| Three goals and two assists in the Championship last season 10:32 - Jul 20 with 3210 views | PatfromPoole |
Those are the stats of Sekou Mara.
From 29 games in a largely winning team, most of which he came off the bench for.
The previous season, he scored one goal in 22 Prem appearances, admittedly in a poor team.
At the risk of being accused of starting a witch-hunt, does anybody seriously think those are stats of a player who we can call on to do the business for us in the Prem?
His appearance last night should be a cause for alarm.
He has had more than enough chances to show what he can do.
Time to move him on. |  |
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| Three goals and two assists in the Championship last season on 10:53 - Jul 20 with 2677 views | saintwizzler |
He is only 21.
He has found it hard to settle in England moving from France on £25k per week.
He works for the team.
Hull chase back preventing a certain goal proves this.
He deserves a place in the squad because he trains well.
Scoring goals is not a true reflection of what he does on the pitch.
It’s the modern game.
Terry Henry was shit when he first moved to Arsenal.
Give him time.
WE MARCH ON |  |
| We thought that we had the answers,
It was the questions we had wrong. |
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| Three goals and two assists in the Championship last season on 11:52 - Jul 20 with 2617 views | Jellybaby |
But he has great hair..... |  |
| I wholly disapprove of what you say and will defend to the death your right to say it. |
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| Three goals and two assists in the Championship last season on 12:40 - Jul 20 with 2561 views | Monksway |
| Three goals and two assists in the Championship last season on 11:52 - Jul 20 by Jellybaby |
But he has great hair..... |
It's going to be stick or twist with a few of the young players bought for or during the relegation season. We spent significant money on their potential with Livramento and Lavia being sold on at a profit. Mara, Edozie, Kamaldeen and Alcaraz should all be a key part of next season but in truth their progression has been mixed. | | | |
| Three goals and two assists in the Championship last season on 13:02 - Jul 20 with 2530 views | PatfromPoole |
| Three goals and two assists in the Championship last season on 10:53 - Jul 20 by saintwizzler |
He is only 21.
He has found it hard to settle in England moving from France on £25k per week.
He works for the team.
Hull chase back preventing a certain goal proves this.
He deserves a place in the squad because he trains well.
Scoring goals is not a true reflection of what he does on the pitch.
It’s the modern game.
Terry Henry was shit when he first moved to Arsenal.
Give him time.
WE MARCH ON |
If Sekou is one of the best players in the squad in training, then there has got to be some pretty serious shirking going on from a lot of other players in training. | |
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| Three goals and two assists in the Championship last season on 14:29 - Jul 20 with 2452 views | kristianJ |
Spot on. Mara has had enough chances. It’s not as if the rest of his game is so great to compensate for his fairly awful stats. Time to move him on. I hope Russ doesn’t start playing him on the right wing (as per last season) or as a number 10 as in Amo and Dibling we have youngsters who, given a chance look like they could develop in to good players. We don’t need Mara blocking their route to the first team. | | | |
| Three goals and two assists in the Championship last season on 15:49 - Jul 20 with 2413 views | sledger |
im sure i would find it difficult to go to france on 25 grand a week,i would be on the next plane/ferry,the truth is i dont care what he does in training its in games where it counts and he showed next to nothing in the second tier,truth is if we hadnt paid 10 plus million for him he would have been shown the door | | | |
| (No subject) (n/t) on 07:54 - Jul 21 with 2265 views | SalisburySaint |
Not sure his playing 45 minutes Friday should be a cause for alarm
Saints used game as a run out for majority of current available squad, 22 players in all, so what’s the issue
[Post edited 21 Jul 7:57]
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| (No subject) (n/t) on 08:17 - Jul 21 with 2247 views | PatfromPoole |
| (No subject) (n/t) on 07:54 - Jul 21 by SalisburySaint |
Not sure his playing 45 minutes Friday should be a cause for alarm
Saints used game as a run out for majority of current available squad, 22 players in all, so what’s the issue
[Post edited 21 Jul 7:57]
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The issue is that he simply is nowhere near good enough.
