"This has to be more. It's not enough. He needs to keep on going."
The comments by Thomas Tuchel after a goalscoring performance on Thursday have been reported as harsh and a little cold in the context.
Is it a fair criticism, and does it also translate to club as some argue?
In terms of England, he has 13 in 45 (one every 3.5 games). On the face of it it isn't a massive amount, but...
Phil Foden - 4 in 45
Jude Bellingham - 6 in 44
Cole Palmer - 2 in 12
Noni Madueke - 1 in 9
Jack Grealish - 4 in 39
Anthony Gordon - 1 in 15
Jarrod Bowen - 1 in 18
Marcus Rashford - 18 in 65
Eberechi Eze - 1 in 13
Behind Harry Kane and Marcus Rashford, Saka is the third highest scorer among the current squad and recent representatives for England - more than double 4th highest scorer. It is clearly a team that is set up to maximise the strikers scoring opportunities.
It is also worth noting Saka started only 35 of his 45 appearances, and has 8 assists...
Harsh critics will also point to where and when Saka has scored. Twice against Andorra in big wins and once against San Marino in a 10-0 win represented his first competitive international goals. He then netted twice in a World Cup group win over Iran, which ended 6-2. He sealed a 3-0 last 16 win over Senegal in the same tournament. His one "big" goal came in the Euro 24 quarter final - equalising against Switzerland allowing England to win on penalties.
Saka has barely played for Tuchel - featuring only in the embarrassing 3-1 friendly defeat to Senegal and the 3-0 win over Wales. Maybe Tuchel will find the key to allow Saka, and those other players listed, to score more.
Bukayo Saka...
posted 15 hours, 47 minutes ago
To single out Saka here is showing how of an idiot Tuchel has been here. Maybe he is feeling the pressure now.
posted 11 hours, 55 minutes ago
He was responding to a journalist that said it was Saka’s 13th goal for England.
posted 11 hours, 31 minutes ago
comment by Darren The King Fletcher (U10026)
posted 6 hours, 10 minutes ago
After Kane Saka’s our best attacker, I don’t think this is necessarily a criticism and more of a challenge to score more goals.
Plenty of others need to do more though, as Saka and Kane are the only consistent players for England in attack. Rashford generally does well but he’s always been in and out of the side so isn’t a consistent starter that we rely on.
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Yeah this is how I took it, not a criticism just a challenge to do more.
For me Saka is one of England's most reliable performers, he will just play the game and not the occasion and always puts in steady good performances. Even bouncing back from that pen miss and the scrutiny it brought shows character.
I think Tuchel just sees his strong character and wants to push him
posted 10 hours, 19 minutes ago
Tbag, yeah I agree with that. I also don’t think it’s that unfair to point out that a player of Saka’s quality could score more, it’s not a huge amount and he’s not scored that many in tournaments.
Obviously there’s more to Saka than goals, but Tuchel will no full well that we’ve been too reliant on Kane for goals for many years and we need that second player behind him in the attack to step up and deliver more to take the pressure off.
posted 10 hours, 19 minutes ago
*know
posted 8 hours, 23 minutes ago
Saka will likely to have to carry us at important parts of the tournament - once again. Good of Tuchel to make that blatantly obvious to him
posted 7 hours, 57 minutes ago
comment by Darren The King Fletcher (U10026)
posted 2 hours, 19 minutes ago
Tbag, yeah I agree with that. I also don’t think it’s that unfair to point out that a player of Saka’s quality could score more, it’s not a huge amount and he’s not scored that many in tournaments.
Obviously there’s more to Saka than goals, but Tuchel will no full well that we’ve been too reliant on Kane for goals for many years and we need that second player behind him in the attack to step up and deliver more to take the pressure off.
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Its a fair ask too, considering the team hes playing in.
Hes spent years being doubled up with Arsenal but when you're playing with Kane its a different thing and he should be utilizing the space that comes with it. Arsenal seem to be getting to a point where our attack is less reliant on him so hopefully he will have a bit more of a shot at learning how to take games by the scruff of the neck rather than just the more paint by numbers we've seen so far (which has been relatively effective but could be improved upon)
posted 7 hours, 42 minutes ago
He’ll just be pushing him to become a difference maker on the biggest stage, we need that if we are gonna win the world cup. On paper there’s quite a few of those in the England squad, but Saka is one that has shown in more than most, as well as having good all round play.
Suspect it’s also a bit of a signal to the players that aren’t scoring as much for England as well. Rashford and Saka have scored more, or nearly as many, as the likes of Bellingham, Foden, Palmer, Grealish, Rogers, Gibbs-White, Gordon and Eze put together.
Can’t keep relying Kane the way we do.
posted 7 hours, 40 minutes ago
Forgot Bowen as well, he’s only scored once for England.
posted 7 hours, 5 minutes ago
Yeah all totally fair