Who is Naby Sarr similar to ? David Luiz or John Stones, in they have moments of madness in defence but can also show great flair.
I have been consistent in my views this season that Naby deserves his place in the Charlton Line up but that does mean you accept the ridiculous with the sublime.
Over 90+ minutes Sarr can't play in any other position. Naby would have been great in a Dutch total football system in the freedom it would give him but his starting position would still be CB. I believe Lee Bowyer know the unique skillset of Sarr at CB and the good, bad and ugly moments which will accrue from that.
The great thing with Naby is that he adds a bit of passing flair that you don't need to supply from the midfield and allows you to play 3 centre halves. It is always about horses for courses and I have had so many arguments at lower levels I have managed when I feel I can see attributes and others don't. There are a few like minded people on here who really see the potential of the guy, some who are more in the middle and then those that don't rate him. If I was Bowyer, when I write my team sheet, the first name on it would be Phillips, followed by Taylor, then Cullen and then Sarr.
We are pretty much all guilty of bigging up players too much and then shooting them down as soon as there is a blip. Naby has real talent but is very inconsistent - thats why he plays for Charlton and not Real Madrid.... Support the player and don't fly off the handle when he has an off game! Also don't like the "used to be shite" chant, helps no one
After the amount of sh*t he got when he first turned up the guy could have given up, but he showed mental strength and his quality as a player is undeniable at this level.
I get frustrated when I see people talking about his passing like it's risky or there's a mistake in him. His passing is way above any of our other defenders. Genuinely hits the ball better than anyone else in our team as far as I can tell. He is definitely awkward looking and I'm sure that contributes to people's opinion about him, but you need to look at his contribution in terms of moving the ball forward and it far outweighs any risk attached to it. I think Lockyer and Pearce are more error prone than him, it's just that Sarr is on the ball a lot more.
You can see how much the other players trust him to bring the ball out.
The goal this season v Hull when he carried the ball out the box whilst half the stadium shouting "CLEAR IT" and showing general displeasure with him not putting his foot through it, only for him to pass to Morgan, continue his run and tap it in was perfect. Celebrating with a finger point to the head like "I know what I'm doing guys, chill"
I think he's a top half championship defender easily. Would be great on a ball dominant team. 5 at the back definitely suits him for us because he gets freedom to do what he did last night. He was quality.
I have seen people try and compare him to other players but I don't think I have ever seen a player like Nabby before. Certainly not at Charlton.
That assist last night was world class. I think his upside isn't disputable. I think it's how much people view his down side as an issue. I am actually not sure what his weakness is, its certainly not technical or effort.
IMO if you compare him to both Lockyer and Pearce, Nabby would rate higher on every footballing attribute (and would probably be in the top 3 or 4 at the club) but what they have is the "over my dead body" approach to defending.
Like a lot of players he has ended up playing in a position that "least exposes his weaknesses". He will obviously make a good career based on pure ability but he isn't a natural defender. I think it was Jimmy Seed how said the same about Josh Parker being "a watcher" and not having the goal scoring instinct.
I hope we offer him a new contract, yes he might be a confidence player and have the Millwall moments when he’s not doing great but yesterday showed us there’s a brilliant player in there somewhere, with his passing abilities maybe he’d even be worth trying out as a defensive midfielder?
I must admit I do enjoy watching Naby play. I recognise he has the potential to make the odd howler but frankly that's no different from the others in defence and he does bring quite a few positives. Does look better in a 3 at the back. I say offer him another contract at the end of the season.
It's funny people pick up on what Naby doesn't do well in their eyes yet just accept Pearce and Lockyer's limitations because they meet traditional expectations of what they want a centre back to be. Being a "natural defender" is a nonsense phrase based off those traditional expectations set by previous generations.
As a sidenote: He has 3 goals and 5 assists so far and we've only scored 41 goals. He's been directly involved in 19% of our goals this season. The only players with higher contribution than him at that end is Taylor, Bonne, Gallagher and Leko.
anyone would think he's the next Franco Baresi the way some of our fans go on about him.
yeah, he's good. he has natural ability but his judgement and heading ability is questionable. i wouldn't have him as our last line of defence but as a defensive playmaker he looks the part. i would sign him up for another season but on sensible wages.
anyone would think he's the next Franco Baresi the way some of our fans go on about him.
yeah, he's good. he has natural ability but his judgement and heading ability is questionable. i wouldn't have him as our last line of defence but as a defensive playmaker he looks the part. i would sign him up for another season but on sensible wages.
And on the other hand after Millwall some decided he should never play for us again and was nowhere near Championship standard.
The truth is somewhere in the middle.
If we’re going to compete at the other end of the Championship table I think he’s more likely to become part of a team that does that than Pearce - though he needs to become more consistent to do that.
Naby is getting better and better, albeit in a 2 steps forward, 1 step back, 2 steps forward kind of way.
The only thing that holds him back is his mindset on the park ...... never has the phrase, "He who hesitates is lost" apply to a footballer more than Naby. The moment he hasn't got a clear picture in his mind, he hesitates - and there's the split second he doesn't attack the ball and win the header; or allows the opponent to nip in and take the initiative.
But last night Naby was decisive. First to the ball. Positive in his decision making. And dominating. It's all there, he has it all.
He just needs to have that decisiveness, drive and determination for 90 minutes each and every game. It's all in the mentality. And last night he showed what he's capable of with a decisive mind set.
