If a player is underperforming in a game and risking a red card what do you do?
There have been many players during recent weeks that have been picked week in week out but have been inconsistent and underperforming in games, yet no matter what they are automatic selections for the next games.
It really got on my last nerve on the weekend when Bukayo Saka, playing poorly, making rash tackles and picking up a yellow card, remained on the pitch until the end, and the likes of Willian who actually had a decent performance came off.
Am I being blind or am i watching something else somebody please tell me.. because it is clear that this season our disciplinary record hasn’t been that great and given how Saka’s head was clearly out of the game once he picked up a yellow card, surely any intelligent manager would opt to take that player off if you have a replacement, rather than keep him on and risk him getting sent off right? After all, and not always but mostly, 11 men is better than 10..
Saka is a talent, there is no doubt about that BUT, he is being overplayed, overused, overhyped and in games like the Burnley one where he made mistakes and risked getting a second yellow, Arteta should have known better and taken him off.
Bringing players on to try and attack is all well and good but if you leave a player on who could get sent off at any moment is definitely playing with fire and that is where Arteta’s downfall comes!
Other managers do not hesitate to chop and change especially if KEY players are at risk, but Arteta is not one of those, and if he is to succeed and drum into his players that he is not afraid to haul them off if things are not looking good then he needs to seriously work on this and start showing real authority.
Because if I was Saka and I had a game as poor as I did on the weekend yet I still managed to stay on for the full 90 then I would believe and think that I could do the same every week and still stay on if I don’t get sent off!
This is where Arteta needs to stamp his authority down. He did as much with the likes of Guendouzi and rather disgustingly in my opinion with Ozil, so why is Saka any different!
Shenel Osman