England will face one of the host nations, Mexico, on Sunday night in the World Cup Round of 16, and while the Three Lions always like to think of themselves as one of the favorites and have been Finalists in the last two European Championships, they know there is a reason why they have not won the big one in decades.
Although Jude Bellingham and Harry Kane have stepped up massively in this World Cup with clutch goals and all around performances, there are so many other players, including champions of the Premier League, who have not stepped up at all or shown that same winning DNA.
Bukayo Saka is fresh off hoisting the Premier League title to break Arsenal’s drought, but their star right winger has been having a down year even for the Gunners and continues to be shocking for England, too.
The Three Lions need more out of Saka. While the unselfish winger has two assists this World Cup and has not been bad at progressing the ball, his lack of explosiveness one on one, his inconsistency at delivering chances throughout the match, and his sheer lack of a goal threat have really hamstrung England.
Saka is not a nailed on starter, let alone a star for England, and he needs to be more ruthless and change that narrative. Right now, Saka is seen as more of a sidekick and a “very good” player, rather than a world class one. But if he can score and rise to the occasion as a dynamic threat on that right hand side against Mexico, that will all change.
Joe Soriano is the editor of The Trivela Effect and a FanSided Hall of Famer who has covered world football since 2010. He’s led top digital communities like The Real Champs (Real Madrid) and has run sites covering Tottenham, Liverpool, Juventus, and Schalke. He also helped manage NFL Spin Zone and Daily DDT, covering the NFL and pro wrestling.