Charlton Athletic boss Lee Bowyer has offered support to his under-fire defender Naby Sarr after the 26-year-old was at fault for both goals conceded in their last match against Millwall.

The defender has faced a barrage of criticism from Addicks fans, with a large number calling for him to be dropped for Charlton's next league game against Cardiff this Saturday.

Quoted by the South London Press, Lee Bowyer reminded the fans of how much Sarr has improved during his time at The Valley, especially since Bowyer took charge in March 2018.

“We have to remember how far he has come. When I first took over 18 months ago he was in a bad place," Bowyer said.

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“Yeah, it was a shame he was at fault [against Millwall] but he has played a lot of games for us. So you can’t just get caught up in that game. All players make mistakes at one time or another."

Reflecting on the Millwall defeat at The Den, the Charlton manager wanted fans to take a step back and analyse Sarr's performances in defence as a whole, not just focusing on one game.

“Once you come away from it and have had a couple of days to calm down you have to look at the bigger picture, that’s all I’d say. And that is how far he has come in the time that I’ve been in charge.”

The Verdict

Sarr may have been demoralised by the nature of the goal conceded in stoppage time and the reaction that was shown by the Charlton fans, but it is up to him to prove them wrong.

Bowyer is right to stick by his man, as it will give Sarr confidence knowing that the manager still has his faith in him, giving him a chance to bounce back.