Thread by @nonewthing

Part of what makes Saka different to/better than most more explosive wingers is because his brain is that of a midfielder's.

He may get past his man a bit less but each ball reception for him is an opportunity to create/continue offensive momentum rather than purely best his man

Basically, Saka makes the perfect decision each time he faces up his man. He's built to interpret the situation correctly, whether to come inside or slip someone in or slip someone out or shoot or cross or combine or take it past his man or find a man in zone 14 or pass it back.

He's basically a perfect little all-rounder with enough ability to do everything, the intelligence to see it and the swagger to execute it.

Take his decisive moment against France at the World Cup when he won the penalty vs the decisive moment against United at home last season.

One was a combine/carry through that Tchouameni fell for. The other was your typical Arjen Robben move. Then you've got his moment against Chelsea this season, too, a cut in and cross to the backpost.

The variety of plays he can develop is absolutely incredible.

If you think about it, the only winger who can match the variety of plays that Saka can develop is Mohammed Salah. From any range, into anywhere, through any means.

Meanwhile, people underrate both massively as wingers.

Look into the past and the wingers who can do the same are

vanishingly few.

Ribery, Neymar, Messi... maybe Robben/Mahrez... Who else?

Bukayo is up there with these legends with the variety of staple plays at his beck and call to affect a game. That is why their teams run the game through these players. They are essentially magicians.

Not to mention that when Saka gets past you 1v1, it is a more dangerous situation than when a Doku does. He is going to put it literally on a plate at a higher percentage.

Your ASMs, Martinellis, Comans, Dokus, Costas can be extremely erratic with their deliveries after the fact

Imagine Bukayo in these situations after the fact. There's no guarantee of a goal but it would look a lot more dangerous on average than these.

What makes for a ‘Magician’ profile in a winger?

—Brain: (general intelligence, creative adaptivity, temperament)

this affects how they carry & use the ball, execute & respond under pressure and learn new things & expand capacity/responsibility

think Messi and Salah evolutions

—Body: (compactness, balance, coordination)

this affects how they can receive and where they can receive it, the capacity to turn either way AFTER placing a foot on the ball with their back against the opposition (this is not the half-turn), what angles they can sell (the

more balanced their proportions and the more proportionately compact the overall profile, the better) mostly after receiving central.

this balanced proportioning & compactness suggests you can go either way & forces oppo to hesitate back to goal and facing forward on the carry

This goal is impossible without the second of hesitation Saka has on the ball, which also forces the defender to hesitate, and then which gives Saka the turn.

It needs pausa and a balanced body type to consistently execute. Sancho has both qualities, too

Brain gives Saka the inspiration to be patient on the ball, compactness gives him strength in case he is charged, his balance sells the illusion to go either way and the angle to exploit is created.

Ribery, Sancho, Messi... all of them can sink on the ball and turn.

These are some of the invisible qualities non explosive wingers have that do not catch the eyes of the average fan.

The ‘Magician’ profile is uninspiring because it isn't too flashy until they arrive on the pitch and consistently pull out results.

They are not understood.

Barcelona have produced the latest of them.

A winger with the brain, technical consistency and range to completely run an attack and produce an infinite number of scenarios to solve it.

Maybe you can stop Doku with Wan Bissaka, but God help you when it is Yamine Lamal.

The End