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Pape Matar Sarr

Probably need 5 CMs if you're playing 60 games per season, as we'd hope too. Though given Conte rotates less than other managers, there is a risk that 1 or 2 might not too much game time
 
Ah. The irony of potentially hindering his development for a a rule designed to ensure clubs develop their own players!

True. I thought you should cut the squad number to 22, if you need anyone else use the academy.

Although do you then loan out players?
 
Hipe @StephenH is ok, not heard much from him since he dropped the bombshell about his wife.
Funny you should mention him. I tried to message him the other day to ask how he was doing but for some reason I can't PM him. I hope he's OK.
We're all (mostly) strangers on here, but even so it feels like there's a close community, and I'd hope he could come back one day if he feels up to it.
 
Has @Yiddo been on this thread shouting at everyone who has been positive about his performance today yet? ;)


Edit - I've now checked and to be fair most of positivity was in the match thread, so I will add that it's nice to see him getting his first start - Do we want to be heading into crunch games in the PL / CL with him as a starter right now? Probably not but there's a lot of potential to work with and with Bissouma's injury maybe some more chances coming his way.

Still a big ask to start him in the bigger PL games imo. He's still very young and inexperienced for a CM.

I'm guessing, but more sub appearances and perhaps a start in one of the "easier" PL fixtures seems like the next step. But probably depends as much on the fitness of others as anything.

Looked a first team player yesterday though. Don't think PEH or Bissouma would have done better in those circumstances.

How he does in different game conditions, up against better teams is still an open question tough.
 
Still a big ask to start him in the bigger PL games imo. He's still very young and inexperienced for a CM.

I'm guessing, but more sub appearances and perhaps a start in one of the "easier" PL fixtures seems like the next step. But probably depends as much on the fitness of others as anything.

Looked a first team player yesterday though. Don't think PEH or Bissouma would have done better in those circumstances.

How he does in different game conditions, up against better teams is still an open question tough.
I don’t agree
We brought dele in out of the blue almost and he hit the ground running
If your good enough, your old enough
 
I don’t agree
We brought dele in out of the blue almost and he hit the ground running
If your good enough, your old enough

I agree that if you're good enough you're old enough. Just think we haven't seen yet of he's good enough for the biggest games, tougher game conditions.
 
Someone else mentioned this before, but his playing style and gait are very reminiscent of Viera. Looks like a star in the making.
 
Won’t know though unless he gets a chance
He already looks better than spurs Bissouma

We obviously can't know. Conte can't be certain either, but probably has a better idea of how that would work out than us.

I just think it's a big step up. He's in the process of stepping up from a lower ranked French team to being a useful player for a CL chasing PL team. Starting the biggest games for us, that's another solid step up.

Will be interesting to see what Conte does. If it takes a bit of time before he gets those chances I think that's fine.
 
Won’t know though unless he gets a chance
He already looks better than spurs Bissouma
I’m a bit wary of these sort of comments. Looks better than Spurs Bissouma? Bissouma obviously hasn’t shown his Brighton form yet, but he has had some good performances and players can take a while to settle and certainly with Contes specific demands. Bissouma has played in highly pressurised and intense games, whereas Sarr was bought on against Palace when the game was won and at home against Portsmouth. Had Bissouma featured in these games I don’t doubt he would have looked great, and it’s quite likely Sarr would have looked out of his depth in several games where we are consistently outnumbered in CM. Sarr looks to have very good potential, but he is not at Bissoumas level yet and I don’t doubt Bissouma is well ahead of Sarr in the pecking order right now. But it’s good to see we have another young talent to blood….
 
I’m a bit wary of these sort of comments. Looks better than Spurs Bissouma? Bissouma obviously hasn’t shown his Brighton form yet, but he has had some good performances and players can take a while to settle and certainly with Contes specific demands. Bissouma has played in highly pressurised and intense games, whereas Sarr was bought on against Palace when the game was won and at home against Portsmouth. Had Bissouma featured in these games I don’t doubt he would have looked great, and it’s quite likely Sarr would have looked out of his depth in several games where we are consistently outnumbered in CM. Sarr looks to have very good potential, but he is not at Bissoumas level yet and I don’t doubt Bissouma is well ahead of Sarr in the pecking order right now. But it’s good to see we have another young talent to blood….

Definitely agree. As we've seen repeatedly different game conditions can make players look great or poor.

I think managers do well not to throw younger players out into the more difficult game conditions too quickly, or conditions that aren't as well suited to their current level and strengths/weaknesses.

Let them grow their confidence when things are a bit easier. Not a lot of young players that can have a poor game without it affecting them. Development happens when there's a sufficient challenge, not one that is too difficult.

20 year old deep midfielders doing well in the biggest matches is almost unheard of. It happens, but only very rarely. Even if Sarr takes a year or two to get there he could still go on to be a fantastic player. Imo he's already well ahead of the curve, he should be given opportunities. The coaching team will have a decent idea of how much would be too much too soon.
 
