Saturday 15 August 2015 20:13, UK
We profile Crystal Palace winger Bakary Sako as he awaits his Premier League debut.
When Bakary Sako left St Etienne in 2012 it was something of a surprise that he ended up in the Championship with Wolves rather than the Premier League. After a trip to League One and back, the exciting winger will now finally get his top-flight chance with Crystal Palace.
In his final season in France, Sako was one of only four players to rank among the top 10 for most shots and dribbles. The others were Eden Hazard, Javier Pastore and Nene. He wasn’t always that efficient but, as Wolves boss Kenny Jackett put it, “you need match winners”.
In 2013, Jackett sifted through the wreckage of Wolves’ back-to-back relegations and decided that Sako was well worth holding on to. With nine goals in his debut campaign, he was largely untainted by that failure. “I think he is a very good player,” said Jackett.
“I also think he is a very good character. They will be the two things in my time here that I will judge him on. He is popular with the crowd and I didn't think when I came in he was one of the ones that really needed a fresh start.”
Moving to Palace rather than rivals West Brom should ensure that Sako retains much of that popularity despite his summer exit from Molineux. But the switch to Selhurst Park is also a good move for the player himself. The proposed transfer to Albion always seemed flawed.
Sako is an unusual player. Built like a centre-back but with the skills of a tricky winger, he plays a carefree style of football that sees him risk losing possession in dangerous positions. As a result, he often seems to be on the brink of infuriating the crowd.
And yet, that moment of magic has seldom been far away. In his three seasons at Wolves, he was tolerated, indulged and embraced because of that ability to make things happen. That feels more like Alan Pardew’s current milieu rather than the risk averse Tony Pulis.
With Yannick Bolasie and Wilfried Zaha already at the club, Palace supporters might recognise these traits too. Pardew certainly did. “Every time I looked at him at Wolves, I kept thinking 'he's a Crystal Palace footballer',” he said last week. “Quick, dynamic, strong.
“His goal record is what attracted me to him. He scores goals from the wide areas and I think that's something we need to improve on. He's been brought here to provide direct competition for Bolasie and Zaha, because both those guys need to score more goals.”
He scores goals from the wide areas and I think that's something we need to improve on.
Sako certainly scored consistently for Wolves. His total of 36 league goals in 118 games in English football is only three shy of Zaha and Bolasie’s combined tally in 400 matches between them. Premier League goalkeepers will be tougher but they’ll also be tested.
After missing much of pre-season, despite maintaining an individual training regime over the summer, the first challenge is for Sako to get match fit. That was reflected in the fact that his Palace debut came for the Under-21s against Hull City on Monday afternoon.
Whether Palace can expect to see the best of him in that environment is unlikely. The famed atmosphere at Selhurst Park should help. Sako is a player who can feed off that positivity. “He does really respond to the crowd very well,” said Jackett.
Capable of operating anywhere across the front line, Sako thrives when encouraged to roam and Pardew could be the man prepared to do that. Right from the outset upon taking over, he stressed the need to embrace the “mavericks”. It’s the sort of talk Sako likes to hear.
“I talked to some clubs but when I met Alan I felt a good feeling between him and me and that's why I chose Palace,” he said upon signing. “He plays attacking, attractive football so it should be good to play here and score some goals, that's why I came to join him.
“I want to play lots of games, score some goals and get some assists and enjoy myself.” Both player and manager seem in the mood for some fun this season. And given enough freedom, there aren’t many players more fun to watch than Bakary Sako.