He wasn’t good enough in the Championship, so how anybody thinks he could be any use in the Prem is beyond me. | |
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| Three goals and two assists in the Championship last season on 09:36 - Jul 21 with 2188 views | cocklebreath |
| Three goals and two assists in the Championship last season on 10:53 - Jul 20 by saintwizzler |
He is only 21.
He has found it hard to settle in England moving from France on £25k per week.
He works for the team.
Hull chase back preventing a certain goal proves this.
He deserves a place in the squad because he trains well.
Scoring goals is not a true reflection of what he does on the pitch.
It’s the modern game.
Terry Henry was shit when he first moved to Arsenal.
Give him time.
WE MARCH ON |
WALOB |  |
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| (No subject) (n/t) on 09:50 - Jul 21 with 2181 views | SaintNick |
| (No subject) (n/t) on 08:17 - Jul 21 by PatfromPoole |
The issue is that he simply is nowhere near good enough.
He wasn’t good enough in the Championship, so how anybody thinks he could be any use in the Prem is beyond me. |
The Eastleigh game was about giving almost the full squad a game, it was not a statement from Russell Martin about who he intends to play on a regular basis next season.
Mara was a squad player last season, football these days is a squad game, he played a part in our success.
Hopefully he will play or not play based on merit, personally I hope he comes good, but only from the perspective that I want everyone of our players to come good.
So I am not too sure why anyone would be too bothered that he has played in a pre season friendly |  |
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| (No subject) (n/t) on 09:53 - Jul 21 with 2181 views | cocklebreath |
| (No subject) (n/t) on 09:50 - Jul 21 by SaintNick |
The Eastleigh game was about giving almost the full squad a game, it was not a statement from Russell Martin about who he intends to play on a regular basis next season.
Mara was a squad player last season, football these days is a squad game, he played a part in our success.
Hopefully he will play or not play based on merit, personally I hope he comes good, but only from the perspective that I want everyone of our players to come good.
So I am not too sure why anyone would be too bothered that he has played in a pre season friendly |
Because if he is part of Russell’s plans we won’t he getting a better replacement which is a bit of a worry. | |
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| Three goals and two assists in the Championship last season on 14:29 - Jul 21 with 2086 views | saintjeff52 |
| Three goals and two assists in the Championship last season on 10:53 - Jul 20 by saintwizzler |
He is only 21.
He has found it hard to settle in England moving from France on £25k per week.
He works for the team.
Hull chase back preventing a certain goal proves this.
He deserves a place in the squad because he trains well.
Scoring goals is not a true reflection of what he does on the pitch.
It’s the modern game.
Terry Henry was shit when he first moved to Arsenal.
Give him time.
WE MARCH ON |
Move him On as soon as you like, he offers nothing to The Team, as evidenced by his substitute appearances last season, in THE CHAMPIONSHIP. |  | | |
| Three goals and two assists in the Championship last season on 14:33 - Jul 21 with 2086 views | saintjeff52 |
| Three goals and two assists in the Championship last season on 10:53 - Jul 20 by saintwizzler |
He is only 21.
He has found it hard to settle in England moving from France on £25k per week.
He works for the team.
Hull chase back preventing a certain goal proves this.
He deserves a place in the squad because he trains well.
Scoring goals is not a true reflection of what he does on the pitch.
It’s the modern game.
Terry Henry was shit when he first moved to Arsenal.
Give him time.
WE MARCH ON |
Move him On. Contributed 'nothing' as a substitute towards the tail end of last season. Never going to make it in The Premier League | | | |
| Three goals and two assists in the Championship last season on 20:41 - Jul 21 with 1951 views | 1ASIN12 |
It’s all well and good saying “ get rid” but we need to try and find some mugs to buy him which let’s be honest won’t be easy .
He has shown nothing to suggest he will be a mid table championship player let alone a bottom 6 premier league player.
