The Diafra Sakho Affair – a defence!

By Hugh Southon

Ok, he splits opinion like nobody since Ravel Morrison but Diafra Sakho’s world on Wednesday August 30,2017 needs to be examined a little more closely before hard and fast judgements are made about his behaviour.

And the truth surely is that at a time when the manager’s man management is so heavily under fire, his role in the events which led to this squalid little Rennes business, needs more than a passing look.

As I understand it, Sakho got the hump when Andre Ayew was selected ahead of him for the game at Newcastle given, presumably, the goal and assist which led to us entering the next round of the League Cup.

Understandable – so would I have done, and I reckon most any one reading this would too, although it’s very doubtful many would have responded in Sakho fashion.

However, this is a guy who has battled back again from a shocking injury caused by clumsy Senegal physios whilst he was on international duty creating a scenario which has seen him play four times in two years.

His career stands at a crossroads big time and if he doesn’t do it this year it could easily be career over at the top level – he has a right to worry but I entirely accept that he HE HAD NO RIGHT TO BEHAVE AS HE DID.

Having said that and given the the boy’s track record when he believes he has a justifiable complaint about his non selection this one should surely have been handled a lot more carefully.

And let’s be honest, is there anyone out there who can tell me after his contribution against Cheltenham, why Ayew replaced him?

Water under the bridge of course but we also need to ask what Sakho’s agent was up to in allowing his client to put his client on the front line of the barrage of abuse that has followed the striker after his day out across the channel.

These guys escape much criticism in such affairs with the words “badly advised” sometimes covering a multitude of sins.

I listened to a radio programme last night in which some presenter was claiming that Sakho’s behaviour was “disgusting and appalling” etc and that if he wears the shirt he hoped he was booed. Talk about pandering to the basest instincts!

Surely we have enough problems without creating such a shocking situation around a bloke who, shall we say, has a well known and unfortunate personality. He needs help, guidance and very careful handling, especially from his manager.

I can understand all of those who say he is a lost cause, a hopeless case, that he be allowed to leave and that he has shamed himself and the club. I really do get it.

But he remains at West Ham and although I have no doubt there is a strop coming on, he has started to look good and sharp again. Therefore  I can see absolutely no reason why he should not play in front of Ayew on form.

Nor do I believe that there’s many – looking at things purely from a football perspective -who will disagree.

Sakho at his best gives us a different dimension and should have been selected last Saturday over Ayew in my view. I honestly though it was a given ahead of the game.

I do not in any circumstances agree with Sakho’s reaction but I do understand it  and believe it to be entirely predictable given what we all know of his character from a distance. And if we know it Slav and his team know the issues far more intimately.

Love Sakho or hate Sakho, booing and abuse will only make another messy situation even worse so as my associate Sean Whetstone wrote elsewhere on the site let’s give the guy a break and a possible way back.

So much depends on Sakho and everybody else pulling together now – we need no more splits and trouble given the bigger picture and our League position.

COYI