Yeah that sounds like a better idea. It definitely needs some sort of change anyway. Sterling won it last year and he’s been around forever!
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It’s crazy to me that Willian or Coutinho can get preference over Saka in the front three after the performances this lad has delivered this season.
I’m all for strengthening our overall squad but we need to recognise who our best players are. Until he falters why drop him down the pecking order?
Would have front three preferences in this sort of order (should flip order in certain games).
Auba-Laca-Pepe
Saka-Auba-Pepe
Auba-Laca-Saka
Saka-Auba-Willian
Now we’re in that god awful Europa league our younger players will be guaranteed loads of game time. Though I think Saka would be anyway, he’s right on the fringes and will see quite a lot of minutes in the league.
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Here’s what Arteta said a few weeks ago on our young players.
“I have a lot of faith in the young talent that we have at the football club, we need the right stability and the right foundations around [the young players] to make sure that they develop in the right way, at the right moment and with the right amount of pressure behind them,” Arteta said.
“In order to do that it is a process and if you want to speed up that process you risk burning them and burning that process and we cannot do that. We have some great young players who have been playing probably more than they should have been doing but they are showing great maturity and the personalities to play in difficult moments which is great for their experience.
“But as well, we need the other players to support them in the right way and that’s why we’re trying to achieve this balance to be very competitive but also excited about the future ahead of us.”
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i like that we’re getting away from the idea of “We can’t buy X because it’ll hurt the progress of Y”.
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Damn, Arteta is a beautiful man.
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Are we really? Our probable winger signing should be out of the League in two years time.
Saka is 18. He’s a good squad player who shouldn’t play every game
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It’s a real shame when you put it like that.
I was reading elsewhere that it’s like the Emi Martinez situation- if he can’t warrant a stint in the first team by now, when is he going to? Competition breeds success. I like Leno, and I feel him to be a better keeper over a length of time, but Emi doesn’t deserve to be dropped (yet)
Honestly I’m firmly in the camp that would prefer to have more good players than less. Competition is a brilliant thing within a squad and I found it pretty devastating that we went through seasons where our starting 11 was decided by who was less shite the week before.
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How many of those were at left or right winger?
Not many but they were still top performances.
But maybe he’s at his best as left back or box2box midfielder? Would be a waste to put him away on the wing then. We’re going to say more rotation anyway.
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And yet the PL didn’t see fit to nominate him for the same. Shameful.
in what planet would Saka’s Prem performances put him above any of the contenders?
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My issue is actually more with the award than the nominations in truth. I’d like to see a breakout player of the year or like a Rookie of the year sort of thing. I think it’s crazy how someone can be on the scene for 6 years and theoretically be nominated for it all 6 years. Saka wouldn’t’ve won either of the ones I mention, but he would’ve deserved a nomination.
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Saka was a bright spark from an average season. Really shone from Arteta appointment. Noticeably he wasn’t a starter in either the semi or final.
Kid done okay and hopefully improves but he has a way to go yet. Don’t think hes done enough to warrant any nominations outside of club ones yet.
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scrumptious assist to eddie today. Lovely final ball.
We really hit gold with this lad. God bless him. 
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