosses in.
I think he’s a good player, but world class no. Those two words are banded about to much in my opinion.
I personally think that he gets away with his less than impressive form, being the academy star and poster boy. No player should be immune from being dropped if their not performing, and I think it fair to say that he’s not performed to an acceptable level for a while now.
Totally agree Derek.
As far as comparisons, what’s the point?
I can remember Saka changing games and turning defenders with ease before his injuries and ubxerdtsbd why he was being compared to the best.
Let’s hope, with the right help, he can get back to that level – but much too early to call him an icon
I don’t know about world class but I would have said saka was out best player/attacking player for several years – the one player who could score goals out of nothing fairly consistently.
I never had any ill will towards Saka or assumed anything about his motivations – he comes across as an arsenal man to me who’s fully invested in playing for arteta. I didn’t know he had that surgery but it makes complete sense in that he does appear to have lost an edge in his running and in his ability to score from distance with power.
Listening to Owen talk about his injury problems, if this is something similar, Saka will have to deal with a lot of pain and difficulties trusting his body, and his pace and power won’t return to what it was.
Also makes sense that arteta has played him more centrally where he can use his football brain and close control to effect the game rather than having to beat defenders so often.
The Owen example is why I’ve tried to highlight why limiting max Dowman’s playing time is about more than just the mental side of too much fame too early – the potential for long term physical injuries to start is also a major concern.
And again,he’s the least qualified to wear the captain’s armband among ALL our players because he does practically nothing whenever the going gets tough.
The point I have to disagree with is his pace being his most important asset. His decision making was what set him apart from the rest and now he has simply lost that part of his game. The other factors have merely compounded it
*OT
Benny Blanco off the mark 💥(vindicated)
Spoke too soon…🙁
In my opinion, the hamstring injury he suffered last season is the reason he’s not performing like he was. Also he’s missing Ben White overlapping him, which took an opposition player away and created a bit more space for Saka.
OT, Madueke walked out of Wembley last night with a brace on his left leg 🤬
Saka has lost his edge. Whether it’s form, fatigue or he has been doubled marked out the game. He is a very good player, but he does not sit at the head table with the world greats such as Messi or even ours like Henry and Bergkamp. However, he has been our go to player in recent seasons. Also so has Odegaard to a certain extent. Without those two players in top form we are quite sterile. I have empathy for Saka but l am also very frustrated because we need him playing well to finish the season with some trophies.
I disagree that Saka is following in Ozil’s foot steps and simply having an easy ride now that he is cashed up. If only that were true. Unfortunately his poor form is down to the fact that he has plateaued and can no longer rely on his physical attributes to beat his markers in one on twos or even ones. As a result he has not yet developed the football smarts to compensate for his making wrong decisions time and again. Simply he doesn’t have the passing range to become an effective play maker while his shooting skills remain limited so we are waiting for less than one in ten of his shots to get past the goalkeeper. Yes, it’s true that just like Martinelli we have overrated him but it’s up to Arteta to identify these two players’ strengths and weaknesses and fit them into a system that is practical and not single them out week in, week out to perform miracles in order to compensate for his poor tactical decisions.
Saka Isoverrated.Period! Injury or not. He’s movement is well predictable and he’s not improving and I fear he won’t.
And madueke is more talented but not performing poster boy saka is in his way.
Arteta knows this too coz it’s obvious to a blind eye but instead arteta turn blind eye to it, although arteta make saka play AM when madueke is on the pitch, a statement that confirms arteta feels madueke is a better winger than saka .
They should just win the trophy epl, else there will be blood