I’m a bit wary of these sort of comments. Looks better than Spurs Bissouma? Bissouma obviously hasn’t shown his Brighton form yet, but he has had some good performances and players can take a while to settle and certainly with Contes specific demands. Bissouma has played in highly pressurised and intense games, whereas Sarr was bought on against Palace when the game was won and at home against Portsmouth. Had Bissouma featured in these games I don’t doubt he would have looked great, and it’s quite likely Sarr would have looked out of his depth in several games where we are consistently outnumbered in CM. Sarr looks to have very good potential, but he is not at Bissoumas level yet and I don’t doubt Bissouma is well ahead of Sarr in the pecking order right now. But it’s good to see we have another young talent to blood….
My comment is 100% valid

Bissouma best performances have also been coming on as sub when games have been won
The games he has started he has been woeful
Im also confident that Sarr won’t let his man walk away from him as easy as we have seen Bissouma do. I dont care who yoir playing against, work rate is key and it’s something Sarr has shown and bissouma hasn’t here, yet
 
Definitely agree. As we've seen repeatedly different game conditions can make players look great or poor.

I think managers do well not to throw younger players out into the more difficult game conditions too quickly, or conditions that aren't as well suited to their current level and strengths/weaknesses.

Let them grow their confidence when things are a bit easier. Not a lot of young players that can have a poor game without it affecting them. Development happens when there's a sufficient challenge, not one that is too difficult.

20 year old deep midfielders doing well in the biggest matches is almost unheard of. It happens, but only very rarely. Even if Sarr takes a year or two to get there he could still go on to be a fantastic player. Imo he's already well ahead of the curve, he should be given opportunities. The coaching team will have a decent idea of how much would be too much too soon.
Did you watch Bellingham in the WC?
Midfield is where youth can excel as it’s an area where energy is paramount and you still, in theory have cover behind you
 
Did you watch Bellingham in the WC?
Midfield is where youth can excel as it’s an area where energy is paramount and you still, in theory have cover behind you

I did. And he's one of the reasons why I said almost unheard of instead of unheard of.

Bellingham is up there as one of the most talented central midfielders in his generation. Camavinga too. But even he didn't get to start in CM for France. Tchouameni is another one, went for all the money to Real at 22. One of the most talented CMs around. At 22 he was really ready, not at 20 apparently.

Enzo Fernandez. Linked to a huge move as a CM at 21. Would he have been as good if the World Cup was a year ago?

Just because Bellingham is ready doesn't mean that Sarr is ready. Doesn't mean he has to be ready to have the brightest of futures ahead of him. Bellingham being ready is the exception, not the rule. Part of what makes Bellingham such an outstanding player and prospect.

Essentially I don't think Bellingham being ready has any relevance when talking about if an entirely different player is ready.

He may be ready, he may not be. He seems to be moving in that direction and have real quality. That's great. Let's see how quickly he continues to develop.
 
Sorry, long winded answer getting more long winded.

I think deep midfielders are usually some of the latest developers of any position.

Yes the energy is good. Yes, there's cover. But at the same time errors in deep midfield are often very costly. No manager wants to leave their centre backs exposed too often.

To add to that deep CM is the role where play is the most "everything, everywhere all at once". Puts the most pressure on awareness and positioning. Runners around you, switches of play, dribblers, players ahead of you that can ping balls in behind, players behind you that can be a threat.

Wide at least the pitch stops next to you, mainly one side where you have to be aware. At CB runs in behind is a threat, you have to mind the offside line, but at least there is an offside to be played if a player gets beyond you and play is almost always ahead of you.

In a midfield two like we play this puts even more pressure on that. You really need to get your positioning and awareness spot on the vast majority of the time.

The number of central midfielders that haven't been ready for that at the highest level as a starter at 20, but have gone on to be great deep midfielders is massive. There are exceptions, but the venn diagram of "not ready at 20" and "excellent at 25" is fairly close to a perfect circle imo.
 
Looks to have a good engine and pleased that after putting a simple pass out of play early in the game he was still prepared to long crossfield passes. Not under a lot of pressure from Pompey but not easy playing in a multi changed team.
 
Looks to have a good engine and pleased that after putting a simple pass out of play early in the game he was still prepared to long crossfield passes. Not under a lot of pressure from Pompey but not easy playing in a multi changed team.
I think he was always under pressure because they had parked the bus
So every pass is over scrutinised and that by it’s natural brings pressure
 
also a very calm elegant player, like he's cruising through the game. a lot like viera?
i think he will make an excellent pairing with hojberg - both cover a lot of ground at above average hojberg speed - for better intensity in the midfield.
no loan please, amongst the young ones sarr is the one who is closest to the first team.
 
also a very calm elegant player, like he's cruising through the game. a lot like viera?
i think he will make an excellent pairing with hojberg - both cover a lot of ground at above average hojberg speed - for better intensity in the midfield.
no loan please, amongst the young ones sarr is the one who is closest to the first team.
I think he wound work so well with Bentacur myself
He would sit deep and screen
Bentacur can move the ball
 
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