Tony Cascarino has admitted that he simply did not understand what some England fans were saying about Bukayo Saka before the Arsenal star’s performance against Switzerland on Saturday.
Gareth Southgate’s men are through to the semi-final of Euro 2024 after winning a penalty shootout, but it was the performance of Bukayo Saka which largely gave England a chance of edging the last eight clash.
It was Saka who looked most dangerous during the first-half, and the Arsenal man scored the goal which levelled the tie when Breel Embolo had given the Swiss the lead with 15 minutes remaining.
And of course, regardless of whether you support England or not, it was fantastic to see Saka score from the penalty spot after what had happened three years earlier. Unsurprisingly, Saka has been receiving plenty of plaudits – and it is probably safe to say that he has managed to silence a number of doubters.
Tony Cascarino hits out at what has been said about Bukayo Saka
Saka played in a slightly different role against Switzerland. He was one of a number of players who had been really struggling for form in the opening games of the tournament, with some seemingly believing that he should have been taken out of the side altogether for the quarter-final.
However, speaking on talkSPORT, Tony Cascarino suggested that the 22-year-old has had a much better tournament than many people are perhaps giving him credit for.
“I had quite a number of conversations with friends of mine over the England team like many of us do, and I kept saying I couldn’t get why so many people felt Saka should be dropped, I just didn’t get it,” he said.
“To me, he has been a bit of a shining light for England because first game they played against Serbia, his first-half performance is one of the reasons why England got a result, he was willing to take his defender on. I think he got caught in England’s system.”
Redemption arc so nearly complete
Saka has scored crucial penalties for Arsenal since Euro 2020, but it still seemed significant that he managed to find the back of the net from 12 yards in a shootout while wearing an England shirt.
But the Arsenal man will feel that the redemption arc is not yet complete, with England still searching for that first major tournament victory since 1966.
With Netherlands ahead in the semi-final, there is an unbelievable opportunity for Saka and this England side.