If he’s in our team this season then we are in the shit . [Post edited 21 Jul 22:43]
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| (No subject) (n/t) on 20:48 - Jul 21 with 1947 views | SaintNick |
| (No subject) (n/t) on 09:53 - Jul 21 by cocklebreath |
Because if he is part of Russell’s plans we won’t he getting a better replacement which is a bit of a worry. |
He was part of the entire squad bar a few injuries etc for a kick about against Eastleigh, it was no indication that he is part of the plans or otherwise for the season | |
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| Three goals and two assists in the Championship last season on 09:29 - Jul 22 with 1832 views | saintwizzler |
Only 2 loan players allowed in PL so these spaces must be used wisely.
WE MARCH ON | |
| We thought that we had the answers,
It was the questions we had wrong. |
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| Three goals and two assists in the Championship last season on 13:28 - Jul 22 with 1782 views | saint901 |
I've indicated many times that I have a poor opinion of Mara and feel that he is not a player who helps us as a team at the level we're at.
Why?
On a personal ability level, he is limited. He is not somebody you can send the ball to and expect him to hold it. His ability to control the ball quickly and move it on is limited. He has no real vision of players around him. He is not blessed with great pace. He gives the impression of being lazy unless one of the more senior players is in his ear telling him to work.
He is seemingly incapable of learning. When he first joined, he was static and his runs when they came were predictable and late. You do not beat PL/Champ defenders by standing still. He does not runt he channels and seems oblivious to making a third man run to open space for others. His shots on target from chances is low. Combine that with being able to make few chances and that is why his goal stats are low.
For me he is just too lightweight, technically, physically, tactically and every other way, to be a starter in the PL. If he does "train well" he is either freezing on match days or finds the difference in intensity between training and matches too much.
I would lend him out to a team where he can get a full season of actually playing and assess him after that. | | | |
| Three goals and two assists in the Championship last season on 13:42 - Jul 22 with 1775 views | sledger |
| Three goals and two assists in the Championship last season on 13:28 - Jul 22 by saint901 |
I've indicated many times that I have a poor opinion of Mara and feel that he is not a player who helps us as a team at the level we're at.
Why?
On a personal ability level, he is limited. He is not somebody you can send the ball to and expect him to hold it. His ability to control the ball quickly and move it on is limited. He has no real vision of players around him. He is not blessed with great pace. He gives the impression of being lazy unless one of the more senior players is in his ear telling him to work.
He is seemingly incapable of learning. When he first joined, he was static and his runs when they came were predictable and late. You do not beat PL/Champ defenders by standing still. He does not runt he channels and seems oblivious to making a third man run to open space for others. His shots on target from chances is low. Combine that with being able to make few chances and that is why his goal stats are low.
For me he is just too lightweight, technically, physically, tactically and every other way, to be a starter in the PL. If he does "train well" he is either freezing on match days or finds the difference in intensity between training and matches too much.
I would lend him out to a team where he can get a full season of actually playing and assess him after that. |
mara in a nut shell | | | |
| Three goals and two assists in the Championship last season on 14:01 - Jul 22 with 1757 views | SaintNick |
| Three goals and two assists in the Championship last season on 13:28 - Jul 22 by saint901 |
I've indicated many times that I have a poor opinion of Mara and feel that he is not a player who helps us as a team at the level we're at.
Why?
On a personal ability level, he is limited. He is not somebody you can send the ball to and expect him to hold it. His ability to control the ball quickly and move it on is limited. He has no real vision of players around him. He is not blessed with great pace. He gives the impression of being lazy unless one of the more senior players is in his ear telling him to work.
He is seemingly incapable of learning. When he first joined, he was static and his runs when they came were predictable and late. You do not beat PL/Champ defenders by standing still. He does not runt he channels and seems oblivious to making a third man run to open space for others. His shots on target from chances is low. Combine that with being able to make few chances and that is why his goal stats are low.
For me he is just too lightweight, technically, physically, tactically and every other way, to be a starter in the PL. If he does "train well" he is either freezing on match days or finds the difference in intensity between training and matches too much.
