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Player Watch: Moussa Sissoko

BringBack_leGin

Well-Known Member
Jul 28, 2004
27,719
54,929
Sissoko’s form has really created an interesting issue, in that he’s not playing like a top class French international with 55 caps, but at the start of next season he’s 30, has two years left on his deal and will have by far the highest resale value that he will have for the rest of his career.

Given how much of his game is based around his pace, power and stamina, there’s a decision to be made, which is a shame considering that after 2 seasons of patience he finally looks like a player who could have a title winning team built around him. It’s not just the runs, he’s added incisive passing to his game and also started delivering some fantastic crosses.

I’d love to think we could get another three good years out of him, in which case give him a deal to take him to 34, but reality is that midfielders, and players generally other than centre backs, who’s game is heavily dependent on physicality, tend to deteriorate at 30+ and it’s rarely gradual either, they fall off a cliff. Essien, Toure, Dembele, Vieira.

Genuinely torn about what the best course of action would be. I think whatever happens, we need to at least do some succession planning and, if we do extend his contract, also buy a younger box to box player who can compete with him for a slot next to Winks and ultimately succeed him in full.
 

Mr Pink

SC Supporter
Aug 25, 2010
54,776
99,338
Sissoko’s form has really created an interesting issue, in that he’s not playing like a top class French international with 55 caps, but at the start of next season he’s 30, has two years left on his deal and will have by far the highest resale value that he will have for the rest of his career.

Given how much of his game is based around his pace, power and stamina, there’s a decision to be made, which is a shame considering that after 2 seasons of patience he finally looks like a player who could have a title winning team built around him. It’s not just the runs, he’s added incisive passing to his game and also started delivering some fantastic crosses.

I’d love to think we could get another three good years out of him, in which case give him a deal to take him to 34, but reality is that midfielders, and players generally other than centre backs, who’s game is heavily dependent on physicality, tend to deteriorate at 30+ and it’s rarely gradual either, they fall off a cliff. Essien, Toure, Dembele, Vieira.

Genuinely torn about what the best course of action would be. I think whatever happens, we need to at least do some succession planning and, if we do extend his contract, also buy a younger box to box player who can compete with him for a slot next to Winks and ultimately succeed him in full.

Get at least another two full seasons, at full capacity, out of him.

He'll get a new deal imo, and rightly so.

Sissoko is a fitter specimen than the likes of Toure, who was more bulk. He's a more athletic shape and under Pochettino's training regime I'd expect him to be in very good physical condition for quite sometime.
 
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Pistols At Dawn

Well-Known Member
Jan 8, 2019
2,119
4,531
How can you not love Sissoko's comeback story? -- especially because he showed such loyalty and passion for the Club during the down times.
 

Clark28

Well-Known Member
Aug 31, 2016
2,269
13,040
You just know when he finally scores again, that it will be an absolute worldie.
 

ButchCassidy

Well-Known Member
Jul 12, 2012
3,986
15,843
Sissoko’s form has really created an interesting issue, in that he’s not playing like a top class French international with 55 caps, but at the start of next season he’s 30, has two years left on his deal and will have by far the highest resale value that he will have for the rest of his career.

Given how much of his game is based around his pace, power and stamina, there’s a decision to be made, which is a shame considering that after 2 seasons of patience he finally looks like a player who could have a title winning team built around him. It’s not just the runs, he’s added incisive passing to his game and also started delivering some fantastic crosses.

I’d love to think we could get another three good years out of him, in which case give him a deal to take him to 34, but reality is that midfielders, and players generally other than centre backs, who’s game is heavily dependent on physicality, tend to deteriorate at 30+ and it’s rarely gradual either, they fall off a cliff. Essien, Toure, Dembele, Vieira.

Genuinely torn about what the best course of action would be. I think whatever happens, we need to at least do some succession planning and, if we do extend his contract, also buy a younger box to box player who can compete with him for a slot next to Winks and ultimately succeed him in full.
We should do with him what we did with Dembele, pay him what he's worth until he can't physically handle the league, then sell him off to China or MLS for a final paycheck. Its so immensely hard to buy a player as good as Sissoko looks right now, we'd probably have to buy three just to get one that works out. Unless we have some internal reason to believe injuries are about to catch up with him.
 

