Was Sarr The Handbrake?

Discussion in 'The Hornets' Nest - Watford Chat' started by SkylaRose, Mar 15, 2023.

  1. SkylaRose

    SkylaRose Administrator Staff Member

    I do not want to make small threads about one game, but I am generally interested in your theories. We all know Sarr is probably good one game in five. He was absent last night, and we looked a much better side for it. We attacked, passed the ball much better and Louza had a lot more freedom in the middle to thread a pass. Kone' was very good last night, his best performance for us to date. He doesn't have Sarr's pace but he works a lot harder.

    Now I know it was just one game, and Brum were toilet, but it does raise a question. Were we really going out there in these dreadful games waiting for Sarr to wake up and do something? It seems like the whole identity of the side is/was built around Sarr. Time will tell of course, but I was impressed with how much more freedom we had without him on the pitch.

    Thoughts?
     
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  2. Keighley

    Keighley First Team

    No. But he might have been the handbrake.
     
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  3. Cthulhu

    Cthulhu Keyboard Warrior Staff Member

    Probably too early to say, and relying on that one game as evidence, but it certainly seems there is something in that.
     
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  4. Hogg-DEENEY!!!

    Hogg-DEENEY!!! Squad Player

    I suppose it's a case of if it ain't broke, don't fix it, last night worked about as well as any other game this season (you can make all the allowances you can for the opposition, but it's not as if we've been blowing teams like Birmingham away), although there are still some question marks. That was probably one of Davis' best games for us (or, more precisely, best halves!), yet he was spent by half-time, and we did seem to lose control of the match in the early stages of the second half, was this a system thing, or a mentality thing? I'd be happy to see the same system again, without Sarr (perhaps with Ferreira instead of Ngakia, and perhaps Gaspar in midfield, I don't really want to get too hyped up about Bacuna over one game), although even if we do go down that route, it doesn't mean Sarr won't have a role to play
     
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  5. SkylaRose

    SkylaRose Administrator Staff Member

    Well spotted. Didn't even notice that error. Thanks :p
     
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  6. UEA_Hornet

    UEA_Hornet First Team Captain

    I know he was up against a midfielder and Brum were pushing up high in that moment but Kone was more effective in attacking from out wide than I can remember Sarr being for months. Direct pacy running, a little bit of a physical battle to win and then concentrating on playing the simple pass to a teammate rather than flopping to the ground pathetically and guess what, a goal arrives! Who'd have thought it?
     
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  7. leighton buzzard horn

    leighton buzzard horn Squad Player

    That seems very generous to me.
     
  8. tonycotonstache

    tonycotonstache Squad Player

    Very possibly 100% correct.
     
  9. Chumlax

    Chumlax Squad Player

    Beat me to it, was literally readying this comment as I scrolled :D
     
  10. BeersThen

    BeersThen Reservist

    More of a choke.
     
  11. Relegation Certs

    Relegation Certs Squad Player

    She meant one game in 5 seasons. Liverpool.
     
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  12. scummybear

    scummybear Reservist

    Or perhaps Bilic wanted us to play slow, whereas Wilder wants us to play fast? To me it seemed like Bilic had no interest in people bombing into space and being played in behind.

    Let's see how Sarr does under Wilder, he might shine yet.
     
    The undeniable truth likes this.
  13. WillisWasTheWorst

    WillisWasTheWorst Its making less grammar mistake's thats important

    Dream on.
     
  14. Supertommymooney

    Supertommymooney Squad Player

    No.

    But that doesn't mean that the new formation isn't suiting other players better.
     
  15. Knight GT

    Knight GT Predictor extraordinaire 2013/14

    I think it was more about how bad Birmingham played in the first half. I wouldn't play him at the scum though as we will need everybody in the trenches on that day.
     
  16. VR94

    VR94 Academy Graduate

    We've been vulnerable in midfield for weeks, with just two sitting in there and Pedro in front, so in the sense that leaving him out allows us to beef up in there, yes.

    It's clear he's been a blind selection all season, regardless of how it affects our setup.
     
  17. wfcSinatra

    wfcSinatra Predictor Choker 14/15

    We have a few musts:

    1. We must play a midfield three where one isn’t JP
    2. However we must play JP in the side
    3. All three of our strikers work better next to a partner

    Therefore, the only solution that works with those restraints, is dropping Sarr.
     
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  18. Carpster

    Carpster Squad Player

    Would have absolutely no problem with this at all. He certainly wasn't missed Tuesday evening.
    The team had more balance and threat going forward.
    My question is were Birmingham useless first half or didn't we let them play? Second half was worrying, especially the first 10-15 minutes though. It's still a new formation under new guidelines of Wilder. I just hope we start like we did Tuesday but also take it in to the second half against Wigan. There was positives but also many negatives from the display that will no doubt be looked at.
     
