Player Watch: Moussa Sissoko

[Dembele'Disciple]

Without him I'm not sure what our midfield is. Our new coach refuses to trust and use our new signings and the likes of Winks and Dier are dire. He's holding that part of our team together by himself at this point and that's a damn shame.

 

[That Wanyama Goal]

Positives - great engine, good at 50/50’s, good cover for defence

Negatives - can’t pass, can’t shoot, spoils his own good work. Example - he’ll win ya the ball back skip by a few players then final ball will be horrific.

I personally feel he should’ve been sold last summer. He was 29, had we offered him to PSG pretty sure they wouldve done a deal. I mean they bought Gueye from Everton so we would’ve got the £30m back which os good business. Now we’re stuck with a player who tries but doesn’t have the quality required for a team who wants to challenge in Europe and the top of the league.

 

[littlemandefoe]

Sissoko is a strange one.

There is so much that people like about him and, frustratingly, can have so many qualities when he really wants to put it in.

He'll be one of the fastest, fittest, strongest players on the whole pitch but ultimately, he let's it down with poor passing, shooting and composure.

The problem for me is, I have always been a massive fan of his and have always supported him and wanted it to work out for him but sometimes you just need to let go and realise there is better out there.

Perhaps people will have similar feelings about Kane soon? Does he limit us, could we use the money to invest elsewhere, etc.?

 

[BringBack_leGin]

I feel that Sissoko suffers from the same as everyone else we try at CM, he’s not rounded enough for a cm2. Put him in a 3 man midfield with one player responsible for protecting the defence, one player responsible for passing and him left to instigate transitions and protect his flank and he’s fine. Being part of a 2 man midfield pivot, whether an attack minded player or a defensive minded player, requires you to be at least decent at everything, and of course excel in a couple of areas. None of our midfielders have this, and all our midfielders are exposed by playing in a pivot.

Winks, Ndombele, Lo Celso, Sissoko all benefit from playing with one of the others AND a DM.

 

[Shadydan]

Positives - great engine, good at 50/50’s, good cover for defence

Negatives - can’t pass, can’t shoot, spoils his own good work. Example - he’ll win ya the ball back skip by a few players then final ball will be horrific.

I personally feel he should’ve been sold last summer. He was 29, had we offered him to PSG pretty sure they wouldve done a deal. I mean they bought Gueye from Everton so we would’ve got the £30m back which os good business. Now we’re stuck with a player who tries but doesn’t have the quality required for a team who wants to challenge in Europe and the top of the league.

Gueye and Sissoko are two different players so not sure that move would happened.

Think he'll eventually be a decent squad player which I don't think is a bad option to have once/if we get our midfield up to speed.

 

[bbunc]

I feel that Sissoko suffers from the same as everyone else we try at CM, he’s not rounded enough for a cm2. Put him in a 3 man midfield with one player responsible for protecting the defence, one player responsible for passing and him left to instigate transitions and protect his flank and he’s fine. Being part of a 2 man midfield pivot, whether an attack minded player or a defensive minded player, requires you to be at least decent at everything, and of course excel in a couple of areas. None of our midfielders have this, and all our midfielders are exposed by playing in a pivot.

Winks, Ndombele, Lo Celso, Sissoko all benefit from playing with one of the others AND a DM.

100%. We have a team full guys best suited to play as 8s in a 3-man midfield with a DM.

we have 18 straight months of evidence that Winks/Sissoko, Winks/Dier, Dier/Sissoko are completely ineffective in a double pivot yet we keep trotting it out there.

 

[JayB]

100%. We have a team full guys best suited to play as 8s in a 3-man midfield with a DM.

we have 18 straight months of evidence that Winks/Sissoko, Winks/Dier, Dier/Sissoko are completely ineffective in a double pivot yet we keep trotting it out there.

It’s because the only DM in the entire squad is an untested teenager from the academy. I like Skipp but he’s obviously not yet trusted to be a key part of the first team.

Beggars belief that it was allowed to come to this, it’s been obvious for ages that a No. 6 should have been a top priority in the transfer market.

 

[Japhet]

It’s because the only DM in the entire squad is an untested teenager from the academy. I like Skipp but he’s obviously not yet trusted to be a key part of the first team.

Beggars belief that it was allowed to come to this, it’s been obvious for ages that a No. 6 should have been a top priority in the transfer market.

That's true, but Skipp hasn't let us down on the odd occasions he's got on the pitch. Added to that, I'd say Winks in particular would benefit greatly playing in a 3 instead of being stretched too thin all the time in a 2. CM3 gives way more passing options and angles and allows midfielders to join the attack without exposing the back line so badly. Talk is of Hojbjerg joining and to me he's another one that works in a 3 way better than a 2. The elephant in the room is really Dele, because to get him on the pitch invariably means putting 2 in CM and I don't envisage that changing any time soon. The other option is to revive Dier's role of CM/CB hybrid but again, I don't see Mourinho going for that.

