Quote Originally Posted by Niall_Quinn View Post
It has been interesting watching the odd game with large (sometimes months long) gaps in between. I have been able to see the marked difference in individuals as well as the team as a whole from a different perspective to fans that watch week in week out. I didn't watch that farcical world cup either so wasn't caught up in the Saka lovefest.

From what I've seen Saka hasn't really improved that much, if at all. But it's hard to say because he was in such a shitty team last season so he stood out. Now the team has improved (in some key areas) maybe Saka has faded a bit in terms of prominence. I don't know if you were actually comparing him to Ronaldo, but that would not be valid at all. It's night and day. Ronaldo was a freak, Saka isn't on the same planet. But he's a decent enough young prospect that needs to do his time, develop his game and gain the experience necessary to influence games on a consistent basis. He doesn't do that yet. Unfortunately he'll probably do the opposite, buy into the hype, focus on the money and soon enough fuck off to some mega club where he'll become a bit part like so many others. Hope not, but we'll see.

I don't accept excuses about the mental challenges though. He should be up to that already. It's the PL after all, and he's being paid a fortune at a time when many are struggling to eat. If you can't get your shit together with that sort of advantage then it's a fundamental weakness that ought to worry people. I don't think that's the problem anyway. Arsenal isn't the finished article and he needs better players around him. He needs teammates that don't shit their nickers when City pitch up on the schedule.

Martinelli is the player who has stood out for me. Such a big difference between last season and this. And he's had to cope with the same limitations as Saka, but it hasn't hampered him as much, by what I can see from snapshots over time.

Still, these are two players that form the basis of a decent team and eventually squad, if the dealings in the transfer market are managed with at least a degree of competence. Big if.

Shame about ESR. Can't think of what possibly happened there because he looked the best of the three.

There’s a lot there I agree with. I don’t know who has been comparing Saka to Ronaldo but no you’re right he’s not that level and never will be, players like Ronaldo exist in a class of their own, as you say freak (a word I often attribute to someone like Haaland who is clearly miles better than anyone we have in our team). Saka will not get to that level, he’s not going to be a Thierry Henry for us. In terms of players for this club he’s more in the mould of Michael Thomas/David Rocastle. And that’s no bad thing…I’ve a lot of time for Saka and I think you’re right last season he was the stand out player in a lot of shit and now because as you state Martinelli has improved so much he has faded somewhat.

Saka is still one of our best players, and I would definitely play him more often than I wouldn’t. But I don’t like the fact that he seems to be undroppable.


Martinelli seems to get dropped more and I think this rather unfair because he and Odegaard have been the two best players for us this season

ESR? Not sure if I would agree with you there. Just a poor man’s Jack Wilshere and he never reached his full potential due to injury.