  19. Hogg-DEENEY!!!

    Hogg-DEENEY!!! Squad Player

    Even Davis looked good for the first half! That said, he can't last the distance, so the second half would need either Sarr or Araujo to come on in his place, let's see if Wilder has the ******** to do that
     
  20. Carpster

    Carpster Squad Player

    He has to. Never change a winning side.
    Even Britt seemed to be able to run a little on Tuesday. Still woefully unfit though.
     
  21. FromDiv4

    FromDiv4 Reservist

    Agreed, I would like to see JP and Araujo.
    2nd option would be JP and Sarr
    3rd JP and Davis.
     
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  22. NemoNemo

    NemoNemo Reservist

    Sarr has been playing on imaginary merit, it’s time he earnt his place in the team like everyone else. The performance against Brum was so much better as a team. I don’t think anybody really stood out but Louza was much further forward and there was a sense of purpose. I also liked Hoedt at left back he has a very good left foot and can switch the play very well. Tactics wise I think you always have to tinker a bit to play the team in front of you without losing your own game plan, but for now Sarr is a benchwarmer
     
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  23. Stuey

    Stuey Reservist

    Sarr's best position is wing/inside forward and that generally means sacrificing a forward or central midfielder to accommodate him. We seemed to be much more balanced in midfield against Brum and had more players in the opposition box at the right time (Louza and Koné runs).
     
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  24. ITK platypus

    ITK platypus Squad Player

    Have our struggles been the result of deep rooted issues in the way our club is run?

    Or one single player who remains the highest goal contributor this season.

    Absurd Watford fans as always.
     
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  25. Carpster

    Carpster Squad Player

    Why absurd? Are you saying you didn't see a more cohesive side on Tuesday without him?
    I said after the QPR defeat that Sarr and Choudhury being unavailable may be a blessing in disguise.
     
  26. a19tgg

    a19tgg First Team

    We scored three without him the other day. It’s not seeing the wood for the trees if you only look at his headline stats. Seeing as we’re currently a mid table team, if he’d not played a game all season where would you place us in the league?
     
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  27. ITK platypus

    ITK platypus Squad Player

    And we scored 3 with him against West Brom. What of it?
     
  28. a19tgg

    a19tgg First Team

    You didn’t answer my other question? If we’d sold Sarr in the summer do you think we’d be lower than 11th? Where do you think we’d be in the league?
     
  29. SkylaRose

    SkylaRose Administrator Staff Member

    I'll have a stab at that one. If we sold him for a half decent amount, and bought a decent striker and an attacking midfielder with the money, we would probably be between 3rd and 7th, which would be very acceptable considering how this season has panned out. Yes Sarr has and can score some very vital goals, but for all the time he spends moping around, a more "up for it" player would be getting on the end of those crosses and creating chances. He won't be here next season, but it's such a shame he has gone out on such a whimper.
     
  30. Knight GT

    Knight GT Predictor extraordinaire 2013/14

    If we sold him and didn't invest then I struggle to see where we would have matched his goal contributions from so I think we would have been worse off
    If we sold him and had invested the money it would have depended on who we signed. Going on last summers activity I suspect we would have been worse off
    In essence it's a difficult question to answer but I think we would've been lower. What of course we don't is know that would it have forced us to use a different formation, similar to when Deeney got injured two seasons ago. That of course could have made a difference but it's all guess work
    What you hope would happen is when you sell one of your better players you hope to recruit well. I remember being gutted we sold Mo Johnston and thinking we would really struggle but we then got Blissett back and he scored over 20 goals
     
  31. The undeniable truth

    The undeniable truth First Team Captain

    If we sold him, we would have to use the funds to pay off debt.
     
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  32. The undeniable truth

    The undeniable truth First Team Captain

    Perhaps we should get Gray back ?
     
  33. ITK platypus

    ITK platypus Squad Player

    If you removed our highest goal contributor we would be... somehow higher in the table. Yes, that's the new narrative.

    I will start rehearsing this.
     
    Knight GT likes this.
  34. a19tgg

    a19tgg First Team

    I didn’t say that did I? I’m asking what you think? We’re 11th now, where do you think we’d be without Sarr and his ‘highest goal contribution’?
     
  35. UEA_Hornet

    UEA_Hornet First Team Captain

    Goal contributions are lovely but not if they come at the cost of off the ball contributions, tackling contributions, showing a bit of backbone contributions, not diving pathetically at every opportunity contributions and not making loads of hospital passes a game contributions.
     

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