I would lend him out to a team where he can get a full season of actually playing and assess him after that. |
I often find myself sticking up for Sekou Mara, not because i am particularly impressed by him, but because i find that he is a scapegoat for many.
4 starts, 24 sub appearances 547 minutes in total and he scored 3 goals plus 2 assists.
So how does that compare against others. (Regular season only)
Charly Alcatraz, 13 starts plus 10 as sub, 1,092 minutes for 3 goals & 1 assist Twice as many minutes but 1 goal & 2 assists less)
Sam Edozie 16 starts 16 sub appearances 1,348 minutes 6 goals & 3 assists (well over twice as many minutes gave twice as many goals & same number of assists, but his ratio was far less than Mara's)
Ryan Fraser 13 starts 26 sub appearances 1,620 minutes for 6 goals & 2 assists (Interesting one, over three times as many minutes, but only twice the number of goals & 1 less assist
David Brookes 11 starts plus 6 as sub, 901 minutes 2 goals and 6 assists (Slightly less minutes, for 1 goal less but 3 more assists)
Sulemana 10 starts plus 15 as sub 933 minutes, 0 goals plus 3 assists (Not even worth comparing)
So compare him against the 5 main players he would compete with for a place and if you take into account real contributions made then Mara compares quite favourably.
Ironically David Brooks went back to Bournemouth without too many singing his praises, but he was the most effective of the six players here given the minutes played and contributions made.
So it is easy to slag off Mara, but football is about contributions made, Sulemana ran around beating 1 player, 2 players 3 players and then going back and beating them again, but he rarely made a contribution.
So Sekou Mara gets a bad press, but he does not deserve the stick he gets on here and for that metter elsewhere.
Where is the "Once a Saints always a Saint" mantra that is spouted by some, but quickly forgotten with certain players.
As I said I didn't think Mara had a great season, but he made a contribution and that is highlighted here. | |
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| Three goals and two assists in the Championship last season on 14:41 - Jul 22 with 1731 views | PatfromPoole |
Only once last season did he make a contribution of any note.
That was when he scored to put us 4-3 up against Huddersfield.
Usually he would come on for the last 15 minutes or so with the game already won.
We somehow won 2-0 up at West Brom with him on the pitch from the start, though he hardly touched the ball all game.
Nick compares him with the likes of Fraser and Alcaraz; I would bet good money that each of them had a lot more attempts on target than Mara. They far more notably make a "contribution" to the game in my opinion.
It is difficult to be supportive of a player who seems to spend as much time being bothered about a new haircut as he does working on his fitness and improving his all-round game.
Sekou just doesn't help himself, I'm afraid. | |
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| Three goals and two assists in the Championship last season on 14:56 - Jul 22 with 1722 views | saintwizzler |
| Three goals and two assists in the Championship last season on 14:41 - Jul 22 by PatfromPoole |
Only once last season did he make a contribution of any note.
That was when he scored to put us 4-3 up against Huddersfield.
Usually he would come on for the last 15 minutes or so with the game already won.
We somehow won 2-0 up at West Brom with him on the pitch from the start, though he hardly touched the ball all game.
Nick compares him with the likes of Fraser and Alcaraz; I would bet good money that each of them had a lot more attempts on target than Mara. They far more notably make a "contribution" to the game in my opinion.
It is difficult to be supportive of a player who seems to spend as much time being bothered about a new haircut as he does working on his fitness and improving his all-round game.
Sekou just doesn't help himself, I'm afraid. |
Hull | |
| We thought that we had the answers,
It was the questions we had wrong. |
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| Three goals and two assists in the Championship last season on 15:26 - Jul 22 with 1701 views | SaintNick |
| Three goals and two assists in the Championship last season on 14:41 - Jul 22 by PatfromPoole |
Only once last season did he make a contribution of any note.
That was when he scored to put us 4-3 up against Huddersfield.
Usually he would come on for the last 15 minutes or so with the game already won.
We somehow won 2-0 up at West Brom with him on the pitch from the start, though he hardly touched the ball all game.
