Bournemouth reaction and player ratings

[mandela8]

That’s ok mate - I can handle people having a different opinion to me. Doesn’t bother me.

Imo we already have a functioning left and right side. We know the right side works fine because we were heavily right-focussed last year. We know the left side works because we’re seeing it in action now. Just like we know we can defend and soak pressure because we saw it at Palace, and we know we can go all-out attack for a full 90 because we saw it against Leicester - like I said in my other post, it’s just a question of finding our balance. Right now it’s all a bit ‘one or the other’, but give it 5-10 games and I’m sure we’ll start working out how to knit it all together and switch between all these things in-game. I don’t think we’re far off already, tbh.

Saka’s last direct goal contribution was the cross that forced the OG against Palace. He also took the corner than Zinchenko headed back across goal for Martinelli’s opener - straight off the training ground - and he also played White in on the overlap to tee up our second yesterday (not a direct contribution that, but he was a key part of that move within the final 2 or 3 passes).

Also worth pointing out that aside from direct goals and assists, he was the 7th highest chance creator in the league last season, only 2 behind KDB - if we’d had a functional striker for the whole of last season then those direct goal contribution stats would have been higher.

:good post:

Disagree with every word, but still.

I just think everyone wants him to be this young superstar and everyone says he is...so no one challenges it.

Hopefully I'm proven wrong

[I am invisible]

:good post:

Disagree with every word, but still.

I just think everyone wants him to be this young superstar and everyone says he is...so no one challenges it.

Hopefully I'm proven wrong

I think part of the problem is where he plays - people naturally expect all wingers to look more like Martinelli, all relentless running and chaos. Someone who gets you out of your seat whenever they’re anywhere near the oppo’s area.

Saka, for me, is a new breed of player - someone who does a little bit of everything to high degree of competence and is available as an extra man everywhere down the pitch, creating overloads wherever he goes. He’ll get back, almost doubling up as an extra fullback at times. He’ll drop into midfield to get moves started and carry the ball out of trouble. He’ll come central as an extra 8 or 10, stay wide as a traditional winger, slip in overlapping fullbacks, make diagonsl runs into the box as an extra forward - whatever’s needed.

LW, RW, LB, either 8, 10… you can literally play him in half the outfield positions in the team and he just gets on with it and links well with everyone around him. It’s not always flashy what he does, and not always what people are expecting to see in their “winger”, but he’s an absolute dream of a player for any coach. The kid just gives you so many options and so much tactical flex in one player, and that ability for coaches to spontaneously adapt and change game plans feels like it’s becoming an increasingly valuable commodity in the modern game.

That’s what I see in him anyway - whether you agree or not, take solace in the fact that Pep wants him at City, Klopp wants him at ‘pool, he’s a key member of the national team at 20, and he’s been nominated for the young player equivalent of the Ballon D’or 2 years in a row now. He must be doing something right.

[Mac76]

Saka's main issue ia hanging onto the ball too long on the edge of the box instead of either shooting or, more often, playing the timely pass before the defenders close him down

Get him to play the ball earlier in those positions and he'll be the top player we want him to be

[mandela8]

I think part of the problem is where he plays - people naturally expect all wingers to look more like Martinelli, all relentless running and chaos. Someone who gets you out of your seat whenever they’re anywhere near the oppo’s area.

Saka, for me, is a new breed of player - someone who does a little bit of everything to high degree of competence and is available as an extra man everywhere down the pitch, creating overloads wherever he goes. He’ll get back, almost doubling up as an extra fullback at times. He’ll drop into midfield to get moves started and carry the ball out of trouble. He’ll come central as an extra 8 or 10, stay wide as a traditional winger, slip in overlapping fullbacks, make diagonsl runs into the box as an extra forward - whatever’s needed.

LW, RW, LB, either 8, 10… you can literally play him in half the outfield positions in the team and he just gets on with it and links well with everyone around him. It’s not always flashy what he does, and not always what people are expecting to see in their “winger”, but he’s an absolute dream of a player for any coach. The kid just gives you so many options and so much tactical flex in one player, and that ability for coaches to spontaneously adapt and change game plans feels like it’s becoming an increasingly valuable commodity in the modern game.

That’s what I see in him anyway - whether you agree or not, take solace in the fact that Pep wants him at City, Klopp wants him at ‘pool, he’s a key member of the national team at 20, and he’s been nominated for the young player equivalent of the Ballon D’or 2 years in a row now. He must be doing something right.

I think you're absolutely deluded and desperate here, tbh. A new breed of player?

Aye, he's this new breed that's naw very good yet is thought to be brilliant. I've certainly never seen anything like it.

Most of your post is just utter, utter nonsense.

[mandela8]

Saka's main issue ia hanging onto the ball too long on the edge of the box instead of either shooting or, more often, playing the timely pass before the defenders close him down

Get him to play the ball earlier in those positions and he'll be the top player we want him to be

Being so one footed is a huge contributor to that. He almost always cuts back and everything is slowed down.

His only 'good' consecutive performances came at LB when his job was to get to the by line and get it in the box. He just doesn't have the intelligence to play in one of the attacking positions. Zero killer instinct. Terrible passer. Woeful striker of a ball.

[Xhaka Can’t]

Pretty much.

Thing is, this was a fairly standard performance by him.

If not for me opening eyes on here he'd still have got man of the match on here. I've zero doubt about that.

I very much doubt it. If you hadn’t resurrected the player rating thread, no one would get MOTM.

[Letters]

Saw the highlights.
Holy shit that touch and run and then lay off from Jesus for the first goal.

Jesus

[KSE Comedy Club]

He has well and truly resurrected this club!

[Letters]

Something, something, good on crosses, something.

[HCZ_Reborn]

He has well and truly resurrected this club!

Problem is we are after a promising young Brazillian starlet

Jorgiu David Alexandre Santos also known colloquially as Judas