Southgate asking Saka to play in defence is not an insult, it’s a compliment to his versatility

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·1. Juli 2024

Southgate asking Saka to play in defence is not an insult, it’s a compliment to his versatility

There are Gooners who clearly think the definition of a supporter is you have to say everything is rainbows and unicorns about the club they love.

Since the Euros have begun, I have read how Mbappe wouldn’t get in our team, we don’t need to buy a striker because we have Kai Havertz, and this week an incredible level of sensitivity regarding the suggestion that Bukayo Saka could play at let back for England.

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The problem when someone is positive for the sake of positivity is their opinion starts to lack any substance.

Some pundits have questioned could Saka in the short term replace Trippier as way to get Palmer into the Three Lions 11? A section of our fanbase believe this is because there is an agenda against anyone who plays for Arsenal.

Grown adults who think our crest is so unique, our shirt so special that ex-players paid to give their point of view have some sort of conspiracy theory against the Gunners. What their motive is isn’t clear.

Other have even claimed that the 22-year-old is being judged based on the colour of his skin. Since when has what position you play been racism?

In our history Thierry Henry wanted to carry on being a winger but was asked to learn the striker role, full back was made Lauren’s sole role, Kolo Toure was trained to become a centreback. Does that make Arsene Wenger a racist?

In the Group stage none of the English attack can claim to have been at their best. This is the one area where Gareth Southgate has options.

If you have quality sat on your bench those forward’s starting’s spot is up for grabs if they are not delivering. That’s been how a squad operates for decades.

Trust me if Mikel Arteta had Palmer as an alternative, he would bring him on if Saka was below par.

Whisper it quietly, the likes of Ian Wright were proven correct on Sunday as both sides at full back ended up two out of the three positions Saka would utilise for 120 minutes.

That’s actually a complement to our player. When a goal was needed against Slovakia Southgate clearly wanted to keep his best talent on the pitch. Asking his right midfielder to step into a back 4 is actually an attacking switch, because now the English had pace coming down both sides.

You see Saka representing his nation In defence isn’t a reflection on our player, but the fact in his country’s 26 man squad who have travelled to Germany, an injured Luke Shaw is the only natural left back.

Now having known his first choice option has been absent since February should another expert in that area have been identified? Of course, but that’s another debate for another day.

Trippier has to come back inside because he’s right footed. That then prevents Foden from having a free role because he hasn’t got anyone overlapping taking a marker with him.

It’s clearly not Saka’s favoured role but sometimes you have to be selfless to help the team. Saka has a strong left foot where he can take on his man, cross first time and stay wide which gives Foden flexibility to time when to move into the middle.

If that means Palmer starts as well you are improving two problems by asking Saka to sacrifice his game for the knockout stages, then it’s worth it.

That’s surely better then Saka being dropped?

Isn’t trusting Saka to help us in a weak area the opposite to an agenda? How is trying to find a way to get him and Palmer in the same team racism?

The player himself has stressed it’s not ideally where he wants to play, but it wouldn’t be him playing out of position. Left back is where Saka made his Prem debut starting 9 times there as a teenager.

While he’s been vocal that he thinks there are other solutions, he’s smart enough to know that not embracing new ideas means he wouldn’t have stayed on the pitch.

He’s humbled enough to know he hasn’t played well enough in the Group Stage where he can complain about Palmer getting the chance.

While a QFinals is too late to be experimenting there’s no denying that Saka at left back with Palmer on the right looked more dangerous then Trippier left back and Saka on the right?

Saka’s football intelligence and versatility were crucial in the victory over Slovakia.

The irony being those who say Saka has to play RW just because he plays there at the Emirates and Palmer plays at the Bridge, they are the ones with the agenda!

Dan

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