Naby Sarr.

Oggy Red said:

Sage said:

Oggy Red said:

Thinking about Naby's performance at Wembley yesterday ..... IMO he's not so happy playing on the left of the 3 CBs. 

Sunderland were trying to isolate him and get him exposed, sometimes overloading him 2 against 1.
I don't think he's so confident in a 3-5-2.

For me, his best and most consistant performances have come when he's part of a CB pairing in a 4 at the back combination. 

Completely agree. He’s done a good job at left back in the past, but he is a very good centre back. Some people might think that because he has played out there before he can do the role of a left centre back easily but it’s different. You often are caught between two positions and have to defend and block the space instead.

He is not slow at all, but he isn’t the quickest either. Technically very good on the ball and excellent range of passing. I see the thinking behind having him and Bielik as the left and right centre backs with Bauer as the solid rock in the middle. But we are a far better and more effective team with Naby as a centre back and Bielik shielding them in front.

You've expanded my point very well, Sage.

Beilik shielding the defence at the base of the diamond, get's the best out of our twin CBs - and Beilik plays a more involved and influential game.

I can understand why Bowyer looks to use the 3-5-2 on occasion, flooding the midfield to make us hard to breakdown, provide attacking width with plenty of passing options going forward ... but feel it does make us more shaky and vulnerable at the back.

And Beilik and Sarr both look less comfortable.

Looking at the 3-5-2;

Bielik has looked more comfortable with it but it has detracted from his all-round game. Sarr has looked less comfortable with it (although he was fine away to Donny) and it's maybe partly down to Purrington pushing so high. There didn't look to be much cover in front of him at Wembley. We saw the best and worst of 3-5-2 at Wembley; exposed centre-backs with no full-back cover but a wing-back playing so high, that he crept up undetected and tapped in for a goal. 

I've watched the 1st half again; Sarr gets in on Max Power fairly in the opening minute and that (sadly for Power) was the end of his day. He won a few headers after that and got a couple of decent challenges in. He was about to get done on the outside so took one for the team by tripping the Sunderland forward and he knew exactly where he was just outside the box. LB was right to make the change with Pearce coming in and switching to 4-diamond-2. The game was at stalemate, which they tried to break by introducing MacGeady (didn't work) and we countered by introducing Williams (which did work). Sunderland had run out of ideas so Charlton sensed it and went for the knock-out blow. 

I suspect Naby is taking his fasting quite seriously, which means not only no food after about 2.30am but no water either. I really like him as a player and I think he'll do OK in the Championship. 

Do we actually know that he was fasting? A Muslim friend told me once that sportsmen can claim exemption if they are competing during Ramadan and then make it up later on.

Not seen this interview before

https://www.newsshopper.co.uk/sport/17667843.charltons-naby-sarr-reflects-on-eventful-day-at-wembley/?ref=mr&lp=2

I am fine with  Naby being on the squad next year.   With Bauer likely leaving, let Pearce and naby battle it out for the second starter position but we absolutely need an upgrade at one starting center half position.  There is definitely a difference in quality between league one and championship.  Of our current starting lineup I would be comfortable with Cullen, bielik, aribo being quality starters in the championship.  Unfortunately, there is no guarantee any of these will be on squad next year.  Lyle and Dillon are interesting cases, they have been outstanding in league one but the step up in quality at striker and goalkeeper seems higher than other positions. That being said realistically given budget constraints,  we might be only able to upgrade in a a few positions. Ideally, one center half, the second striker, and one midfielder with a mix of returning players and some journeymen on a free for the rest of the roster

Did Pratley drop back into Defence then once we'd scored?

don't give away trade secrets haha 

Pratley is very underrated, he may be aging but strong, experienced and will always give 100% and probably great to have around the place for the younger players.

Part of the thing with Darren is the expectation of where we should be in the league and how much we should be dominating games. 

Last year we were expecting to dominate the majority of games and were likely to be put inder less pressure bu the opposition. So we were better off with the likes of Cullen and Bielik playing the holding roles as they are more technical and had more aspects to their game whilst bot being quite so good as the Pratley role.

This season we are expecting to be put under more pressure so having someone do solely the Pratley role is key. And he has thrived.

Soon the penny will drop with some Charlton fans and maybe players as well that Lee Bowyer picks a side to do a job against different opposition. 
On CL and at the ground you still hear why is Sarr/Pearce/Pratley etc dropped after playing well ! 

At the beginning of this season there were question marks against every single player in this squad about could they prove themselves in the Championship.
Solly and Pratley are playing better than they did in League 1.

The beauty of 3-5-2 is it dovetails into 5-3-2 when you are under the cosh to deal with crosses or through balls. 4-4-2 can still be effective but interesting that Leeds prefer to play against 4-4-2.

Naby Sarr will always give us heart stopping moments (Cruyff turn when last man !) But I for one was disappointed when he didn't take the free kick down the Covered end.

According to FB someone saw him down Asda in Charlton and buy a homeless man a bag of shopping- Class if true

Gammon said:

According to FB someone saw him down Asda in Charlton and buy a homeless man a bag of shopping- Class if true

Wouldn’t surprise me in the slightest. Naby, along with Jonny, are two of the nicest, down to earth footballers left in the game. I genuinely believe that. 

Leuth said:

Bowyer and Jackson know the measure of the man, that's why he's the only network-era signing who's still here. Wonder if our budget can accommodate a contract extension 

Hope so!!

loved the celebration after his goal 

MartinCAFC said:

wmcf123 said:

Leuth said:

Bowyer and Jackson know the measure of the man, that's why he's the only network-era signing who's still here. Wonder if our budget can accommodate a contract extension 

That’s not the reason he’s still here. That’s because he signed a 5 year contract on very high wages.  Bauer and Igor’s were only 4 years; they left at the end of it .

The 5 year contract will be the reason he's still here on his high wages no doubt.

But having said that would any of us be opposed to a contract extension on the same terms? Think that's the point Leuth was trying to make.

Or offer him reduced terms? He still might go for it.