You make a good point. Naby had a good game, but could Pearce or Lockyer have done what he did last night? No way! When a player has that talent it has to be nutured and he needs to be played.
What was the best assist: The amazing cross last night against Forest or the deliberate miss against Barnsley which sends the defense the wrong way before he back heals to Andre Green to smash the ball into the net against Barnsley.
Naby is getting better and better, albeit in a 2 steps forward, 1 step back, 2 steps forward kind of way.
The only thing that holds him back is his mindset on the park ...... never has the phrase, "He who hesitates is lost" apply to a footballer more than Naby. The moment he hasn't got a clear picture in his mind, he hesitates - and there's the split second he doesn't attack the ball and win the header; or allows the opponent to nip in and take the initiative.
But last night Naby was decisive. First to the ball. Positive in his decision making. And dominating. It's all there, he has it all.
He just needs to have that decisiveness, drive and determination for 90 minutes each and every game. It's all in the mentality. And last night he showed what he's capable of with a decisive mind set.
Oggy says it all. Nothing else needs to be said really.
Playing 3 CBs you need someone who can carry the ball out effectively, that player who can move into midfield and make progressive passes. If Bowyer wants to regularly play that system, then Sarr or someone similar is essential
It's not that Sarr is a terrible player, it's that if you want a player who has incredibly poor decision making and a high tendency to do stepovers to trick himself, let alone the opposition, he needs to be based higher up the field.
There could be a place for him at Charlton, but not as a CB in my opinion.
It's funny people pick up on what Naby doesn't do well in their eyes yet just accept Pearce and Lockyer's limitations because they meet traditional expectations of what they want a centre back to be. Being a "natural defender" is a nonsense phrase based off those traditional expectations set by previous generations.
As a sidenote: He has 3 goals and 5 assists so far and we've only scored 41 goals. He's been directly involved in 19% of our goals this season. The only players with higher contribution than him at that end is Taylor, Bonne, Gallagher and Leko.
Don't agree with this, people have been very critical of Pearce. Lockyer less so but then he hasn't played as poorly.
I have seen Lockyer and Pearce made numerous errors this season. Why Pick on Naby? They also have a tendency to pull the shirt of opposing players with the potential to give away a penalty or free kick in a dangerous position. Some of Naby's sliding tackles have the same potential but most of his tackling is clean.
Comments
I get frustrated when I see people talking about his passing like it's risky or there's a mistake in him. His passing is way above any of our other defenders. Genuinely hits the ball better than anyone else in our team as far as I can tell. He is definitely awkward looking and I'm sure that contributes to people's opinion about him, but you need to look at his contribution in terms of moving the ball forward and it far outweighs any risk attached to it. I think Lockyer and Pearce are more error prone than him, it's just that Sarr is on the ball a lot more.
You can see how much the other players trust him to bring the ball out.
The goal this season v Hull when he carried the ball out the box whilst half the stadium shouting "CLEAR IT" and showing general displeasure with him not putting his foot through it, only for him to pass to Morgan, continue his run and tap it in was perfect. Celebrating with a finger point to the head like "I know what I'm doing guys, chill"
I think he's a top half championship defender easily. Would be great on a ball dominant team. 5 at the back definitely suits him for us because he gets freedom to do what he did last night. He was quality.
I have seen people try and compare him to other players but I don't think I have ever seen a player like Nabby before. Certainly not at Charlton.
That assist last night was world class. I think his upside isn't disputable. I think it's how much people view his down side as an issue. I am actually not sure what his weakness is, its certainly not technical or effort.
IMO if you compare him to both Lockyer and Pearce, Nabby would rate higher on every footballing attribute (and would probably be in the top 3 or 4 at the club) but what they have is the "over my dead body" approach to defending.
Like a lot of players he has ended up playing in a position that "least exposes his weaknesses". He will obviously make a good career based on pure ability but he isn't a natural defender. I think it was Jimmy Seed how said the same about Josh Parker being "a watcher" and not having the goal scoring instinct.
As a sidenote: He has 3 goals and 5 assists so far and we've only scored 41 goals. He's been directly involved in 19% of our goals this season. The only players with higher contribution than him at that end is Taylor, Bonne, Gallagher and Leko.
yeah, he's good. he has natural ability but his judgement and heading ability is questionable. i wouldn't have him as our last line of defence but as a defensive playmaker he looks the part. i would sign him up for another season but on sensible wages.
If we’re going to compete at the other end of the Championship table I think he’s more likely to become part of a team that does that than Pearce - though he needs to become more consistent to do that.
The only thing that holds him back is his mindset on the park ...... never has the phrase, "He who hesitates is lost" apply to a footballer more than Naby. The moment he hasn't got a clear picture in his mind, he hesitates - and there's the split second he doesn't attack the ball and win the header; or allows the opponent to nip in and take the initiative.
But last night Naby was decisive. First to the ball. Positive in his decision making. And dominating.
It's all there, he has it all.
He just needs to have that decisiveness, drive and determination for 90 minutes each and every game.
It's all in the mentality. And last night he showed what he's capable of with a decisive mind set.
What was the best assist:
The amazing cross last night against Forest or the deliberate miss against Barnsley which sends the defense the wrong way before he back heals to Andre Green to smash the ball into the net against Barnsley.
Nothing else needs to be said really.
There could be a place for him at Charlton, but not as a CB in my opinion.