*TOTTENHAM vs Palace* Official OMT

[Bullet]

I'm not Sissoko's biggest fan but I think that he's been one of our better players.

You know when you're moving house, and just as you expected, your sofa is outside and won't quite fit through the front door, so you try the side door and you try the bay window... but no way it is going in there, so you take it back around to the front of the house and you realise that if you unscrew the legs and tilt it at 20 degrees it might just about fit into the hall way and then you can take it past the front room and into the kitchen, spin it and get it through the double doors but then Big Moussa comes sprinting up the driveway from nowhere and shoulder barges it down the hallway, scraping gouges of plasterwork out of the walls and scratching the legs?

 

[elltrev]

I'm not Sissoko's biggest fan but I think that he's been one of our better players since the restart. It looks like Hojbjerg is all but done, so it seems unlikely that Winks/Sissoko will be fist choice next season.

My main issue with Sissoko is that he’s so cowardly at getting on the ball - Winks and Lo Celso both had about 50% more passes than him today (taking into account minutes played). And it’s been a similar story for a while. That’s the reason I can’t agree he’s been one of our better players, because despite his other good work this just feels like such a fundamental failing from a central midfielder.

(Ironically this is what Mourinho publicly lambasted Ndombele for, which seems a bit rich).

Agree he and Winks likely won’t be our starting duo next season though. Indeed I think we’ll be in trouble if either of them are first choice (hopefully Lo Celso will drop back alongside Hojbjerg).

 

[paxtonwolf]

Glad it's over (for five minutes), and we got Ropey League out of it. Can we still be jaffed over on that front?

Well right now we are in the Group Stages. If Arsenal win the FA Cup we drop into the 2nd Qualifying Round which used to start in July. GHod knows how it all works next season

edit: If relevant. 2nd Qual Round is 17th Sept (One leg) 3rd Qual is 24th (One leg)

 

[Seedy Ron]

Well right now we are in the Group Stages. If Arsenal win the FA Cup we drop into the 2nd Qualifying Round which used to start in July. GHod knows how it all works next season

That's guaranteed to happen.

 

[milo]

My main issue with Sissoko is that he’s so cowardly at getting on the ball - Winks and Lo Celso both had about 50% more passes than him today (taking into account minutes played). And it’s been a similar story for a while. That’s the reason I can’t agree he’s been one of our better players, because despite his other good work this just feels like such a fundamental failing from a central midfielder.

(Ironically this is what Mourinho publicly lambasted Ndombele for, which seems a bit rich).

Agree he and Winks likely won’t be our starting duo next season though. Indeed I think we’ll be in trouble if either of them are first choice (hopefully Lo Celso will drop back alongside Hojbjerg).

I don't want to see Sissoko passing. Knocking it square is fine.

 

[paxtonwolf]

That's guaranteed to happen.

Oh definitely. Dont see Chelsea beating Arsenal this time in a final. Pencil in the midweek matches in September

 

[elltrev]

I don't want to see Sissoko passing. Knocking it square is fine.

That’s still a pass! My point isn’t that he isn’t adventurous enough with his passing, it’s that he isn’t making himself an option to his teammates enough (even if he then just knocked it square).

Edit: I also don’t think his passing is as bad as people make out. Yes he always has a clanger, but overall he doesn’t misplace that many of his passes (appreciate that might be partly because he’s fairly unadventurous).

 

[ricky2tricky4city]

My main issue with Sissoko is that he’s so cowardly at getting on the ball - Winks and Lo Celso both had about 50% more passes than him today (taking into account minutes played). And it’s been a similar story for a while.

Taking the view that he's on the pitch, I think what you say is a good thing?

 

[scaramanga]

We have to qualify. Unless you want even more years of under investment.
And don’t give me the ‘getting dragged over Europe’ excuse - Levy will be dragging us to pointless Wednesday friendlies in the far corners of the earth to try to offset the earnings deficit.

Being in it reduces the chances for us of success in the one tournament we're in that matters. That also has the effect of reducing our chances of quitting for the only other competition that matters.

 

[scaramanga]

I don't want to see Sissoko passing. Knocking it square is fine.

Sissoko touching the ball massively reduces our chances of scoring (statistically).

Better to avoid him completely.

 

[Daisuk]

Hard to hate too much on Sissoko, he's a hard worker, but he's just not able to control a football. If we want to be anywhere near top 4 we can't have him starting games week in week out.

 

[Legohamster]

Sissoko touching the ball massively reduces our chances of scoring (statistically).

Better to avoid him completely.

new level today of him not touching the ball causing us to conceded.

Donkey.

 

[Moby]

Being in it reduces the chances for us of success in the one tournament we're in that matters. That also has the effect of reducing our chances of quitting for the only other competition that matters.

Thank GHod we have Sissoko then, otherwise it would all be hopeless.

 

[milo]

@ me with your man of the match nominations

Alderweireld, Aurier, Dier, Kane, Moura

Anyone else?

 

[Moby]

Alderweireld, Aurier, Dier, Kane, Moura

Anyone else?

Don’t care. It’s over man. Let it lie.

 

[scaramanga]

That’s still a pass! My point isn’t that he isn’t adventurous enough with his passing, it’s that he isn’t making himself an option to his teammates enough (even if he then just knocked it square).

Edit: I also don’t think his passing is as bad as people make out. Yes he always has a clanger, but overall he doesn’t misplace that many of his passes (appreciate that might be partly because he’s fairly unadventurous).

See stats thread (or wherever I posted it) regarding xGBuildup. He has that awful combination of taking overly safe choices (losing us any advantage) and also passing too close, too hard or the wrong side, making it almost impossible to retain possession.

 

[milo]

Don’t care. It’s over man. Let it lie.

 

[Moby]

No one cares.

 

[braineclipse]

Think the thing that worries me most is how often Jose has been playing Winks and Sissoko together. They just give us so little in possession. Ndombele, Gedson, Skipp, Lamela (so Lo Celso can play deeper) are all alternative options that he’s chosen to barely use - I appreciate they’re not perfect options either, but it shows his priorities. I can only hope it’s a temporary measure, which to be be fair has gotten us over the line (albeit relying on a favour from Chelsea today).

I'm not to what extent it shows his priorities and to what extent it's a result of what has been available to him.

Lo Celso has been used deeper and seems good there, but he hasn't exactly formed a great partnership with either Winks or Sissoko.

Skipp and Gedson are both young and inexperienced. Difficult to see a good partnership with either of them at this point too. Even more so as a lot of work has seemingly had to be put into making us solid at the back again. Thrusting a young player into the center could easily have misfired.

 

[SpurMeUp]

Bar Moura starting, I think Mourinho was working his way around to the same starting 11 as Poch. Toby and Sanchez look the best CBs. Aurier and Rose probably the best FBs. Sissoko and Winks the best CMs of a wide and average (even if promising) bunch. Son, Kane, LeCelco.

To think last summer we were looking at Bruno Fernandez and Grealish. Two player that would have bolstered our midfield. We’d still have need a Hojberg-like signing but we’d be CL level.

The biggest challenge is selling our decent players for decent money so we can start upgrading.


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