How can Saka improve his football within the Euro 2024 England camp?
It might sound like a bizarre suggestion that one of the best young players in world football needs to improve his game, but there are a few areas of Saka’s form that he needs to improve.
The 22-year-old has had a significant impact on Arsenal and England. Having hit 20 goals in a season for the first time, he’s continuing to progress and prove himself to be one of the brightest talents in world football.
After narrowly missing out on a winner’s medal last season, Saka hopes that Euro 2024 will be the tournament in which he can help England break the 60-plus-year curse. It’s astonishing that England hasn’t won a major tournament since 1966, but this is their chance to finally rid themselves of that unwanted losing streak.
England to win Euro 2024?
Many people — including the sportsbooks, who are often reasonably accurate — believe England finally has what it takes to end the years of misery and misfortune plaguing the national team. France and England are the two standout favourites with the bookies, and there’s a lot of money piling on both teams to win the tournament outright.
We know how quickly this can change in a big tournament, especially if one of the two teams gets off to a slow start. Looking at the England group stage matches, some observers expect them to finish at the top and pick up nine points against Denmark, Serbia and Slovenia.
It will be interesting to see how Southgate lines up the squad. They have three winnable games, and England’s squad has more than enough talent to make up two top-quality starting elevens. However, it would be surprising not to see Bukayo start in the first couple of games before perhaps being rested for the third if England has already qualified. Being in and around a highly favoured team to get to the latter stages and being immersed in a squad with such talent will help keep Bukayo sharp either way.
Big game experience and getting over the finish line
If England finally breaks the curse and wins, it will do wonders for Saka to be around the energy and atmosphere that comes with it. In England, there will be plenty of hysteria and adulation if they finally win a Euro, and this will help to instil a further drive in Saka that he has what it takes to be part of a truly elite team.
The current Arsenal squad isn’t far from title-winning material, but some Gooners fans believe they have a tendency to drop the ball when it matters most. Other clubs’ fans are more than happy to drive home the belief that Arsenal constantly bottles it when it matters.
Getting back to the point at hand, England will need to pick up that momentum early on in the tournament, and Bukayo will be instrumental in this. Although there’s a lot of world-class talent in and around his position, his performances for both England and Arsenal should warrant him a place in the starting lineup.
Many international tournaments are driven by momentum, and with Arsenal performing to such a high standard last season and several members of City’s title-winning team bringing a winning mentality into the England dressing room, Southgate’s men should be able to hit the ground running in what appears to be a very winnable group.
Ironing out inconsistent form
From a technical perspective, Saka has an incredible foundation; no major areas stand out for improvement. Often, the only element of a game that a young player of such high quality needs to improve is their form.
Saka went through a few barren spells last season. Although he certainly couldn’t be held responsible for the Gooners missing out on the title by a razor-thin margin, he will be using this year’s Euros as an opportunity to grow and learn how to iron out some of these inconsistencies.
If Saka can play a pivotal role in helping England succeed in Germany this summer, he will likely return to the Emirates next season reinvigorated with that extra big game mentality and experience to help push Arsenal forward. On the field, there are minimal areas for improvement.
However, from a mental perspective, if he can find the edge that will allow him to perform consistently throughout a season, he will reinforce why he is considered one of the most prominent talents in world football today.
