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Moussa Sissoko

Its not just defenders liking a breather its pass to Eriksen quickly in own half or take the yards up and then pass it to Eriksen in their half, I bet 100 times out of 100 Eriksen and the team prefer the later. He is also rapid quick and carries the ball up field quickly.

I'm not sure what players you are judging Sissoko against but he plays a role that you see plenty do if your judging him against the correct players. He isn't Alli or Eriksen but he doesn't play that roll but he is better than Ndidi and the lad at Everton in the same role as he is having a much better season that the same likewise players at Arsenal, Chelsea and Man United....
 
scaramanga said:
Lamela and Moira play in different positions, Dier hasn't been fit.
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So does Verts but that didn't stop Poch from playing him in a new role... If Sissoko was truly the Forrest Gump you claime he is, then there is no f*****g way that Poch would play him. He would put Skipp, he would move Eriksen back, play Dele in a deeper role, even Foyth as a holding midfielder.

Sissoko plays for one reason and one reason alone.... Poch trusts him and know he is doing a good job. And no amount of machinations and gyrations from the ever depleting usual suspects will change that fact. It just makes the attempts to belittle a player, who has been a key factor in our success this season, look even more pathetic....
 
Maltese Falcon said:
So does Verts but that didn't stop Poch from playing him in a new role... If Sissoko was truly the Forrest Gump you claime he is, then there is no f*****g way that Poch would play him. He would put Skipp, he would move Eriksen back, play Dele in a deeper role, even Foyth as a holding midfielder.

Sissoko plays for one reason and one reason alone.... Poch trusts him and know he is doing a good job. And no amount of machinations and gyrations from the ever depleting usual suspects will change that fact. It just makes the attempts to belittle a player, who has been a key factor in our success this season, look even more pathetic....
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Vertonghen has spent large chunks of his career playing left back - that's nothing new to him.

Skipp is the only player in the squad who has been fit and plays in Sissoko's position and we've all seen how cautious Poch is at ensuring players aren't ruined by being brought through too quickly.

Do you really think that had Dembele, Dier and Winks been fully fit all season, Sissoko would have started any matches? That's an insane suggestion - the kind of thing Timmeh would come out with.
 
scaramanga said:
Vertonghen has spent large chunks of his career playing left back - that's nothing new to him.

Skipp is the only player in the squad who has been fit and plays in Sissoko's position and we've all seen how cautious Poch is at ensuring players aren't ruined by being bought through too quickly.

Do you really think that had Dembele, Dier and Winks been fully fit all season, Sissoko would have started any matches? That's an insane suggestion - the kind of thing Timmeh would come out with.
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How lucky we are to have Sissoko when you consider our injuries this season. While I do think that he would've played much less this season had all of our midfielders been fit, I think that Sissoko will probably keep his place now that many of our midfielders are back to fitness, his performances have improved over the course of the season and he now warrants in a place in the team on merit. I think him and Winks compliment each other in the midfield quite nicely.
 
Finney Is Back said:
How lucky we are to have Sissoko when you consider our injuries this season. While I do think that he would've played much less this season had all of our midfielders been fit, I think that Sissoko will probably keep his place now that many of our midfielders are back to fitness, his performances have improved over the course of the season and he now warrants in a place in the team on merit. I think him and Winks compliment each other in the midfield quite nicely.
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I agree that his fitness has been incredibly valuable to us.

I cannot agree on him keeping his place though. I think Wanyama and more so Dier, will be eased back in but comfortably above Sissoko in the pecking order when back to full match fitness.
 
scaramanga said:
I agree that his fitness has been incredibly valuable to us.

I cannot agree on him keeping his place though. I think Wanyama and more so Dier, will be eased back in but comfortably above Sissoko in the pecking order when back to full match fitness.
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Not just his fitness, but also the quality of his play. Our performances haven't suffered at all despite us having to regularly play a player who was our fifth choice central midfielder, we are better positioned in both the Premier League and CL this season than we were last despite all those injuries we have had. I don't see both Dier and Wanyama getting ahead of him this season providing Sissoko stays fit. I also think that Sissoko offers the team more than Dier does, but I know that is an opinion you disagree with.

Time will tell I guess.
 