 

[That Wanyama Goal]

Gueye and Sissoko are two different players so not sure that move would happened.

Think he'll eventually be a decent squad player which I don't think is a bad option to have once/if we get our midfield up to speed.

That was just an example of how we could’ve cashed in on him. Maybe used as a makeweight for Ndombele. Obviously Ndombele hasn’t exactly showed much as yet but my point was purely from a business standpoint. Chelsea are a good example of selling players at the right time and generally make money on a lot of players they sell. If we’re not a club willing to take risks and sign players for £50m+ a season then we’ve gotta make the most out of our assets and strike while the iron is hot as they say. I would prefer competent squad players who have potential to influence not just in defence but attack.

 

[thelak]

It’s because the only DM in the entire squad is an untested teenager from the academy. I like Skipp but he’s obviously not yet trusted to be a key part of the first team.

Beggars belief that it was allowed to come to this, it’s been obvious for ages that a No. 6 should have been a top priority in the transfer market.

i would play Skipp and trust him. Don’t see the downside personally and the up side is he turns out to be what we hope he can be

 

[Shadydan]

i would play Skipp and trust him. Don’t see the downside personally and the up side is he turns out to be what we hope he can be

Don't want to ruin him mentally if he isn't ready to play consistently.

 

[bbunc]

i would play Skipp and trust him. Don’t see the downside personally and the up side is he turns out to be what we hope he can be

I’d be fine with that too. But even if we were worried about throwing Skipp to the wolves and without a true DM now, just playing a 3rd body in the midfield who can actually dribble and pass (ie TN or GLC) would make a huge amount of difference.

 

[fishhhandaricecake]

aside from tracking pogba a bit more tighhtly for the pen i thought he had a very strong game and has clearly taken on board what jose has said for him to do. There is a useful player in there if coached correctly.

 

[Deleted member 22380]

Just want to give Moose some props, as I thought he was brilliant against West Ham. Interceptions and breaking up the play, shielding the back four. Proper defensive midfielder performance. I think under Mourinho he will get better and better, as Mourinho's structure is very rigid defensively, it actually will help Sissoko simpilfy his game and play to his strengths.
He doesn't need to carry the ball in possession, a quick pass to Lo Celso and the teams on their way.

If Ndombele and Mourinho can work out their differences, then the team will be even better in the middle with Sissoko sittting back while Ndombele and Lo Celso have license to go forward.

 

[Northernspurs]

And 1 amazing cross field pass to aurier...who knew he had that in his locker??

 

[Kiedis]

Good game from him and his positional disipline was encouraging.

 

[E17yid]

Yeah he’s been pretty solid. I still see him as a excellent squad player and a decent option off the bench if we need to pack the MF and hold out a win but I just think him starting week in week out for us isn’t going to propel us into the top 4 anytime soon. Love his application but the guy is limited. If only we could merge Sissoko and Ndombele into one player we’d have some player

 

[Gassin's finest]

Just want to give Moose some props, as I thought he was brilliant against West Ham. Interceptions and breaking up the play, shielding the back four. Proper defensive midfielder performance. I think under Mourinho he will get better and better, as Mourinho's structure is very rigid defensively, it actually will help Sissoko simpilfy his game and play to his strengths.
He doesn't need to carry the ball in possession, a quick pass to Lo Celso and the teams on their way.

If Ndombele and Mourinho can work out their differences, then the team will be even better in the middle with Sissoko sittting back while Ndombele and Lo Celso have license to go forward.

I get where you're coming from, but I don't think he's a 6, and definitely not really a destroyer. Mostly because he's not the most tactile of players, and his technical ability is so limited that it makes that recycling of the ball inconsistent. There were a good few loose balls from him, and you can't have that happening often in that zone of the pitch. I think he's a great 8, ideally a double 8, and water carrier. He can carry the ball with pace and physicality, and get up and down the pitch all day. He was arguably our key player last season.

But if we're sticking with this 4-5-1 (and all evidence suggests that we are) then ultimately I don't see him first choice, long term. We will need a proper defensive anchor/pivot/6/whatever, rather than these 8's like Sissoko/Winks/Lo Celso playing in positions they shouldn't.

 

[king26]

Sissoko is a strange one.

There is so much that people like about him and, frustratingly, can have so many qualities when he really wants to put it in.

He'll be one of the fastest, fittest, strongest players on the whole pitch but ultimately, he let's it down with poor passing, shooting and composure.

The problem for me is, I have always been a massive fan of his and have always supported him and wanted it to work out for him but sometimes you just need to let go and realise there is better out there.

Perhaps people will have similar feelings about Kane soon? Does he limit us, could we use the money to invest elsewhere, etc.?

youre having a laugh if you think spurs kane should be got rid of

 

[dondo]

Like the new role for sissoko, it plays to his strengths imo and there is no reason he can’t do a similar job for us that Nidi does for Leicester.
It’s the best CM paring that we have at this point with sissoko using his pace and power to break up attacks in a more defensive role with le Celso getting on the ball and looking to create