Player Watch: Moussa Sissoko

[Everlasting Seconds]

4 pages ago people were saying he was proving them wrong. Now he's dogshit again after a further 30 minutes of league action.

That's because his best level was and is average or worse. It was 4 months ago, it was 4 weeks ago, and it is now. The only premature thing in this thread has been when posters, without any substance, started slamming fans who did and don't rate him.

 

[Archibald&Crooks]

4 pages ago people were saying he was proving them wrong. Now he's dogshit again after a further 30 minutes of league action.

The complaints were never put to bed, merely filed away for future reference. I'm surprised some people gave him 30 minutes, you know how it is, you gotta go some to shed scapegoat status. I think he's one of those players for whom that'll never happen, people will always have their foot drawn halfway back, ready to put the boot in at the earliest opportunity

 

[tiger666]

That's because his best level was and is average or worse. It was 4 months ago, it was 4 weeks ago, and it is now. The only premature thing in this thread has been when posters, without any substance, started slamming fans who did and don't rate him.

I don't particularly have an issue with posters who don't rate him. I have an issue with posters saying he was doing ok then just waiting for the next 15 minute cameo to rag on him again. I have an issue with posters calling one of our players dogshit and cancer. I find that disgusting and that's not going to change.

 

[Everlasting Seconds]

I don't particularly have an issue with posters who don't rate him. I have an issue with posters saying he was doing ok then just waiting for the next 15 minute cameo to rag on him again. I have an issue with posters calling one of our players dogshit and cancer. I find that disgusting and that's not going to change.

Well said.

 

[Deleted member 27995]

I maintain my view that he is a 6/10 player who doesn't have the attributes we required to improve the team or squad.

Hopefully he'll keep working hard. He had a few good weeks and with a good preseason might be able to improve next season but overall I don't see him being seen as a good signing.

Seems like a blinkered view considering what Poch has managed to do for some at the club. His physical attributes are there for all to see. Rome wasn't built in a day but some people want the earth.

Hopefully they don't give up on a 30 million pound player too soon, otherwise that'll be the next thing you all complain about.

 

[alfie103]

Isn't his fault that we played poorly last night and created nothing but my goodness he is a limited footballer.

 

[dontcallme]

Seems like a blinkered view considering what Poch has managed to do for some at the club. His physical attributes are there for all to see. Rome wasn't built in a day but some people want the earth.

Hopefully they don't give up on a 30 million pound player too soon, otherwise that'll be the next thing you all complain about.

I thought he didn't cost us £30m

I also mentioned him improving next season so hardly advocating getting rid.

 

[Shadydan]

Isn't his fault that we played poorly last night and created nothing but my goodness he is a limited footballer.

People are using this excuse to vent at the the result and using him as a source for their frustration, they did the same with Lamela who cost the same and now everyone has turned to Sissoko.

 

[alfie103]

People are using this excuse to vent at the the result and using him as a source for their frustration, they did the same with Lamela who cost the same and now everyone has turned to Sissoko.

Indeed, I thought Kane and Alli were quite poor last night. Sissoko wasn't great but he didn't start and wasn't any worse than those two I mentioned.

 

[whitesocks]

Indeed, I thought Kane and Alli were quite poor last night. Sissoko wasn't great but he didn't start and wasn't any worse than those two I mentioned.

Sure, but he has got something to prove. They have nothing to prove, as they see it.
Kane is one of the top scorers in the country again, and Alli is serenaded for 90 mins every game regardless of getting a touch.
To be fair to Sissoko, at least he looks fit - I'm sure he sails through MP's training sessions.

That is more than you can say for one of our other subs who looks fat and unfit to me.

 

[Everlasting Seconds]

Isn't his fault that we played poorly last night and created nothing but my goodness he is a limited footballer.

Of course he has nothing to do with the result of the one match yesterday. Sadly, one should say, Sissoko has shown no ability what so ever to influence the final result of any match in any direction.

 

[The Apprentice]

The complaints were never put to bed, merely filed away for future reference. I'm surprised some people gave him 30 minutes, you know how it is, you gotta go some to shed scapegoat status. I think he's one of those players for whom that'll never happen, people will always have their foot drawn halfway back, ready to put the boot in at the earliest opportunity

What's your assessment of him A&C?

 

[PMS]

Sadly so far he looks like he is just doing the bare minimum.

 

[philip]

Sure, but he has got something to prove. They have nothing to prove, as they see it.
Kane is one of the top scorers in the country again, and Alli is serenaded for 90 mins every game regardless of getting a touch.
To be fair to Sissoko, at least he looks fit - I'm sure he sails through MP's training sessions.

That is more than you can say for one of our other subs who looks fat and unfit to me.

Noticed that too. Still got a pat on that ample stomach from Poch.

 

[SEANSPURS1975]

Gerting very concerned on how Pochettino is using Sissoko. Isn't it abundantly clear to everyone he cannot play down the right hand side. IT ISN'T WORKING POCH. IT'S NEVER GOING TO WORK. It really is getting embarrassing now. I'm no manager, but surely you play a player in a position he can actually play!! He was shit there for Newcastle last season and was ok for France in the Euros. I'm not Sissokos biggest fan, but HE IS NOT A WIDE PLAYER!! Don't ask him to come on to change a game, to create chances. It's not going to happen. Watching him trying to take a man on shows his complete lack of skill. He's a basic powerful box to box midfielder. To get about the field, make tackles and give the ball to our better players. Would you ask Wanyama to go and take a man on? To create chances? He's obviously not worth the money paid for him, but give him a chance centrally. He may not set the world alight, but he'd be a dam sight better than what we're currently seeing.

