Ismaila Sarr

Discussion in 'Former Players Archive' started by Smudger, Aug 8, 2019.

  1. The undeniable truth

    The undeniable truth First Team Captain

    Yes he could yet prove to be our greatest ever signing based on such a huge arms-length sale profit. Pozzo model in action.
     
    lutonh8a likes this.
  2. davisp2

    davisp2 Reservist

    I think the best we can hope for is selling Sarr to Udinese for an inflated fee. I can’t see anyone else paying much for him.
     
    The Voice of Reason likes this.
  3. Chumlax

    Chumlax Squad Player

    Even if a club that isn't a technicality version of us does for some inexplicable reason pony up enough pride cash for Gino to accept, as we've tracked in the build-up on this very thread, Sarr is 25-years-old now. He's not even a young/promising player. He's just a senior attacker, who has spent pretty much the entirety of the last two seasons winding down not just in terms of output, but in terms of attitude, commitment, on-pitch responsibility, and general momentum.

    Whatever it is you think of him as a player at this point (and I imagine it might well align at least a good bit more with what some of us have thought for some time, now), whatever new manager he finds himself under in this phantom scenario is going to have to pull off an almost Lazarus-tier reversal purely to stop him fully sinking into the mire and entirely embracing his role as one of those flatter-to-deceive, features-in-one-game-in-three former wunderkinds who might score one spectacular goal a season as a substitute and spark a flurry of furious op-ed'ing from the assorted footballing press announcing his long-awaited arrival, before disappearing down the tunnel literally and metaphorically for another season and effectively declaring his career by the age of 28.

    That isn't a fantastical scenario at this point - it's here. He can't even be bothered to make a half-convincing challenge for a header in the second tier, let alone run at speed or pick an intelligent pass or movement. This incarnation of Watford being a basket case that literally ruins every single player it encounters is doing a great deal of heavy lifting for Ismaila, and his agent, at this point. Frankly, whatever level of truth there is to that, I don't believe it's anywhere near substantial enough to explain/excuse/justify just how ineffective a player he is at this juncture of his career.

    It's wild to see - I'm not entirely sure who the the best comparison is, as it's not even like he was robbed of opportunity or ability by injury like a Wilshere or a Pulisic. I guess in one sentimental sense it's almost heartening to see, as he's clearly bought into the Watford way so wholeheartedly that he has literally fashioned his career as a living metaphysical embodiment of the famous patented Watford Wind-DownTM.
     
  4. wfcSinatra

    wfcSinatra Predictor Choker 14/15

    Lol so dramatic! He’s not been good, at all. Extremely frustrating player in a poor team and has still contributed 16 times! In a team with no striker!!

    His general play will probably always be a bit poor but as long as he has sheer raw pace he will have a decent career, maybe off the bench in large parts but there’s absolutely no doubt we have not helped him one bit. Just the sheer fact he’s had what, 8 managers in his time here? LMAO!

    Proper tactical instruction, better team mates, a flourishing happy environment, and a manager who can stick an arm around him and he’ll play lower half football or European football at some Europa League level club.
     
    Knight GT likes this.
  5. a19tgg

    a19tgg First Team

    He’s crap.
     
  6. leighton buzzard horn

    leighton buzzard horn Squad Player

    Has he helped himself by giving his best in every game? We all know the answer to that.

    This 'sheer raw pace' is his biggest asset - why doesn't he use it?
     
    Chumlax and Carpster like this.
  7. WatfordTalk

    WatfordTalk First Team

    Great post, agree completely. Comfortably the most frustrating player I've seen in a Watford shirt. 99% of professionals would kill to have his raw pace, but he can't be bothered/is too scared to use it, even against bang average Championship left backs. His goals against Reading (weak foot curler top corner), West Brom, Liverpool, and his half volley for Rennes paint the highlight reel of a technically gifted potential elite-level player. But he often looks like he has no real control of the ball, or is too timid to show what he's capable of, for risk of failure.
     
    munichhorn, Chumlax and reids like this.
  8. wfcSinatra

    wfcSinatra Predictor Choker 14/15

    Ah yes pashun. Cathcart tries his best every game and is shyte. Sarr to Villa was also done, then pulled so he ends up staying here.

    Given how much everyone hates Pozzo and finds the club difficult to support, not saying I feel sorry for any of them but don’t you think the toxic environment everyone bangs on about rubs off on players too?
     
    Knight GT likes this.
  9. leighton buzzard horn

    leighton buzzard horn Squad Player

    Without 'pashun' you get performances like you've seen this season against Wigan, L*ton, Blackburn, Swansea etc. Talent is meaningless without application, and that is exactly what you see with Sarr.

    Cathcart tries his best every game and is shyte
    Sarr doesn't try his best every game and is shyte.

    I know which one I would rather have representing Watford.
     