Nick compares him with the likes of Fraser and Alcaraz; I would bet good money that each of them had a lot more attempts on target than Mara. They far more notably make a "contribution" to the game in my opinion.
It is difficult to be supportive of a player who seems to spend as much time being bothered about a new haircut as he does working on his fitness and improving his all-round game.
Sekou just doesn't help himself, I'm afraid. |
A quick question, what is the problem with Mara, as I have said, I don't really think he was one of our better players last season, but he made a contribution, if he had been that bad we would not have gone 22 League games unbeaten.
Perhaps Fraser & Alcaraz had more shots on target than Mara, but that doesn't tell us anything really.
What does his haircut matter in the grand scheme of things, I doubt that he misses training to go and see his barber.
Mara's main task last season was to come on and offer fresh legs to close out games, nothing spectacular
Why can't we just accept that he is what he is, maybe he will come good, maybe he will leave, but I can see no reason for the abuse he gets, it isn't constructive it is personal | |
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| Three goals and two assists in the Championship last season on 15:54 - Jul 22 with 1691 views | PatfromPoole |
| Three goals and two assists in the Championship last season on 15:26 - Jul 22 by SaintNick |
A quick question, what is the problem with Mara, as I have said, I don't really think he was one of our better players last season, but he made a contribution, if he had been that bad we would not have gone 22 League games unbeaten.
Perhaps Fraser & Alcaraz had more shots on target than Mara, but that doesn't tell us anything really.
What does his haircut matter in the grand scheme of things, I doubt that he misses training to go and see his barber.
Mara's main task last season was to come on and offer fresh legs to close out games, nothing spectacular
Why can't we just accept that he is what he is, maybe he will come good, maybe he will leave, but I can see no reason for the abuse he gets, it isn't constructive it is personal |
I don't think my critique of Mara is any less constructive than yours of Jack Stephens, when you regularly singled out his inclusion in the team last season as the main cause of our drop in form.
I would like Mara to be great, but he lacks in the following key areas:-
- finding space to make himself available
- not being quick enough
- being too easily brushed off the ball
- not being a good header of the ball
- not impacting enough on games, simply going missing and easy for defences to mark
- on the rare occasions he does get in on goal, not clinical enough
Is that personal or constructive?
I would say the latter. All of these can be improved with application and hard work. | |
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| Three goals and two assists in the Championship last season on 16:55 - Jul 22 with 1656 views | SaintNick |
| Three goals and two assists in the Championship last season on 15:54 - Jul 22 by PatfromPoole |
I don't think my critique of Mara is any less constructive than yours of Jack Stephens, when you regularly singled out his inclusion in the team last season as the main cause of our drop in form.
I would like Mara to be great, but he lacks in the following key areas:-
- finding space to make himself available
- not being quick enough
- being too easily brushed off the ball
- not being a good header of the ball
- not impacting enough on games, simply going missing and easy for defences to mark
- on the rare occasions he does get in on goal, not clinical enough
Is that personal or constructive?
I would say the latter. All of these can be improved with application and hard work. |
When I criticised Jack Stephens inclusion I was quick to point out just why I did so, I also tried to balance it out by pointing to the fact that he was a good squad player, nor did I bring his haircut into it lol, but in fairness Sekou is a fringe player so it is good he keeps it in trim.
I would also not see Jack Stephens inclusion in a 22 man squad for a pre season kick around with a non league side as proof that Russell Martin plans to build the side around him
I can take and agree with some of your points in this latest post, I truly don't mind players being slagged off constructively.
With regard to your points, I would say that application & hard work might help, but finding space is an instinctive thing, you either have it or you dont, likewise heading the ball.
I would say that Mara lacks confidence, strikers need that and when you are in and out of the side, it doesn't instill confidence and some players then go into their shells | |
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| Three goals and two assists in the Championship last season on 10:01 - Jul 24 with 1484 views | MattFinish |
The transfer window closes in just over five weeks, let's not panic yet. |  | | |
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