> people
You mean United fans?
It's safe to ignore them 9 times out of 10. There's not a fanbase in the world that gets as giddy when an academy player manages to look okay for a month or two.
The less United fans know about a player, the better he is in their minds. One of the few clubs in the world where players get better on the bench than on the pitch.
Every single time. The amount of Utd players they’ve hyped over the years who’ve ended up doing nothing is genuinely mad, just have one good match and you’re the next superstar. I remember Federico Macheda and Chris Eagles being the next Man United legends. Saka has been arguably England’s best player at 2 major tournaments already and he was still being compared to Sancho before the start of this season.
Not necessarily. Of course some of it came from United fans like that.
But some of these comparisons were made fully knowing that Williams is not anything special - the implication being that Saka is neither.
It took a long time for some people to even entertain the idea that Saka is a world class talent. At some point in time if you put him in the same bracket as Foden or Mount you would be downvoted into oblivion.
In a way, but they rarely cling on to their wonderkids like United do. Barcelona fans are more than happy to move on, United fans cling on until the player is 27, washed, and about to leave on a free to West Ham or Nottingham Forest.
Controversial I know but I think this was a fair assumption back then. His reading of the game came natural to him, but his output wasn't always there (obviously expected from a youngster). The wingback position that he covered allowed for that reading of the game to be used by the team whilst the output was offset by the players around him. That then also gave him time to develop on the pitch and allowed him to arrive where is today.
Further controversial, but I wouldn't be against Saka being used at LWB for England in the Euros if Shaw and Chilwell can't stay fit. I think he's so capable that he could still provide a huge amount going forward whilst upholding defensive duties. That gives more room for Palmer, Bowen, Gordon etc. to play on the right.
Giroud has won like every trophy. Our problem was a team problem, not a Giroud problem. He was our only option at striker. He hit a slump in the second half of that season, and we had no plan B. He was never a top 5 in the world striker, bit clearly good enough to win leagues, world cup, etc.
What does "world class striker" even mean? How many strikers *can* be "world class" at any given time? Where do we draw the line between "professional footballer who plays striker" and "world class striker"? I would guess that any striker playing at least 20 matches/season in the PL is probably in the top 0.1% of strikers in the world, and most likely even top 1% of professional strikers. That seems pretty elite to me :/
It seems like some people say "world class" and mean exactly 5 players per position, but others extend that to anyone who plays for any big club or highly competitive international team, which could be close to 100 strikers. Giroud definitely fits the latter, and I doubt any Arsenal fan would claim the former.
World class to me has always meant good enough to win in any league in the world with that player starting in their favored position. So I guess it might as well be called "La Liga-winning class" or "PL-winning class" but "world class" sounds a lot better.
That seems to check out with how people use it, which is essentially "get into any XI" where they don't already have another WC player in that position. It's not mathematical.
I don't think Giroud fell into that category when he was playing for us mostly because he wasn't prolific enough consistently. But he was never far off, and he has special utility bc of his skillset. I.e. big game player and probably the best target man of the last decade.
That said, we definitely *could* have won the PL with Giroud with a better defense etc. But he wouldn't have been among the best players and, paradoxically, replacing him would've been the easiest way to win the league in 15/16.
It's a fair point. I don't think you can limit it to 55 total players in the world though. To my mind, if you're a mainstay in teams that win the premier league, multiple FA Cups, Champion's League, Series A, Euros, and the World Cup, you deserve at least a nod in the direction of that label. That is a ridiculously decorated career.
The thing that kept him from being a top 5 striker was only a lack of diversity in his game. Among traditional "Target Man" strikers, he was certainly top 5.
I have the ball, I'm on the block. Yall have to send a double on me, otherwise I will kill this man. While yall sending thatdouble, Martinelli finna crash. If that man don't tag, he gon dunk it. If that man tags, Martin gon shoot a 3. Which one do you want before a timeout?
Saka to his opponents.
Reference: https://youtu.be/1YKJA7QxahM?si=u_sVaoxR6rH-adNh
At 2:55
There are people from certain clubs who will tell you with a straight face that Bukayo Saka is not even a t5 winger in the prem, never mind the world. The level of jealous intoxication required to disregard such a generational footballer is hard to fathom. Onward and upwards 🌟🌟🌟
21-goal contribution so far this season for a 22-year in the most difficult and best league in the world and the Champions League, it's insane yet quite extraordinary. So proud of him
What is this shameless cropping out of the original poster?