    UEA_Hornet, FromDiv4 and domthehornet like this.
  10. Chumlax

    Chumlax Squad Player

    Dismissing it with this kind of 'lol so dramatic' sentiment at this point is effectively just wilfully pulling the wool over your own eyes. You have essentially no evidence to back up the idea that he is now capable of playing at that level, and plenty that he's barely functional several levels below that at this point in his career, which was exactly the point I made in my post.

    Added to the fact that, obviously, when we consider him we are considering the reputation/promise he came with, and the incredible praise he has been constantly showered with from teammates and management telling us what a phenomenally talented player he is.

    Sheer raw pace doesn't guarantee any successful career at that level at all, it basically at best guarantees what I described, and enough times not even that. He's not good with the ball at all, never really has been, is a very very hit and miss finisher at best with the occasional worldy, and mentally doesn't do anything he is required to. It's not a dismissible thing at this stage, which again was the crux of my point.
     
    WatfordTalk likes this.
  11. UEA_Hornet

    UEA_Hornet First Team Captain

    When you look at his goals for the year most of them are pretty standard.

    West Brom away halfway line shot was obviously exceptional vision and execution and his finish against Middlesbrough was very tidy too. But both of those came last August.

    Everything since has really been in 'anyone could do it' territory. Unmarked header against Stoke. Tap ins against Swansea and Reading. Lucky goal from a corner against Cardiff. Free shot from a deflection in the box against West Brom at home. A very enjoyable but nonetheless easy 4th goal against already dead and buried Luton. And finally a penalty against Blackpool.

    9 goals in total from 32 starts in attack is pretty mediocre. And he's made even fewer assists.
     
  12. Irishorn

    Irishorn Gael Force

    He is a better player than he is currently showing with us, but I believe that his current best is not as good as many would have expected. He has completely lost interest in the Watford project and whether he can regain that sense of purpose with another club remains to be seen. There are plenty of owners/managers who can convince themselves that they can get a tune out of him, and all Watford can do is eek out the best price they can for him this summer for an amicable parting of the ways.

    I'm sorry to say that, currently, he is just a constant frustration to watch and all parties will be happier when he moves on.
     
    Since63 likes this.
  13. Since63

    Since63 Squad Player

    Perhaps a couple of hamstring injuries have seriously reduced his initial acceleration which is what that 'electric pace' was based on. A bit like what happened with Michael Owen; although the latter had sufficient other attributes to remain a consistent performer for the team.
     
  14. Hogg-DEENEY!!!

    Hogg-DEENEY!!! Squad Player

    Whether Sarr really cares I don't know, but it does seem to me as though he doesn't have belief in himself, which is probably why he seems to prefer being a big fish in a small pond
     
  15. NathWFC

    NathWFC First Team

    He's just really not very good, either technically or mentally. His one and only stand out attribute is his pace, and he doesn't use it. He's average or worse even in this division in terms of his touch, technique, finishing dribbling, passing and crossing, and he's shown himself to be lazy and difficult to motivate.

    The fact is he's just not actually that talented as a footballer, outside of his speed, and he doesn't have the mindset/mentality to make up for it. I'll be shocked if we manage to get even £10m for him at this point considering his age, contract status and performances over the last two seasons. Not that I care at this point, I'll just be glad to see the back of him.
     
  16. Knight GT

    Knight GT Predictor extraordinaire 2013/14

    Nobody else is scoring goals like that though. Not sure we can be critical of the type of goals he scores
     
  17. UEA_Hornet

    UEA_Hornet First Team Captain

    I'm not sure I'm being critical of the types of goals he's scored. It's simply that the attributes of an attacker who could replace him on that front aren't hard to find.
     
  18. Hogg-DEENEY!!!

    Hogg-DEENEY!!! Squad Player

    Fair enough, although it's fair to question whether his goals on their own are good enough considering he does frustratingly little otherwise
     
  19. The undeniable truth

    The undeniable truth First Team Captain

    Don't forget the double-marking impact :)
     
    Sahorn likes this.
  20. Knight GT

    Knight GT Predictor extraordinaire 2013/14

    Can’t argue with that but again tonight he’s in the right place to score. In fact a good goal all round. Shame about the rest of the game
     
    wfc4ever likes this.
  21. wfcSinatra

    wfcSinatra Predictor Choker 14/15

    Scores again and probably our most dangerous player. Double digits again in a tinpot side. Dramatic is exactly what it is.
     
  22. Smudger

    Smudger Messi's Mad Coach Staff Member

    He's done okay and given what he is surrounded by I have no doubt at all in a proper side he will excel.

    But and there is one his lack of courage tonight. You have pace use it. Instead he cuts back and hands the responsibility to another. Certainly once in the first half playing it to Andrews and then in the second half to Ngakia. He has the fullback one on one. Just knock it past and run to the byeline. Has he given up too ?
     
  23. Bubble

    Bubble Wise Oracle

    Our most dangerous player tonight was Hoedt. Every time he was facing his own goal I thought Cardiff were going to score.

    Don't even get me started on that c**t Sarr.
     
