Nottingham Forest vs Arsenal 20.05.2023 Player ratings and Match Reaction

[Letters]

Saka has scored 1 goal in his last 9 games.

He's scored in only 2 of his last 14.

He's not tired. He's ineffective.

I also think that ignoring all the other games this season is an honest way of debating

[mandela8]

I also think that ignoring all the other games this season is an honest way of debating

It's a direct response to this "he's tired" claim. This is a third of a season we're talking here when a host of other players across the league have maintained their output. Yet this 21 year old is just tired?

Look man, I get he's been deified after the Euros but is this outright refusal to scrutinize a player because "he's a nice boy who plays with a smile even though he's been through a lot" honest?

Mon.

[Marc Overmars]

Saka has been very shit during the run-in tbf.

Absolute failure on Arteta’s part for not identifying this and leaving Trossard, Nelson and Smith-Rowe on the bench, while Saka was just being horribly overplayed.

[Mac76]

Saka has been very shit during the run-in tbf.

Absolute failure on Arteta’s part for not identifying this and leaving Trossard, Nelson and Smith-Rowe on the bench, while Saka was just being horribly overplayed.

I think Arteta just relies on Saka as someone who can just magic a goal from pretty much nothing, and tbh when he's on form, that's true, but when somone knows they're always going to be in the starting lineup i think they do two things, first they manage their minutes on the pitch, in other words find opportunities to take it easy, and second just essentially become complacent - there always needs to be a sense of competition for places, unless it's Messi

[mandela8]

I think Arteta just relies on Saka as someone who can just magic a goal from pretty much nothing, and tbh when he's on form, that's true, but when somone knows they're always going to be in the starting lineup i think they do two things, first they manage their minutes on the pitch, in other words find opportunities to take it easy, and second just essentially become complacent - there always needs to be a sense of competition for places, unless it's Messi

I actually think you're right here. I just don't understand why Arteta thinks this as Saka has never been a good goal scorer. His record must be about a goal every 4 or 5 games and he's never been a player who has really created his own goals.

Arteta has a complete blind spot when it comes to him, which is incredibly strange. To an extent, I understand why the media give him a free pass and why fans apply their favoritism but the manager....??

If anything, if I had to rely on someone doing something I'd be more comfortable with Martinelli being more likely.

That said, I do think Saka does exactly what is asked of him, from a tactical perspective, in terms of holding that wide position to create space for Odegaard...but that's hardly a complex deliverable and any player with a full set of chromosomes could do it.

The whole Saka thing is just bizarre. It really is.

[Mac76]

If anything, if I had to rely on someone doing something I'd be more comfortable with Martinelli being more likely.

100%, always frustrates me that he is the one to be hauled off and not Saka

[Letters]

Look man, I get he's been deified after the Euros but is this outright refusal to scrutinize a player because "he's a nice boy who plays with a smile even though he's been through a lot" honest?

There is no refusal to scrutinize him, though.
As with all debates on here - and everywhere else these days - it's all so black and white with no shades of grey.
If your position was that he's over-rated then that could be a reasonable position to discuss. But you've gone straight for the "sell him, he's shit" nuclear option when he clearly isn't and it's too stupid to have a discussion about.

[mandela8]

There is no refusal to scrutinize him, though.
As with all debates on here - and everywhere else these days - it's all so black and white with no shades of grey.
If your position was that he's over-rated then that could be a reasonable position to discuss. But you've gone straight for the "sell him, he's shit" nuclear option when he clearly isn't and it's too stupid to have a discussion about.

I've been watching him for 3 years now.

I thought he was excellent at LB, where it was a simpler, more linear game for him on his natural side.

Since his move to RW I can count on one hand how many genuinely good performances he's had and I challenge anyone to do the same.

He's unbelievably over rated. Moreso than any other player I've ever seen. He's young though and I've maintained throughout that there's potential to improve. I don't think Arteta is the coach to realize that though. His flaws are so fuckin obvious it's baffling they've not been addressed. He's far to one footed and tries to cut inside 80-90% of possessions. Ends up just laying it inside. He needs to add variety, getting to the line or getting the ball in the box earlier. Just be more direct.

Lime I said though, he's been deified. Immune from scrutiny much less criticism. Came 2nd in the writers POTY award, ffs he's not even been his own teams beat attacker, never mind player, ffs.

Finally, as I've said before, I think his lack of progress is in large part down to this favoritism from fans, media and manager. He's constantly being lauded as this elite player when he's a million fuckin miles from it.