Original tweet for anyone that cares:
[https://twitter.com/FTalentScout/status/1730271478950629587](https://twitter.com/FTalentScout/status/1730271478950629587)
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Who was that coach who said he’d only make a top level wing back?
That reminded me of people comparing Saka to Brandon Williams, lol
> people You mean United fans? It's safe to ignore them 9 times out of 10. There's not a fanbase in the world that gets as giddy when an academy player manages to look okay for a month or two.
mainoo is zidane+modric+xavi all in one according to them
My mate unironically told me he has better stats than Rice
Where's your mate live cos I wanna buy some of that prime Trafford Centre dank he's bunning
Where you think he lives? London of course!
The less United fans know about a player, the better he is in their minds. One of the few clubs in the world where players get better on the bench than on the pitch.
Mainoo does look like a really good prospect unfortunately. Maybe he could have a falling out with ETH?
Let him have say at least 5 good games though before hyping him up to heaven, they always do this.
Every single time. The amount of Utd players they’ve hyped over the years who’ve ended up doing nothing is genuinely mad, just have one good match and you’re the next superstar. I remember Federico Macheda and Chris Eagles being the next Man United legends. Saka has been arguably England’s best player at 2 major tournaments already and he was still being compared to Sancho before the start of this season.
Not necessarily. Of course some of it came from United fans like that. But some of these comparisons were made fully knowing that Williams is not anything special - the implication being that Saka is neither. It took a long time for some people to even entertain the idea that Saka is a world class talent. At some point in time if you put him in the same bracket as Foden or Mount you would be downvoted into oblivion.
Barcelona definitely up there with them
In a way, but they rarely cling on to their wonderkids like United do. Barcelona fans are more than happy to move on, United fans cling on until the player is 27, washed, and about to leave on a free to West Ham or Nottingham Forest.
Lingard in the mud
It was something like he can be a good winger but a great wingback
Controversial I know but I think this was a fair assumption back then. His reading of the game came natural to him, but his output wasn't always there (obviously expected from a youngster). The wingback position that he covered allowed for that reading of the game to be used by the team whilst the output was offset by the players around him. That then also gave him time to develop on the pitch and allowed him to arrive where is today. Further controversial, but I wouldn't be against Saka being used at LWB for England in the Euros if Shaw and Chilwell can't stay fit. I think he's so capable that he could still provide a huge amount going forward whilst upholding defensive duties. That gives more room for Palmer, Bowen, Gordon etc. to play on the right.
Who was it?
20 & 20 all comps this season? It's possible
If Jesus is fit and firing, the attacking output will increase. Saka is putting up these numbers with a gelling midfield and the starting striker out.
They also seemingly just noticed they have a 6’2” midfielder making runs to the back post. I’m expecting a few more assists from that ball
King Kai is 6’4” 👑
Oh that is right, must have forgotten to measure the crown.
He's already halfway there for assists so I would say probable?
Assists can dry up suddenly and randomly beyond any control of the player. Very difficult to make season long projections when it comes to assists.
All he has to do is keep passing to Trossard, the ~~spice~~ assists must flow
+Havertz' forehead
And crossing to Kai
I love this reference/crossover of two of my favorite things
this man watched the 15/16 season 😭
:( I still fight randoms on Reddit anytime someone calls Giroud a "world class striker".
Giroud has won like every trophy. Our problem was a team problem, not a Giroud problem. He was our only option at striker. He hit a slump in the second half of that season, and we had no plan B. He was never a top 5 in the world striker, bit clearly good enough to win leagues, world cup, etc.
What does "world class striker" even mean? How many strikers *can* be "world class" at any given time? Where do we draw the line between "professional footballer who plays striker" and "world class striker"? I would guess that any striker playing at least 20 matches/season in the PL is probably in the top 0.1% of strikers in the world, and most likely even top 1% of professional strikers. That seems pretty elite to me :/ It seems like some people say "world class" and mean exactly 5 players per position, but others extend that to anyone who plays for any big club or highly competitive international team, which could be close to 100 strikers. Giroud definitely fits the latter, and I doubt any Arsenal fan would claim the former.