NinjaTuna

Well-Known Member
Jul 9, 2017
1,878
7,155
A few people on here wanted/wished we had replaced Dembele with Keita from Liverpool and look at that fella now. A class A donkey. Stick with Sissoko, he's got good fitness and will be able to play to this level for a couple more years, so I say keep him.
 

spids

Well-Known Member
Jul 19, 2015
6,647
27,841
Sissoko’s form has really created an interesting issue, in that he’s not playing like a top class French international with 55 caps, but at the start of next season he’s 30, has two years left on his deal and will have by far the highest resale value that he will have for the rest of his career.

Given how much of his game is based around his pace, power and stamina, there’s a decision to be made, which is a shame considering that after 2 seasons of patience he finally looks like a player who could have a title winning team built around him. It’s not just the runs, he’s added incisive passing to his game and also started delivering some fantastic crosses.

I’d love to think we could get another three good years out of him, in which case give him a deal to take him to 34, but reality is that midfielders, and players generally other than centre backs, who’s game is heavily dependent on physicality, tend to deteriorate at 30+ and it’s rarely gradual either, they fall off a cliff. Essien, Toure, Dembele, Vieira.

Genuinely torn about what the best course of action would be. I think whatever happens, we need to at least do some succession planning and, if we do extend his contract, also buy a younger box to box player who can compete with him for a slot next to Winks and ultimately succeed him in full.

He hasn't exactly played a lot of football in the last three years (41 league starts in 3 seasons I think). He also missed the world cup last summer and had a good rest. As such he has a lot left in the tank and can easily play another 2 or 3 years will his physicality IMO.
 

dontcallme

SC Supporter
Mar 18, 2005
33,987
81,919
A few people on here wanted/wished we had replaced Dembele with Keita from Liverpool and look at that fella now. A class A donkey. Stick with Sissoko, he's got good fitness and will be able to play to this level for a couple more years, so I say keep him.

But look at Sissoko in his first several seasons here. Very premature to write off Keita.
 

fb9

Well-Known Member
Jan 29, 2013
435
1,015
I thought I would come in here and declare my love for the man. I was one of his harshest critics. Couldn't believe he was even a footballer. Now look at him. He would've heard the groans in the crowd and seen the abuse on social media etc and yet he's rolled his sleeves up, put the work in clearly in training and now he's absolutely smashing it. Fair fucking play to the man. Deserves every bit of praise he's received this season .
 

Vincent30

Well-Known Member
Aug 31, 2012
900
3,694
Get at least another two full seasons, at full capacity, out of him.

He'll get a new deal imo, and rightly so.

Sissoko is a fitter specimen than the likes of Toure, who was more bulk. He's a more athletic shape and under Pochettino's training regime I'd expect him to be in very good physical condition for quite sometime.

Completely agree with this, one of Sissoko's finest attributes is that he is a physical freak, he's hardly ever injured, he still has 3 to 4 good seasons ahead of him. Been an absolute power house this season and fall all the 'bad egg' vibe we heard about him, he seems to be very well liked by the squad. His experience and physical presence is needed in this squad. I'm still over the moon about his transition, so happy for him.
 

BringBack_leGin

Well-Known Member
Jul 28, 2004
27,719
54,929
I hope you’re all right and I’m wrong, because if Sissoko is able to play like this for another 2/3 seasons then wonderful as currently he’s unbelievable, but at the very least we need to do some succession planning from now and buy a top class (or potentially top class) player who can play with either Sissoko or Winks.
 

doctor stefan Freud

the tired tread of sad biology
Sep 2, 2013
15,170
72,169
I know we’re at a point now where we’re all genuinely pleased and surprised by his progress, but if anything, he’s testimony to Poch’s ethos that you don’t sign to play at Spurs, you sign to train and then maybe, if all things align, you get to play. What’s truly remarkable for both Poch and Sissoko is that they both committed to that ethos. Sissoko had a torrid two years but he dug in when things were awful for him, was by all accounts a model professional, and bought into Poch’s philosophy. And Poch to his credit was loyal to his own philosophy- he could have sidelined Sissoko totally after his abysmal showing, but he saw something in him and worked with him. And the truly remarkable thing is that Sissoko came good when we needed him most; this season when we were short in central midfield.

It’s a wonderful tale of loyalty and resilience, resurrection and devotion. And any aspiring player going through the doldrums, or any coach frustrated by a player’s seemingly ineffectiveness should take note
 
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