MY ACCOUNT
Survival specialist Roy Hodgson has arrived at Vicarage Road — and Ismaila Sarr will be key to his next great escape.
But the veteran coach will have to wait for Watford’s winger to return from the Africa Cup of Nations before he is able to deploy his star man.
The Hornets’ No23 is yet to play for Senegal at the tournament, having only joined up with the squad this week after recovering from a knee injury.
However, he could be set to feature in tonight’s quarter-final clash with Equatorial Guinea.
Ahead of that crunch tie, we take a look at why Sarr is so crucial to both club and country.
A new era
Few clubs change managers more frequently than Watford, but the Hertfordshire side may have just struck gold by appointing Hodgson.
The former England boss has an impressive record when it comes to keeping teams in the top flight, as well as maximising the talent at his disposal.
And Sarr may remember how the 74-year-old reinvigorated his fellow countryman Diomansy Kamara’s fortunes, during Fulham’s remarkable revival in 2007-08.
The 19th-place Hornets are only two points from safety as things stand, with games in hand on both Newcastle and Norwich above them.
Hodgson is the ideal man to bridge that gap — and aid the ex-Rennes attacker’s development in the process.
Hornets lose their sting
A 4-1 victory against Manchester United in November was a standout moment for Watford this term — but a low point for Sarr.
An all-action performance which saw him miss a penalty, before doubling the hosts’ lead before the break, was ended when injury struck midway through the second half.
To that point, the 23-year-old had been enjoying a superb start to the campaign.
He had scored five Premier League goals at a rate of 0.44 per 90 minutes, with four of those strikes coming in wins for his side.
Only forward Emmanuel Dennis, with eight goals, has accounted for a higher proportion (34.8%) of the Hornets’ league total (23) than the 40-cap international (21.7%).
Sarr has found the net 10 times in 40 Premier League appearances since arriving from Ligue 1 in the summer of 2019, as well as creating 10 big chances — the most of any Watford player in the club’s last two top-flight campaigns.
International disruption
It had been uncertain whether Sarr would go to the Africa Cup of Nations, but after first travelling to see a specialist, he is now at the tournament.
If Senegal make it all the way to the final on February 6, Watford’s match against West Ham on February 8 may come too soon. However, he ought to be available for the visit of Brighton four days later.
The Hornets cannot afford to rush him back, though.
There is always a risk of injury, as well as the possibility of fatigue leading to rash decisions — as Arsenal found out when Thomas Partey was sent off against Liverpool, after returning to England from Cameroon.
Sarr the saviour
Experienced manager Neil Warnock has given his backing to Hodgson and Sarr, as Watford bid to stave off the drop.
Speaking earlier this week, he said: “If Roy can organise them and get them playing together as a unit, they could still [stay up].
“And if Sarr comes back, he gives them a different dimension because he stretches teams. Watford have managed only one point since he was injured.”
One final act?
Sarr made an instant impact in the Premier League, and he has been linked with a move away from Vicarage Road ever since.
Watford did well to keep hold of him in the Championship last season, as they finished second to win promotion at the first time of asking.
Liverpool — where Sarr could join up with international team-mate Sadio Mane — and Manchester United have both been mooted as potential landing spots for a player with his best years still ahead of him.
If Watford go down this time around, one would not expect Sarr to stick around in the second tier again.
But even if he helps the Hornets survive, the Senegalese sensation could be harder than ever to keep hold of next summer.