    NathWFC and Smudger like this.
  24. Chumlax

    Chumlax Squad Player

    Not surprised at all that you came back for this with a new straw to clutch, but the reality is it's just a sophomoric assessment, and the rankest hyperbole to describe him as our most dangerous player. Again failed several times to even connect with a header, apart from anything else. The idea that anything that happened tonight with him was a positive reinforcement to the idea that he could play for a Europa League team is laughable.

    Unless the very top fundamental checkpoint of those teams' collective scouting systems happens to be 'manages to finish a point blank tap in against second-tier relegation candidates'. In which case: huzzah!
     
    WatfordTalk likes this.
  25. wfcSinatra

    wfcSinatra Predictor Choker 14/15

    Okay mate. 17 goal contributions, AFCON winner. Playing in a team with the most useless starting #9 I’ve seen here in a while, an 18 year old kid behind him, a DM that doesn’t pass forward and a midfielder in Konè who just put in one of the worst 45’s I’ve ever seen.

    Let’s come back to this in 12-18 months and we’ll see who’s right.
     
    Knight GT likes this.
  26. Chumlax

    Chumlax Squad Player

    Seems like quite a few excuses made for him there covering things that shouldn't have much real bearing put on them by the technical qualities and/or age of his teammates, but yes, indeed, we will exactly see what has happened to Sarr's career in 12-18 months.

    Just for posterity, I would lay out here and now once again, though, that you did not sub-respond to a post from me claiming he is guaranteed to fail - I said:

    • '...whatever new manager he finds himself under in this phantom scenario is going to have to pull off an almost Lazarus-tier reversal purely to stop him fully sinking into the mire and entirely embracing his role as one of those flatter-to-deceive, features-in-one-game-in-three former wunderkinds who might score one spectacular goal a season as a substitute and spark a flurry of furious op-ed'ing from the assorted footballing press announcing his long-awaited arrival, before disappearing down the tunnel literally and metaphorically for another season and effectively declaring his career by the age of 28.'
     
  27. NathWFC

    NathWFC First Team

    He's ****. Lazy, spineless and ****.
     
  28. Hogg-DEENEY!!!

    Hogg-DEENEY!!! Squad Player

    Sarr will do better than us, but absolutely nowhere near as well as we would have hoped he'd reach when he joined us
     
  29. wfc4ever

    wfc4ever Administrator Staff Member

    And for about 30 million less !
     
  30. wfcSinatra

    wfcSinatra Predictor Choker 14/15

    Won’t necessarily disagree on the spineless but I do ask this and up to you if you want to try answer genuinely or sarcastically.

    But as of now, he still has 17 goal contributions in this god awful side. 9th best in The Championship. If he is so s**t, why is he contributing at a good rate?
     
    Knight GT likes this.
  31. LondonOrn

    LondonOrn Squad Player

    A bit surprised you didn't mention Chalobah because I was thinking his career has followed a similar sad trajectory - he was Sarr's age when we started 2020/21 (at least we got a good final three months out of him), but like you said he does have some excuse/explanation of why he hasn't lived up to his great initial promise.

    Also not directly related but I like the way you encapsulated one of the major problems of us over most of the Pozzo era, even when they were still largely in the fans' favour - the recurring tendency of winding down alarmingly over a season or longer period. Another thing Watford have patented, as exemplified by last night, is this way of plumbing depths that we wouldn't have thought them capable of reaching - there were signs of that in 2019/20 with some of the performances post-lockdown (Southampton at home, West Ham away), but this has become particularly evident over the last two seasons.
     
    Chumlax likes this.
  32. AndrewH63

    AndrewH63 Reservist

    He will end up at Palace as the Zaha replacement. I don’t care if we get 2p for him. A shocking signing that makes you pine for Andre Gray.
     
  33. a19tgg

    a19tgg First Team

    It’s the championship, 9th best in the championship is nowhere near a Europa league calibre player. In overall football terms that’s the return of a £5m-£10m player that a relegation battling PL team might want to take a punt on. I’ve no idea why you’re getting so excited about some stats that in the wider scheme are just not very good.

    Again just a reminder, we’re talking about the championship here.

    I’m guessing you’re one of those fans who thinks he was a good investment because he helped us get out of the championship?
     
    Phnom Penh Horn likes this.
  34. wfcSinatra

    wfcSinatra Predictor Choker 14/15

    In a poor squad may I add. He’s never going to be a £40m player that some expected due to a figure reported online somewhere and due to that some expected him to be better than he is / was.

    However, he’s now weirdly become underrated with fans suddenly thinking he’s worse than he is. Do you genuinely believe he’s worse than what some Europa League teams have? Rennes are still Europa!

    No I don’t, he was an awful investment but he’s still our second more sellable asset and still worth £20m.
     
  35. a19tgg

    a19tgg First Team

    The thing is though, it’s not a poor squad in championship terms is it? That’s a really lazy excuse to hide behind.
     

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