Manager Mikel Arteta has admitted that Bukayo Saka is struggling currently, but insists that he is ‘trying hard’ for Arsenal.
The Gunners scraped another win yesterday to bring us away from the relegation zone, but the performance was far from exceptional, although our opposition certainly were not making things easy for us either.
Burnley were at their physical best and hard at work at stopping us from playing football, playing a number of professional fans in order to stop us in our tracks, making the victory that much sweeter.
The physicality of the matchup did take it’s toll on our players however, with both Thomas Partey and Kieran Tierney having to be taken off with niggles, and the manager admitted that Bukayo Saka was also struggling during the match.
“I think there are still things to improve there, but he is trying hard. He is another one who struggled in the final minutes,” Arteta is quoted by Football.London as saying after the 90 minutes at Turf Moor.
“But it’s great that he’s able to suffer and somehow come through that and manage these difficulties and adversities during games where it is not really going for him.
“That is part of football. He had parts where he was brilliant and then he struggled and then he was brilliant again.
“That is better than being brilliant and then to struggle, struggle and struggle. So it’s part of his development and I’m really happy with him.”
We should count ourselves a little lucky to have lower league opposition in Wimbledon coming up in midweek, otherwise we could well have been forced to play a number of first-team players in order to reach the next round of the EFL Cup, but we should be able to rest those who need it.
Patrick
I just think he needs a little rest after a long season and the Euros. I’m sure we can cope without him for a while but expect he will be begging to play against spurs.
Exactly!
Certain players such as Tierney and Saka are clearly needing a rest which ought to involve a week off with only light training.These guys put so much into their game they are bound to suffer, particularly Tierney who played 3 matches for Scotland in the space of 10 days.I did not see the Burnley game but a friend who did was not impressed with our front three who made little impression with or without the ball?Is he correct and is it about time Lacazette started?
If Saka is not properly managed, we could have another Wilshere in the team with injuries.
Arteta should utilise his team appropriately.
Saka should be rested for the next 2 games. he should be on the bench.
Arteta should rather play Martinelli on the left.
Saka has been through a lot..
Elevation to the first team.
Next wonder kid pressure.
England International.
“That” penalty miss.
Rampant racial abuse.
Living through the Covid pandemic.
No break and part of our worst start in 40 years. All by the age of 19.
Yet he has not complained. Just got on with it.
But he must jaded.
Some fans on JA are calling him a bust already.
But that is totally normal in football.
Build em up then watch em crash and burn.
Wilshere Walcott Chamberlain Ramsey Gibbs Jenkinson Chambers Zelalem Iwobi Niles Willock Nketiah Nelson were all projected to be superstars All became full internationals by 20.
None became superstars.
Saliba and Guendouzie?
Saka + ESR are the next “super stars”.
Then Balogun Azeez and Patino.
And then…?
It’s how we roll.
he’s just been poor and the training ground emphasis on back-foot possession-based passing has negatively impacted our ability to attack directly, which is so costly as it rarely ever happens so when it does we can’t afford to be so tragically inept…this is where the speculative “coaching up” aspects within Arteta’s toolbox were supposed to be most positively felt, but that clearly hasn’t been the case as none of our highest-rated “youth” prospects have steadily improved under his tutelage(ESR, Martinelli, Tierney & Saka)…in fact, most are trending in the wrong direction due to his stifling tactics and the robotic-like tendencies he tries to instill