Mamadou Sakho

[Fredo]

Play's with a lot of heart but criminally lacks the technical ability we are used to seeing or would like to see in a centre back.

Are you taking the piss?

[RichC]

Play's with a lot of heart but criminally lacks the technical ability we are used to seeing or would like to see in a centre back.

I think his stats blow that out of the water

[danperkins]

Still on the fence about Sakho. The stats are in his favour alright but sometimes when he goes to kick the ball.. it just looks like he's going to fall over. Early doors for me see what happens.

[Fredo]

Stats shows different though and I wonder how many times he's fallen over, despite looking like it.

[Rowan]

Stats shows different though and I wonder how many times he's fallen over, despite looking like it.

Totally agree. Reminds me of the Paula Radcliffe thing. Running coaches (and most club runners) always said she had the worst technique imaginable and should be ****... Yet she was actually the best in her discipline in the world. To imply he has a lack if skill or, in this case balance, because he's got a less conventional gait or stance is ****ing ludicrous

[McDermotX]

Yeah.....but she **** herself in her field of play. Sakho hasn't done that yet. Just put the ****s up the defence the odd time.

His stats are good, but you know what they say about them, but I'm more concerned with how the defence operates as a group and I see Sakho as an important part of that for years to come. We have issues, for a variety of reasons both in personnel (including the GK in this) and approach, at the back, so we're still very much a work in progress, and next season will be another transition as we hopefully blood in a couple more.

He'll have a year under his belt with us, more experience, more understanding and hopefully less of the injury concerns, as it's very hard to form a group if one goes missing. We paid for potential rather than the finished article, that much is abundantly clear, and we witnessed some of his rashness at work at points along the season, but he'll hopefully erase that over time.
Conversely there are loads of positives in his play....strong, determined, willing to hold the ball, signs of leadership etc.

Problem is now is that he appears to have a monkey on his back with regard to how he is viewed by pundits, not entirely without due cause admittedly, but they are going way, way over the top with most of the criticism.

[Charly]

I think his stats blow that out of the water

I think he looks more awkward on the deck than he actually is, but the problem with stats is they will also show you Sakho had a single clean sheet last year. 8 came when Agger was playing with Skrtel instead.

And he is poor (really poor) in the air, winning only 56% of aerial duels compared to Agger 64% and Skrtel 70%.

Personally, I wouldn't mind if we sold all four centrebacks and started again, without blowing £20m on a teams second choice centreback.

[Fierce]

I think he looks more awkward on the deck than he actually is, but the problem with stats is they will also show you Sakho had a single clean sheet last year. 8 came when Agger was playing with Skrtel instead.

And he is poor (really poor) in the air, winning only 56% of aerial duels compared to Agger 64% and Skrtel 70%.

Personally, I wouldn't mind if we sold all four centrebacks and started again, without blowing £20m on a teams second choice centreback.

[Kinell]

Are you taking the piss?

I wasn't, but the use of the word "criminally" may have been a bit harsh. Defensively he's solid but just lacks the composure on the ball that modern great centre backs have.

[Shaggy]

He is incredibly composed on the ball

He takes his time and makes sure he picks the right pass. Often a bold pass too - fizzed through gaps into centre midfield, always to feet. Occasionally he'll feed it to the full back but more often than not he's zipping it into the centre circle. I just don't get all this.

[I, Ravel Morrison]

People are mistaking his unconventional kicking motion for bad technique.

[Fredo]

I wasn't, but the use of the word "criminally" may have been a bit harsh. Defensively he's solid but just lacks the composure on the ball that modern great centre backs have.

Think you're completely wrong.

[G]

He is incredibly composed on the ball

He takes his time and makes sure he picks the right pass. Often a bold pass too - fizzed through gaps into centre midfield, always to feet. Occasionally he'll feed it to the full back but more often than not he's zipping it into the centre circle. I just don't get all this.

Think you're completely wrong.

His passing stats are the best of any of our centre backs. He'll be a mainstay of our defense for years.

[Shaggy]

His passing stats are the best of any of our centre backs. He'll be a mainstay of our defense for years.

Aye. Still room for improvement but the whole "Bambi on ice", "no composure" stuff is bizarre. Don't look at the stats, don't look at his technique, watch where the ball goes!

[Rich]

Aye. Still room for improvement but the whole "Bambi on ice", "no composure" stuff is bizarre. Don't look at the stats, don't look at his technique, watch where the ball goes!

It is down to luck. He's a **** but lucky passer. That has to be the explanation here.