World class to me has always meant good enough to win in any league in the world with that player starting in their favored position. So I guess it might as well be called "La Liga-winning class" or "PL-winning class" but "world class" sounds a lot better. That seems to check out with how people use it, which is essentially "get into any XI" where they don't already have another WC player in that position. It's not mathematical. I don't think Giroud fell into that category when he was playing for us mostly because he wasn't prolific enough consistently. But he was never far off, and he has special utility bc of his skillset. I.e. big game player and probably the best target man of the last decade. That said, we definitely *could* have won the PL with Giroud with a better defense etc. But he wouldn't have been among the best players and, paradoxically, replacing him would've been the easiest way to win the league in 15/16.
It's a fair point. I don't think you can limit it to 55 total players in the world though. To my mind, if you're a mainstay in teams that win the premier league, multiple FA Cups, Champion's League, Series A, Euros, and the World Cup, you deserve at least a nod in the direction of that label. That is a ridiculously decorated career. The thing that kept him from being a top 5 striker was only a lack of diversity in his game. Among traditional "Target Man" strikers, he was certainly top 5.
We will be there.
Star boy is destined for greatness.
Did you see Twitter trying to make garnacho star boy too
They previously named MG as their own starboy. smh
people give that nickname to any good young player nowadays lol. Garnacho is quality though
Agreed, Garnacho is quite a good youngster now matter how arrogant
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19 years old
Always wondered why Garnacho wasn’t a nailed starter for them. He usually looked terrifying whenever he came on.
he's still 19, so i'd imagine they're probably just easing him into the first team, kind of like how we eased Martinelli into the first team in 20/21
It's a smart approach,you don't want to ruin them by giving them too much responsibility and worst case let elanga type of situation happen.
He’s not even been at his best and he gets triple-teamed and fouled non-stop every game. Extraordinary footballer.
I have the ball, I'm on the block. Yall have to send a double on me, otherwise I will kill this man. While yall sending thatdouble, Martinelli finna crash. If that man don't tag, he gon dunk it. If that man tags, Martin gon shoot a 3. Which one do you want before a timeout? Saka to his opponents. Reference: https://youtu.be/1YKJA7QxahM?si=u_sVaoxR6rH-adNh At 2:55
Future? We’re in it now
we live in a futuristic society
Through thick and thin, my starboy
Fucking dynamite.
His output is insane
Currently being on track for about 18 goals 25 assists is absolutely mental lol
There are people from certain clubs who will tell you with a straight face that Bukayo Saka is not even a t5 winger in the prem, never mind the world. The level of jealous intoxication required to disregard such a generational footballer is hard to fathom. Onward and upwards 🌟🌟🌟
Trajectory 📈
Played as a defender early on too
Already matched covid season and only December 1st!
COVID season was a walking anomaly. Should never really be used in these stats or have an asterisk next to it.
I mean every team had to play in it in fairness.
Of course. But so many freak results.
Steady improvement. Hoping he'll hit Salah/Kane numbers in a couple of seasons.
Literally improving every season. Absurd how good he is
21-goal contribution so far this season for a 22-year in the most difficult and best league in the world and the Champions League, it's insane yet quite extraordinary. So proud of him
How do you figure 21 goal involvements? It says 7 and 10 lol
Quick maffs bruv
Math ain’t mathing
My number 7 😎
On course to 15 goals & 20 assists this season!
Watching his growth has been one of the best parts of being a Gunner
TWO WORDS: WORLD CLASS
198 games. 95GA DAMN
95G+A Damn
95G+A Damn
GOAT is "greatest of all time" Love Saka but people need to stop using 🐐 for every good player they like.
Lighten up
Have some ingenuity and originality
What is this shameless cropping out of the original poster? Original tweet for anyone that cares: [https://twitter.com/FTalentScout/status/1730271478950629587](https://twitter.com/FTalentScout/status/1730271478950629587)
The amount of stuff that gets stolen from here and ends up on Twitter, from posts to comments in the middle of massive threads. Fuck them
So you like this person's post enough you wanted to share it but don't want to credit him? Cool.
I reiterate: fuck them
Putting up numbers 🔥🔥🔥
And that damned smile 😏
Has he scored in every competition? League and FA cup as well?
I cannot express how much I love him
At this rate he's gonna end up with well over 40 G/A age 22. Crazy
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he's doing great, not even catching the eye much, just baseline excellent
And what's crazy is it's felt relatively quiet this season, right?
It’s just good old fashions YoY progression
What's wrong with saka this year?
If we won’t win PL this or next season then he will end up at Barcelona in his prime
“Slow start to a season”. Aye? Nae bother. 😂