Moussa Sissoko

[Kenyan Spur]

If he was a player we were targeting and we watched this compilation we would all be creaming ourselves to sign him.

His passing, and going forward with the ball, is actually VERY good. Unlike some negative comments about this from a few diehard critics with there heads in the sand. Grow up. It is NOT too late to admit that you are wrong now, with the NEW Sissoko. I hated him during the first 2 seasons. But not now.
He has helped us to get top 4 and to the finals of the CL.
Also selected in the UEFA team of the year.
What else do you need???????

 

[papaspur]

His passing, and going forward with the ball, is actually VERY good. Unlike some negative comments about this from a few diehard critics with there heads in the sand. Grow up. It is NOT too late to admit that you are wrong now, with the NEW Sissoko. I hated him during the first 2 seasons. But not now.
He has helped us to get top 4 and to the finals of the CL.
Also selected in the UEFA team of the year.
What else do you need???????

He should have helped build the new stadium to get it delivered on time... guess he's just lazy.

 

[spasm]

cheeky bid...

 

[DubaiSpur]

His passing, and going forward with the ball, is actually VERY good. Unlike some negative comments about this from a few diehard critics with there heads in the sand. Grow up. It is NOT too late to admit that you are wrong now, with the NEW Sissoko. I hated him during the first 2 seasons. But not now.
He has helped us to get top 4 and to the finals of the CL.
Also selected in the UEFA team of the year.
What else do you need???????

Eh...wouldn't say his passing is great, myself. Don't get me wrong, I always thought he was unfairly picked on, and I love the guy for turning things around to the extent he's done, but I'm not particularly comfortable when he's looking forward for a pass. He seems like he has to make an active effort just to get it on target, never mind into dangerous areas or to players on the run. He can still play some great assists at times, but it's always 50:50 as to whether it finds a Spurs player or goes careening into no man's land.

His great strength in an offensive sense is his dribbling - out on the wing, it's likely that the constrained spaces and his large frame meant that he could never really turn on the pace and do that strong, brusque shimmy past a marker the way he does in central midfield. But he's been a revelation at that this season.

 

[alekaras]

Eh...wouldn't say his passing is great, myself. Don't get me wrong, I always thought he was unfairly picked on, and I love the guy for turning things around to the extent he's done, but I'm not particularly comfortable when he's looking forward for a pass. He seems like he has to make an active effort just to get it on target, never mind into dangerous areas or to players on the run. He can still play some great assists at times, but it's always 50:50 as to whether it finds a Spurs player or goes careening into no man's land.

His great strength in an offensive sense is his dribbling - out on the wing, it's likely that the constrained spaces and his large frame meant that he could never really turn on the pace and do that strong, brusque shimmy past a marker the way he does in central midfield. But he's been a revelation at that this season.

That's just his style. Have you ever seen Emil Zatopek run? The guy looked like he we going to pass out any moment, but was the greatest long distance runner of his time.

 

[harr1984]

That's just his style. Have you ever seen Emil Zatopek run? The guy looked like he we going to pass out any moment, but was the greatest long distance runner of his time.

I can see what Dubai is saying as a year ago I could never be confident in his passing. But Ive noticed a real difference in the last year, its more accurate,incisive and just all round more confident on the ball and I no longer get nervous with his passing or anything else when he's on the ball....

 

[P.D.]

If you look around there is a definite resentment growing for Dier, as these things seem to go, its a bit cyclical and right now seems to be his turn.

I would have thought his performances and service for us over the years should have leant itself to him being granted a little leeway but instead the knives are coming out.

I defend Dier because he has been a massive player for us, and at this point deserves defending.

The idea I am damning Sissoko with faint praise is yours, and your problem, not mine.

I have always said it as I see it with Sissoko, no more or less. No agenda, no axe to grind, none of it, despite how people seem to want to characterise me.

The reasons we have gone down several notches are directly related to Sissoko, though not his fault at all.

