Sako departs for the African Cup of Nations this week. He will definitely miss the trip to Blackburn this week, the cup replay against Fulham, the home games against Blackpool and Charlton (or the 4th round of the cup), and the away game at Bolton. If Mali progress to the latter stages he will also miss the games at home to Reading and away at Huddersfield. So he will miss either 5 or 7 games.
He was our most dangerous attacking player on Saturday as he is in many games and will unquestionably be missed. So who will play in his place?
I think the most likely option will be to play Van La Parra on the left and he does swap wings with Sako often during games, particularly after they have taken corners on the opposite wings. But safe to say VLP is nowhere near as effective on the left. An alternative would be to bring Jacobs back from the wilderness. Or to move to a genuine 4-3-3 and play a narrower game with McDonald, Price and Evans in the deeper midfield roles, and three from Dicko, Henry, Edwards and VLP as the front three.
It was a relief that Dicko was not selected for the ACON but worrying that the reason he did not start on Saturday was because he is not fully fit. Being without Dicko and Sako and having Clarke as our main striker would not get us results in League One let alone the Championship so hopefully we will do something in the transfer market to avoid that eventuality.
How do we replace Sako?
posted on 8/1/15
Siggy showed some promise in the championship mostly when played on the right. When Jackett arrived he asked Siggy where he wanted to play and he said as a central striker. So that's where he played him and he was hopeless.
posted on 8/1/15
Interesting facts about Boukari is that we won all four league games when he was in the side and one League Cup game. The only time we lost was that 0-6 LC defeat to Chelsea.
It'll be interesting to read how he gets on when given the chance.
posted on 8/1/15
Good afternoon Halfy
posted on 8/1/15
Morning halfy
posted on 8/1/15
comment by wolfieintheSunshineState (U16306)
posted 2 hours, 21 minutes ago
Interesting facts about Boukari is that we won all four league games when he was in the side and one League Cup game. The only time we lost was that 0-6 LC defeat to Chelsea.
It'll be interesting to read how he gets on when given the chance.
Does that include the Sheffield Weds match when he pulled up injured after 30 seconds?
posted on 8/1/15
At least 42.7 seconds wasn't it?
#sponsoredbysaeko
posted on 8/1/15
£1m and Henry for Demari Gray
Best in the Championship and Blues are on the brink of financial collapse yet again
posted on 8/1/15
Didn't they want Jacobs?
Heard a link to them wanting siggy as well.
posted on 8/1/15
He was actually on the pitch for 14 minutes Roger. Maybe he was a lucky omen then, but my point being, was we only lost 1 game when he was involved in some way or another. He actually lasted 90 minutes in one of them.
posted on 9/1/15
comment by wolfieintheSunshineState (U16306)
posted 10 hours, 13 minutes ago
He was actually on the pitch for 14 minutes Roger. Maybe he was a lucky omen then,
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magical thinking? Really?