Player Watch Player Watch: Pape Sarr

[BorjeSpurs]

Still just 20. Ok, a couple of iffy passes but big whoop. I saw a prime Redondo misplace passes.

Sounds like you’ve missed to give Sarr his birthday wishes when he turned 21 in September.

 

[Buggsy61]

VDV was my MOM today with Sarr just behind.
Great game intelligence from a young lad and what an athlete - he has the lungs of a racehorse who never seems to tire and would make a great middle distance runner - 400-800m

 

[Finchyid]

VDV was my MOM today with Sarr just behind.
Great game intelligence from a young lad and what an athlete - he has the lungs of a racehorse who never seems to tire and would make a great middle distance runner - 400-800m

Agree 100% he’s an unreal talent

 

[Fergus]

I don't think Sarr is an any danger of losing his starting place when Bentancur returns. After a long layoff, even with very successful surgery and rehab, Bents will take weeks of sub appearances before he has enough match fitness to last 90 minutes. In the interim, I see Bents being used to steady the ship in the final quarter of the game a la the current version of Hjoberg. Also, with Bissouma collecting yellows like a lepidopterist, Sarr is sure to have plenty of starts alongside Bentancur.

 

[Freddie]

I don't think Sarr is an any danger of losing his starting place when Bentancur returns. After a long layoff, even with very successful surgery and rehab, Bents will take weeks of sub appearances before he has enough match fitness to last 90 minutes. In the interim, I see Bents being used to steady the ship in the final quarter of the game a la the current version of Hjoberg. Also, with Bissouma collecting yellows like a lepidopterist, Sarr is sure to have plenty of starts alongside Bentancur.

Plus I don't think Ange will have any pre-existing bias towards Bentancur because he won't have seen how good he was for us before (although I'm sure he's done his research). To him, Sarr is largely responsible for how good we've been this season so it's for Bents to show he deserves to take his place.

 

[Japhet]

Needs a new contract and wages befitting his output and importance to the team. Read today he's on 10k per week (no idea if that's true) but he definitely deserves a big upgrade now that he's proved his worth.

 

[worcestersauce]

I am not surprised how well he's doing but I have to admit I am surprised at how quickly he's got there. Like most people probably, I thought he'd be coming off the bench for a while but Postecoglu has played him from day one so I guess he saw it in training and it has paid off. He is definitely looking more assured now than he was first couple of games which is a fantastic result and great to see.
I wish he'd either stop shooting from outside the box or practice more though

 

[Freddie]

Beggars belief that Conte saw this guy and Bissouma training daily and decided Hojbjerg should play every minute of every game. Hard to think that wasn't deliberate sabotage.

 

[yido_number1]

Beggars belief that Conte saw this guy and Bissouma training daily and decided Hojbjerg should play every minute of every game. Hard to think that wasn't deliberate sabotage.

Different system and a year more experience would probably be the story for Sarr. Not like we were crying out for more when we watched him last year.

Either way just appreciate what Ange is doing now and stop looking back.

 

[Freddie]

Different system and a year more experience would probably be the story for Sarr. Not like we were crying out for more when we watched him last year.

Either way just appreciate what Ange is doing now and stop looking back.

We're seeing how good he is because he's playing regularly and he has a manager guiding him. He isn't really more experienced than he was a year ago because he barely played last season. If anything it might have stunted his development. Hojbjerg showed nothing after the first couple of months last season that warranted keeping this guy out.

 

[spanishspur]

People will say hindsight but I told my friends last season Sarr should be getting serious game time
Ok he is more experienced now and probably more physically developed and fully deserved his starting place.
Someone will have to step up in January when we lose him and bissouma to the African cup of nations
COYS

 

[-Afri-Coy-]

He's progressed because he's played and he has a manager guiding him. Hojbjerg showed nothing after the first couple of months last season that warranted keeping this guy out.

Other than the fact that Hojbjerg was statistically our 3rd best player all season? And I’m talking overall performance statistics, not just G/A.

Different system, different needs. You have to be able to put your bias aside to make statements like this when there’s facts to the contrary.

 

[Freddie]

Other than the fact that Hojbjerg was statistically our 3rd best player all season? And I’m talking overall performance statistics, not just G/A.

Different system, different needs. You have to be able to put your bias aside to make statements like this when there’s facts to the contrary.

How do you statistically measure who is our third best player? Presumably you watched a lot of our games last season...how well do you think PEH played? Because most people were identifying him as the biggest issue that needed addressing. He was actually making the system not work. As for bias, I've stated many times that I thought Hojbjerg was a good player used poorly by Conte for the most part.

 

[Wheeler Dealer]

Other than the fact that Hojbjerg was statistically our 3rd best player all season? And I’m talking overall performance statistics, not just G/A.

Different system, different needs. You have to be able to put your bias aside to make statements like this when there’s facts to the contrary.

I think Hojbjerg statistically being our third best player just illustrates what an absolute shit show we endured last season. You talk about different systems, but Conte's was flawed. dated and turgid, which led to an 8th place finish and him blaming everyone but himself for our failure.

 

[-Afri-Coy-]

How do you statistically measure who is our third best player? Presumably you watched a lot of our games last season...how well do you think PEH played? Because most people were identifying him as the biggest issue that needed addressing. He was actually making the system not work. As for bias, I've stated many times that I thought Hojbjerg was a good player used poorly by Conte for the most part.

Like I said, statistically speaking. You can pull these things up on Opta, and according to their match rating system, across the entirety of last season PEH was our 3rd best player overall. You also mentioned that PEH showed nothing after the first couple of months yet we were comfortably in 3rd until around the Christmas period.

To your additional point, I agree 100%. I’ve been pretty vocal about how PEH flatters to deceive. He’s okay in a one dimensional system like Conte’s but he’s extremely limited when required to do anymore than the basics and he’s always stuck out as a player who needed to be replaced in the squad. That doesn’t mean he didn’t do well in that system. He did. It’s just that the system in its entirety was rather boring and defensive so most fans like yourself wouldn’t see it as good enough.

I get your underlying message though, it’s just that the context you used is slightly skewed. In Conte’s boring drab system, PEH excelled to a degree. In Ange’s progressive system, Sarr is by far the better choice. I said last season, after the Milan game that Sarr should be starting ahead of PEH but I understand that Conte tends to stick with an 11 unless there’s major injuries that force his hand.

We were never going to see the best of Bissouma/Sarr under Conte, and we should move on from that comparison. Things have change dramatically since then. For the better.

 

[-Afri-Coy-]

I think Hojbjerg statistically being our third best player just illustrates what an absolute shit show we endured last season. You talk about different systems, but Conte's was flawed. dated and turgid, which led to an 8th place finish and him blaming everyone but himself for our failure.

I agree, and I expanded in my response to include pretty much exactly what you’ve said here.

 

[Sp3akerboxxx]

PEH will always be twice as good a player as fans on here think he is.

There is a reason Simeone wants him at Atletico

 

[-Afri-Coy-]

PEH will always be twice as good a player as fans on here think he is.

There is a reason Simeone wants him at Atletico

I suspect he’ll be gone in January.

 

[TheHodFather]

Obviously I can see the link between Sarr and Hojbjerg as they're competing for a spot in the side, but he does have his own thread...

 

[hughy]

I suspect he’ll be gone in January.

I don't see how we would allow that with Bissouma and Sarr off to AFCON. No one knows how well Bentancur will have bedded back in by then.

I think it'll be next Summer earliest.