 

[Sp3akerboxxx]

Gerting very concerned on how Pochettino is using Sissoko. Isn't it abundantly clear to everyone he cannot play down the right hand side. IT ISN'T WORKING POCH. IT'S NEVER GOING TO WORK. It really is getting embarrassing now. I'm no manager, but surely you play a player in a position he can actually play!! He was shit there for Newcastle last season and was ok for France in the Euros. I'm not Sissokos biggest fan, but HE IS NOT A WIDE PLAYER!! Don't ask him to come on to change a game, to create chances. It's not going to happen. Watching him trying to take a man on shows his complete lack of skill. He's a basic powerful box to box midfielder. To get about the field, make tackles and give the ball to our better players. Would you ask Wanyama to go and take a man on? To create chances? He's obviously not worth the money paid for him, but give him a chance centrally. He may not set the world alight, but he'd be a dam sight better than what we're currently seeing.

His first touch and positioning is way too poor to play in what is often the most congested area of the pitch.

Plus, who do you drop to play him on a cm2? Wanyama? Dier? Winks? Dembele?

No thanks.

 

[widmerpool]

His first touch and positioning is way too poor to play in what is often the most congested area of the pitch.

Plus, who do you drop to play him on a cm2? Wanyama? Dier? Winks? Dembele?

No thanks.

Dier is an RCB these days and Dembele is rather fragile; it would be weird if we didn't have solid additional cover in CM.

 

[Sp3akerboxxx]

Dier is an RCB these days and Dembele is rather fragile; it would be weird if we didn't have solid additional cover in CM.

Dier would still be our replacement if Wanyama gets injured or suspended. Sissoko is obviously not a defensive midfielder.

So that leaves him competing for the spot next to the holding player, I.e. where Dembele and Winks play. Dembele is obviously head and shoulders above Sissoko in terms of both ability and performance, so it leaves us with sacrificing game time for Winks in order to give time to Sissoko at CM. This would obviously be damaging to Winks development as it would restrict his minutes, and Winks already looks to be a far more accomplished CM than Sissoko ever was. Sissoko has not played CM in years and years.

Therefore the only way it could feasibly work is if we started playing a CM 3, maybe as part of a 4-3-3 formation. But does Sissoko really look like the kind of player that you would facilitate a formation change just so you can shoehorn in a player that is neither suited, nor used to playing in that position?

Moving Sissoko into central midfield just does not seem to be a sensible option, and more seems to be about the desperate hope that he will perform better there than out on the wing. The only problem with that is that we already have a number of players that play in that position, and no real need for an additional central midfielder.

 

[widmerpool]

Dier would still be our replacement if Wanyama gets injured or suspended. Sissoko is obviously not a defensive midfielder.

So that leaves him competing for the spot next to the holding player, I.e. where Dembele and Winks play. Dembele is obviously head and shoulders above Sissoko in terms of both ability and performance, so it leaves us with sacrificing game time for Winks in order to give time to Sissoko at CM. This would obviously be damaging to Winks development as it would restrict his minutes, and Winks already looks to be a far more accomplished CM than Sissoko ever was. Sissoko has not played CM in years and years.

Therefore the only way it could feasible work is if we started playing a CM 3, maybe as part of a 4-3-3 formation. But does Sissoko really look like the kind of player that you would facilitate a formation change just so you can shoehorn in a player that is neither suited, nor used to playing in that position?

Moving Sissoko into central midfield just does not seem to be a sensible option, and more seems to be about the desperate hope that he will perform better there than out on the wing. The only problem with that is that we already have a number of players that play in that position, and no real need for an additional central midfielder.

Perhaps it's just that Wanyama likes roaming forward, or that the 3-4-x-(3-x) formation encourages both the CM 2 to play more of an attacking role, but I'm not sure that the strict demarcation between holding and non-holding CMs applies as much as it did.

So in Wanyama's absence - and he does pick up cards - I could imagine any two from Sissoko, Winks, Dembele working reasonably well against particular types of opponent, assuming that Toby, Jan and Dier are all at the back.

Also, I just like watching Sissoko scare clusters of opponents out of the way, then pick up the ball a few crucial yards forward. It's entertaining. There must be a way to accommodate it.

 

[SEANSPURS1975]

His first touch and positioning is way too poor to play in what is often the most congested area of the pitch.

Plus, who do you drop to play him on a cm2? Wanyama? Dier? Winks? Dembele?

No thanks.

I'm not saying drop anyone. But it's a waste of time playing Sissoko wide. Wanyama and Dembele are clearly the first choice, but Sissoko with Dier and Winks should be back ups. If we've signed him as an attacking right midfielder we've just wasted £30m. Why we signed him in the first place is one of the great mysteries. But he's here now and we have to try utilise him. Its more congested when he's confined to just one side and his limitations are for all to see. You get far more options in the middle. You could easily play Sissoko with Winks/Dier/Wanyama centrally. Sissoko is a central midfielder and has played that position most of his career. If Pochettino keeps playing him out of position the fans will turn(if they haven't already!). If he's as bad centrally than fair enough, but I hope Poch gives him that chance. Whether it's in the FA Cup/Europa league or coming off the bench.