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Grays_1890 said:
Its not just defenders liking a breather its pass to Eriksen quickly in own half or take the yards up and then pass it to Eriksen in their half, I bet 100 times out of 100 Eriksen and the team prefer the later. He is also rapid quick and carries the ball up field quickly.

I'm not sure what players you are judging Sissoko against but he plays a role that you see plenty do if your judging him against the correct players. He isn't Alli or Eriksen but he doesn't play that roll but he is better than Ndidi and the lad at Everton in the same role as he is having a much better season that the same likewise players at Arsenal, Chelsea and Man United....
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If you look at most of his runs, where he starts, where he finishes, and where the receiving player starts/finishes, youll notice much of the time the difference is negligible.

Thats what Im getting at.

If he was marauding 30 yards up the pitch, playing it into an advancing Eriksen and we were attacking freely Id have no complaint whatsoever, Id be loving it.

As it is, he gets the ball, can pass it forward and we can play on the break. But...

...He chooses to run. Someone approaches him, he checks his run, then plays it back or square. The player receiving the ball has barely moved, could have got the ball while the other team were on the turn, but now gets it when they are in position.

Sissoko utterly kills MANY breaks in every game Ive seen - right up to Leicester where I dont recall him doing it (typical, as I had just pointed the scenario out before the match!). Its a regular feature of his game, ultimately slowing us down so we then have to play patient build up football instead of incisive stuff.

A better player lets the ball do the running, plays it forward and fast and the team gets up the pitch much quicker while the opposition is still bent out of shape.

And I should reiterate - Im not talking Pirlo type quarterback nonsense. Simple passes can be VERY effective, but you need to be able to see them and execute them quickly. I just dont see Sissoko as having this in his locker. And I dont see his running with the ball as a good alternative.
 
scaramanga said:
I can't coach - look at how much trouble I have getting simple points across to you lot. And you're all (well, mostly) a lot brighter than footballers.
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I choose to seriously question you when you say Poch will need educating if he continues to pick Sissoko with a fully fit squad. If we ever are in that position I will believe it is because Poch believes it to be the best decision for the project. If you don't then it appears that your negative opinion of Mr. Sissoko blinds the obvious evidence that Poch knows what is best for us as a club.
 
Finney Is Back said:
Not just his fitness, but also the quality of his play. Our performances haven't suffered at all despite us having to regularly play a player who was our fifth choice central midfielder, we are better positioned in both the Premier League and CL this season than we were last despite all those injuries we have had. I don't see both Dier and Wanyama getting ahead of him this season providing Sissoko stays fit. I also think that Sissoko offers the team more than Dier does, but I know that is an opinion you disagree with.

Time will tell I guess.
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Results havent suffered*. But performances? Are you sure?

Id suggest we havent played as well this season as we can at all. Baring a couple of fleeting halves of football we have been far from "on song" the whole season.

Thats not to say Im laying that at Sissoko's door, he would be one factor among many, but that is to say you cant really think our performances are what they could be do you?


*(quite unbelievably, I likened it to SAFs last title in the Poch thread and I stand by it, incredible management)
 
90291Spur said:
I choose to seriously question you when you say Poch will need educating if he continues to pick Sissoko with a fully fit squad. If we ever are in that position I will believe it is because Poch believes it to be the best decision for the project. If you don't then it appears that your negative opinion of Mr. Sissoko blinds the obvious evidence that Poch knows what is best for us as a club.
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If Poch disagrees with me then he is no less wrong than you are.
 
scaramanga said:
I agree that his fitness has been incredibly valuable to us.

I cannot agree on him keeping his place though. I think Wanyama and more so Dier, will be eased back in but comfortably above Sissoko in the pecking order when back to full match fitness.
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Wanyama will be eased OUT of the club in the summer. Unless he enjoys the sort of extraordinary revival of form that Sissoko has this season. Trouble for Victor is, he is crocked a lot of the time these days.
 
nayimfromthehalfwayline said:
Results havent suffered*. But performances? Are you sure?

Id suggest we havent played as well this season as we can at all. Baring a couple of fleeting halves of football we have been far from "on song" the whole season.

Thats not to say Im laying that at Sissoko's door, he would be one factor among many, but that is to say you cant really think our performances are what they could be do you?