We had such a series of injuries (and arguably set ourselves up for it) that our midfield was gutted. Which meant using what we had available. Which meant Sissoko. Problem is, he isnt equipped to play the football we normally play. Thats not slagging him or anything like it, its just the truth. So we end up changing up our way of playing to get the most out of him. Simple as that.

Switching to an end to end kick chase and run style has lead to us scoring less, conceding more, not controlling games, losing more games...

And it stems from having to suit Sissoko, which stems from other issues.

Thats not even trying to dig the play out, thats just observation.

Sissoko is playing the best football of his career right now, and is unsurprisingly thriving in a team basically made for him at this time.

Of course that means he has an impact on how well we do/dont do.

That being said, I still dont actually think he is doing as well as people are getting carried away and seem to think. And I do think we will revert to our usual style of play at the earliest opportunity - and when we do he will no longer fit.

I think that's being unfair, how do you know Poch doesn't want to play this way. He said when he signed Sissoko that he wanted a player who could run from deep and break the lines, maybe he couldn't play like that because Sissoko wasn't showing the form he expected. Not saying this is a certainty but you need to look at it from both sides, Poch signed Sissoko because he had qualities that our team lacked so must have had a plan on how he wanted to use him and how it fitted into our style.

 

[nayimfromthehalfwayline]

I think that's being unfair, how do you know Poch doesn't want to play this way. He said when he signed Sissoko that he wanted a player who could run from deep and break the lines, maybe he couldn't play like that because Sissoko wasn't showing the form he expected. Not saying this is a certainty but you need to look at it from both sides, Poch signed Sissoko because he had qualities that our team lacked so must have had a plan on how he wanted to use him and how it fitted into our style.

Poch decided it would be better for us to play loose, score less, concede more, cede meaningful possession and lose more games?

 

[scaramanga]

Eh...wouldn't say his passing is great, myself. Don't get me wrong, I always thought he was unfairly picked on, and I love the guy for turning things around to the extent he's done, but I'm not particularly comfortable when he's looking forward for a pass. He seems like he has to make an active effort just to get it on target, never mind into dangerous areas or to players on the run. He can still play some great assists at times, but it's always 50:50 as to whether it finds a Spurs player or goes careening into no man's land.

His great strength in an offensive sense is his dribbling - out on the wing, it's likely that the constrained spaces and his large frame meant that he could never really turn on the pace and do that strong, brusque shimmy past a marker the way he does in central midfield. But he's been a revelation at that this season.

His worryingly low deep progressions figure tells us that those runs will often end up with either a backward pass or a loss of possession.

As a measure, he has roughly half the deep progressions Dembele did, a player often criticised for not doing enough with the ball in a forward manner.

 

[P.D.]

Poch decided it would be better for us to play loose, score less, concede more, cede meaningful possession and lose more games?

I don't think we can blame Sissoko for that, yes he's not that creative on the ball but he offers something no one else in the squad does and was MOM or close to it in numerous games this season. We should be looking at the poor performances of other players who are far more at fault for many of those things than Sissoko.

 

[nayimfromthehalfwayline]

I don't think we can blame Sissoko for that, yes he's not that creative on the ball but he offers something no one else in the squad does and was MOM or close to it in numerous games this season. We should be looking at the poor performances of other players who are far more at fault for many of those things than Sissoko.

And if you re read the post you originally quoted you will see its a case of actually yes, and no.

 

[alekaras]

His worryingly low deep progressions figure tells us that those runs will often end up with either a backward pass or a loss of possession.

As a measure, he has roughly half the deep progressions Dembele did, a player often criticised for not doing enough with the ball in a forward manner.

Is that per 90? Sauce?

 

[scaramanga]

I don't think we can blame Sissoko for that, yes he's not that creative on the ball but he offers something no one else in the squad does and was MOM or close to it in numerous games this season. We should be looking at the poor performances of other players who are far more at fault for many of those things than Sissoko.

That's one narrative that can fit the events - that pretty much all of our players have under performed and Sissoko alone has been a bastion of quality amongst a pile of Spurs pigbrick.

