Pundits have their say on Bukayo Saka
Arsenal walked away victorious on the weekend after a dominant performance saw us smash six goals past West Ham United away in East London in what was arguably one of our strongest performances of the season. Bukayo Saka scored again for the second game in a row and managed to bag two goals against West Ham, stepping up to the spot for his first after a great run from himself, and then curled a shot into the bottom corner of the net in the second half.
Saka went on some what of a dry streak in the first half of the season and hadn’t been producing as much as expected after such a solid season last year, but recently he’s looked like his old self and has been all around the goal contributions, picking up 5 goals and an assist in his last 6 games and has started to look back to his best after the warm weather training in January.
Gary Lineker has said he’s been very impressed with Saka lately and his decision making and said this after our win against West Ham “Bukayo Saka is worth a mention, another two goals. Obviously, one was a penalty but he’s a footballer that we’ve all admired”.
“He’s probably had, by his standards, a slight dip in form over the last few weeks. But the last few games, he’s been brilliant. I love his decision making with the ball. He’s one of those players, you know when you’re watching a game and you think, right give it there, and he does. And he always seems to make the right decisions”.
Which I personally agree with, Gary. Saka has had a dip in form but recently he looks to be back on fire and has been linking up well with his team. I really think the warm weather training brought our lads back together and gave them a chance to refresh and start again, and since then we’ve looked to be a different team with a lot of strength going forward.
Manchester United legend Rio Ferdinand was also asked about Saka after the West Ham game and asked if he thinks he’s world class, and he said this “Not yet. Listen I think Saka’s been unreal. I actually think he needs a bit of a rest, so many games for a young kid. But I think, it’s almost like what is world class? He hasn’t done it in The Champions League, has he? I’m talking nitty-gritty stages. Saka’s top, don’t get me wrong. He’s not world class yet”.
Which I think is simply his personal opinion. Saka is growing into being a world class player and he may not be the best winger in the world, but he definitely is one of them and can become world class, as long as he keeps pushing and listening to advice that’s given. He’s surrounded by a great system and team that want him to thrive and with that, I think he will. Should he be rested more? Maybe. But he’s such a vital part of Arteta’s system, you just expect him to play week in, week out.
What’s your thoughts Gooners?
Daisy Mae
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Ferdinand had it about right there imo. Saka is brilliant, but struggles with consistency a little bit too much still imo. It’s not about how many goals he scores at the end of the season, it’s that he has too many dips in form where he’s not doing much at all. Doesn’t worry me too much, I think that will get better with time, but it might help him to take a rest now and then.
World class potential. Thats it at the moment.
Agree Reggie.
He has the potential, but he does not display the consistency that we should see from world class players. Also, he has not had the showing in CL that you associate with world class players.
A fine player, and among the best RW in the league, but not world class.
What makes a player world? Is it goals, assists? Or how many world class players are there now? RONALD, MISSI, MBAPE, SALA, LEWANDOWSKI, JUDE, DEBRUYNE, MODRIC, HARRY KING. I don’t even know which players are world class. Can someone name me a few? Someone told that there’s difference between very good players and world class players. This means there aren’t many out there.
Saka is right on the verge of breaking into that small elite group of world class talent, but he’s not quite there yet.
It would help if Arsenal were to bring in that mystery winger from Wolves, to start a fraction of his games to keep him fresh hence help developing that consistency.
“World class”? What doesthat emotionally used phrase mean in REALITY to our team in the Prem league! I suggest that world class is not what matters but whether or not a player does regular top class perfs in OUR Prem and for our team.
BASED ON THAT and that he is now a regular starter in an England team which is very nearly a favourite for the upcoming World Cup, then by any sensible classificationof what “world class” means to our club, he is undoubtedly either there right now or at least very close to being so.
But to me, as a realist, I am NOT concerned with labels at all,but with regular top class perfs in our shirt..
So to conclude, whether he is or is not WC is not what matters, but what does is whether he continues and even improves on his form these last few years in our team.
THAT is ALL that matters to me.
I leave labelling players and SAKA in particular, to those who get a kick out of such relatively unimportant things.
