Up there with one of our best signings in recent years, Fankaty Dabo was a key part of our promotion-winning team last year and has looked at home following the step up to the Championship. Having started off his time at Coventry City looking capable of both great moments going forward but also defensive errors, Dabo gradually improved both sides of his game as his first season at the club progressed in order to make himself absolutely undroppable. Injury issues have dampened Dabo’s impact this season, but he has still been able to demonstrate his quality as an attacking player on the right of pitch while rarely struggling with the extra quality of opposition forwards.
Fankaty Dabo is one of those players that you look forward to watching each week. It’s not just that he is an excellent footballer with a great first touch and the ability to ease past opponents, but that he also plays with 100% commitment – whether that’s digging in to help the team defensively or in surging up the pitch to provide an option in attack. Aside from struggles with injury, Dabo’s impact this season has been limited by how much defending the team has had to do, which has reduced his opportunities to get forward and produce telling moments with his dribbling ability, timing of the run and accuracy in his crossing. However, the extra defensive responsibility has demonstrated Dabo’s improvement during his time at the club, as he no longer looks the weak link at the back that he once was.
Dabo has shown himself to be the kind of player who has the capacity to improve over time and based on the challenge in front of him. While he hasn’t quite been able to show this season what he is capable of as an attacking outlet for the team on a consistent basis, with greater experience of this level of football, it shouldn’t be too long before he does. It was an excellent piece of business to bring him in on a free transfer when we were in League One, Fankaty Dabo looks like the kind of player who would be at home in most Championship teams.
Sideways Sammy 