One that I think fits better is that we have a team set up to play a certain style of football, a style that requires all of our players from Lloris up to Kane to be comfortable and competent on the ball. A system where intelligent, measured but strong pressing is required all over the pitch. Where the player in the "Dembele role" has a high level of deep progression, a large number of defensive pressures and a very low number of turnovers. The "Dier/Wanyama role" requires a lot of pressures, tackles, interceptions, blocked passes, etc. They also need to be the player that picks the ball up from defence.

I've posted the figures in the Eriksen thread, but suffice it to say that Sissoko is neither of those.

 

[scaramanga]

Is that per 90? Sauce?

Per 90 - figures earlier in this thread or you can search either "Knutson sissoko" or "statsbomb sissoko"

 

[P.D.]

That's one narrative that can fit the events - that pretty much all of our players have under performed and Sissoko alone has been a bastion of quality amongst a pile of Spurs pigbrick.

One that I think fits better is that we have a team set up to play a certain style of football, a style that requires all of our players from Lloris up to Kane to be comfortable and competent on the ball. A system where intelligent, measured but strong pressing is required all over the pitch. Where the player in the "Dembele role" has a high level of deep progression, a large number of defensive pressures and a very low number of turnovers. The "Dier/Wanyama role" requires a lot of pressures, tackles, interceptions, blocked passes, etc. They also need to be the player that picks the ball up from defence.

I've posted the figures in the Eriksen thread, but suffice it to say that Sissoko is neither of those.

Is that not then a failure that Poch didn't get the players to play in that way, too many passes backwards, didn't press hard enough etc would either indicate that the team were unwilling to follow the managers orders (not likely with Poch) or unable to do so (more likely). If so then isn't it down to Poch to reconfigure the tactics and style of play to make the most of what we did have available which is what most of the best managers do.

 

[scaramanga]

Is that not then a failure that Poch didn't get the players to play in that way, too many passes backwards, didn't press hard enough etc would either indicate that the team were unwilling to follow the managers orders (not likely with Poch) or unable to do so (more likely). If so then isn't it down to Poch to reconfigure the tactics and style of play to make the most of what we did have available which is what most of the best managers do.

No, more a result of the fact that our style of play needs everyone to take part, it can't afford passengers.

 

[alekaras]

Per 90 - figures earlier in this thread or you can search either "Knutson sissoko" or "statsbomb sissoko"

Does it include his entire stint with Spurs, or just this season?

 

[scaramanga]

Does it include his entire stint with Spurs, or just this season?

This season. I only compare player's best seasons when possible

 

[DubaiSpur]

That's just his style. Have you ever seen Emil Zatopek run? The guy looked like he we going to pass out any moment, but was the greatest long distance runner of his time.

Fair, but it still scares me. I would have been concerned for Emil Zapotek, too, had I ever seen him run.

 

[Robspur12]

That's one narrative that can fit the events - that pretty much all of our players have under performed and Sissoko alone has been a bastion of quality amongst a pile of Spurs pigbrick.

One that I think fits better is that we have a team set up to play a certain style of football, a style that requires all of our players from Lloris up to Kane to be comfortable and competent on the ball. A system where intelligent, measured but strong pressing is required all over the pitch. Where the player in the "Dembele role" has a high level of deep progression, a large number of defensive pressures and a very low number of turnovers. The "Dier/Wanyama role" requires a lot of pressures, tackles, interceptions, blocked passes, etc. They also need to be the player that picks the ball up from defence.

I've posted the figures in the Eriksen thread, but suffice it to say that Sissoko is neither of those.

You post the figures but your conclusion that our problems are down to a lack of quality from Sissoko and Sissoko alone makes a straw man conclusion. Dembele was a injured then left and was not replaced. The entire central midfield other than Sissoko was either injured (winks) or off form (Dier and Wanyama) or not playing well. Plus we had a right full back who could not recover his defensive positions quickly. Those are the reasons we had to adapt our play.