What a well reasoned piece, Jon! Indeed that is Shakespeare at his best: “What’s in a name?” I always hear this so-called world class label being thrown around and I ask myself what qualifies one to be a world class player? I even wonder whether those who are fond of using that phrase fully understand what it means! Rio Ferdinand was a very good defender but would you categorise him as world class? As long as there are no well established parameters of what makes one a world class player, there will always be debate on the subject. Nobody, including Ferdinand, should pretend that they are the ones with the right to determine whether or not some players are world class
According to some on here, Saka is not as good as Nelson, but I think it’s a fact, not opinion, that he is far better which in turn directly effects our good results and potential good results when he’s on the pitch.
Its my opinion he’s made it into the world class category because of his goal contributions, with so many of them being crucial as well, and he usually turns up in the big games.
Also, if he didn’t have the defensive duties that MA demands from everyone, then he’d have a far better chance of an even higher goal contribution. E.g. Salah doesn’t have to defend, allowing far more opportunities of goal contributions.
Finally, when you consider that the EPL is the toughest league in the world amongst the top leagues, and that Arsenal are not the top team, you’d be hard pressed to find a better winger over the last 2 years.
I have scoured JA and can’t find anyone who’s said that Saka is not as good as Nelson – another weird opinion, but I digress!!
I’m of the opinion that agrees with the “not quite there yet” thought.
However, I do believe that his contribution to the team, is at the very top level – let me explain.
I see game after game, our opponents putting two, sometimes three, players on him and that has opened up the opportunities for Odegaard, Havertz and ESR.
The same can be said of Martinelli by the way and, in my opinion, these two brilliant players will become as big a icons as Henry, Bergkamp and Vieira within the club and the game of football.
Should have added that we have one more in the Saka, Martinelli bracket that I describe and that’s William Saliba… perhaps he’s even further advanced in the “world class” catagory?
There’s been lots of people on here saying that there’s no difference between the likes of Saka and Nelson, Holding and Saliba, etc.
Remember that when someone says there’s no excuse for poor results when players are missing, they’re basically saying that the players covering should be able to perform to the same or better level.
I think it’s a fact, not opinion, that if Saka, Rice, Odegaard, Saliba, Gabriel M, Martinelli missed the rest of the season, it would have a huge negative impact on our results.
If it’s a FACT then you can’t THINK it’s a FACT, because it actually IS a fact.
. In my OPINION, if Saka, Rice, Odegaard, Saliba Gabriel M and Martinelli missed the rest of the season, it would have a huge negative impact on our results, but until that happens and is proven to be so, it is only an OPINION…. albeit a very strong opinion.
I remember when we played chelsea in the fa cup final and, due to injuries, we had to play Holding and Per Mertesaker as our two centre backs. – you know, the two players described as dross and / or too slow to be playing for The ARSENAL in some fans OPINIONS.
The OPINION of most, was that we would lose because of that pairing against the PL champions… but the FACT is we won the fa cup and that is a FACT that can be verified by the records from said competition.
Saka is a world class take it or leave it..
I admire your loyalty and conviction, but you’re wrong.
If I’m going to compare Saka to anyone it would probably be Son at Spurs. To me Son has been a genuine world class player, devastating at times off the wing, a golden boot winner and even able to play through the centre when required. Saka to me could end up with a similar career, he just hasn’t done it yet.
This is how I assess player’s status; I pick a best XI and another XI as an opponent. If someone can’t get into either of those teams, it’s because someone else better. This may not be a perfect system but I like it.
For example my current World XI:
Gianluigi Donnarumma
Achraf Hakimi
Ruben Dias
Virgil Van Dyke
Josko Gvardiol
Rodri
Kevin De Bruyne
Jude Bellingham
Mo Salah
Harry Kane
Kylian Mbappe
And their opponents:
Allison Becker
Jeremie Frimpong
Antonio Rudiger
Kim Min-Jae
Alphonso Davies
Declan Rice
Nicolo Barella
Pedri
Rodrygo
Erling Haaland
Vini Jr
This is just a subjective list but also a correct one. Bukayo Saka isn’t a million miles off but there are still better, or at least more consistent, players ahead of him. The same can be said for William Saliba.
I honestly believe that Declan Rice is currently our only World Class player but Saka, Saliba, Odegaard, Martinelli are all worthy of consideration and could certainly reach that level within the next couple of seasons.