*(quite unbelievably, I likened it to SAFs last title in the Poch thread and I stand by it, incredible management)
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The main reason our performances have suffered are down to the World Cup and injuries disrupting any sense of rhythm we might be able to achieve.
 
scaramanga said:
Vertonghen has spent large chunks of his career playing left back - that's nothing new to him.
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THAT was the problem first-half. He HAS played left-back many times. He was not pushing on. Into that wing-back position, which last time I looked, was not left-back. So second-half, I think it is fair to say he played a new position; wing-back. Pushed 10 yards further up the pitch (along with Aurier on the other side) to show that Sancho and Pulisic are still work-shy kids when it comes to all angles of the game. Knowing what a good passer and crosser he is, I was excited before the game to see him in a 5, but as HT approached it looked like he either couldn't -or simply wasn't- playing it that way. I suspect that the "video footage" shown at HT revolved around reminding him (and Aurier) what their roles were, and to push up and on. And it worked superbly.
 
nayimfromthehalfwayline said:
If he was marauding 30 yards up the pitch, playing it into an advancing Eriksen and we were attacking freely Id have no complaint whatsoever, Id be loving it.

As it is, he gets the ball, can pass it forward and we can play on the break. But...

...He chooses to run. Someone approaches him, he checks his run, then plays it back or square. The player receiving the ball has barely moved, could have got the ball while the other team were on the turn, but now gets it when they are in position.

Sissoko utterly kills MANY breaks in every game Ive seen - right up to Leicester where I dont recall him doing it (typical, as I had just pointed the scenario out before the match!). Its a regular feature of his game, ultimately slowing us down so we then have to play patient build up football instead of incisive stuff.
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This is so utterly selective it makes me laugh. I actually cannot believe you wrote it, as if it happens virtually every time. By the way, Dembele had no assists in 28 apps last season, and no "big chances created"... not that stats mean much without context, but thought I'd throw that out there. Sissoko has a couple of assists this season and four "big chances created" in 20 apps this season. Like it or not, I suspect the manager Scara wishes to educate has factored those numbers into his decision to let Dembele go in this winter window having not been able to shift him in the summer.
 
glasgowspur said:
poor
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scaramanga said:
Pretty much all of the rest of our team have the physical and technical attributes required - nobody else gets by just being physical.

Kane is both strong and technically good. Eriksen and Alli both run like Duracell bunnies and are very hard to shake off the ball, along with their technical skill. Moura and Son are both fast and technically good. Dier is strong and technically good, as was Dembele. Our defence are all strong and technically good (possibly with the exception of Trippier depending on the day). Winks and Skipp I think we can allow to grow physically into their roles as they're both showing they can do the job without the need for strength.

Sissoko is a few steps below all of them technically (and Lloris too for that matter) yet is apparently good because he has some physical ability that other players are doing a better job without.
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Most of our squad are ‘good’ physically, Sissoko is excellent physically. If he was also merely good, he wouldn’t be the player that he is, and probably wouldn’t be playing for us. But he has excellent physical attributes and excellent tactical awareness. Eriksen cannot do what Sissoko can off the ball.
 
BrainOfLevy said:
Most of our squad are ‘good’ physically, Sissoko is excellent physically. If he was also merely good, he wouldn’t be the player that he is, and probably wouldn’t be playing for us. But he has excellent physical attributes and excellent tactical awareness. Eriksen cannot do what Sissoko can off the ball.
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Genuine question BOL, what is it that Sissoko can do that Eriksen (the player who puts in the most KM’s per fame) can’t off the ball
 
I'm not sure I understand this thread … to me

- Sissoko has completely surprised everyone by his level, consistency, sheer stamina and stood in admirably when we needed him most.
- All the arguments about if he would be first choice? he's not supposed to be, and if it was up to me, neither is Winks (yet) or Dier

On form, he's put himself on the team sheet. Reality is Sissoko, Dier, Trippier, Davies, Skipp, Foyth, Winks (for now), Aurier, Lucas are all great rotation options, 2nd choice.

If we really want titles/trophies, the FBs and deeper CMs need to be the same quality (or closer to) as Kane/Son/Dele/Toby/Jan/Eriksen
 
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