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OMT....Saudi Sportswashing Machine Rovers V Tottenham Hotspur.... OMT

That’s the point, Sissoko was no better or worse than most of the others on the pitch. But guess whose thread is bumped straight after the game. Like GGG said, the Sissoko bashing is getting a bit tedious....

3rd season now. He’s survived what...5 transfer windows? If he was the ‘trips over the ball, can’t control, can’t pass to team mates Sunday league player’ he would have definitely been bombed out by now. Ostracised from the squad. Loaned somewhere else at a bare minimum so he can get some first team football so we can sell him for a half way decent fee. Janssen was offered no route back. Moussa is a fully integrated part of the squad.
 
3rd season now. He’s survived what...5 transfer windows? If he was the ‘trips over the ball, can’t control, can’t pass to team mates Sunday league player’ he would have definitely been bombed out by now. Ostracised from the squad. Loaned somewhere else at a bare minimum so he can get some first team football so we can sell him for a half way decent fee. Janssen was offered no route back. Moussa is a fully integrated part of the squad.

Or, he really is the ‘trips over the ball, can’t control, can’t pass to team mates Sunday league player’ and thats why we are stuck with him - no one will take him off of us!

Nobody wants him, and to his credit he seems to just get his head down and get on with it. I suspect thats all there really is to the mystery of why he is still here.

For all of your defence of him - why hasnt he been offered a new deal yet? Sanchez joined last summer and got one already.
 
Or, he really is the ‘trips over the ball, can’t control, can’t pass to team mates Sunday league player’ and thats why we are stuck with him - no one will take him off of us!

Nobody wants him, and to his credit he seems to just get his head down and get on with it. I suspect thats all there really is to the mystery of why he is still here.

For all of your defence of him - why hasnt he been offered a new deal yet? Sanchez joined last summer and got one already.

Probably because he was put on a contract as (almost) a top earner and hasn’t justified getting an improvement further up the scale?

He had a terrible first year. He recovered well last year and I expect a slight improvement in this one. I don’t think he’s been amazing, and I don’t think he’s first choice or anything - I just defend him to counter balance the unfair criticism he gets in my mind. Plus, if we wanted to bomb him out, there would easily be clubs that would take an international tournament finalist who’s played top level and CL football for the last GHod knows how many years. But he probably knows he isn’t going to get better than us, and we’re probably quite happy to have him as a squad player that doesn’t complain. As such he never looks like he’s near the exit door. If we wanted to bomb him out though, he would be out.
 
Or, he really is the ‘trips over the ball, can’t control, can’t pass to team mates Sunday league player’ and thats why we are stuck with him - no one will take him off of us!

Nobody wants him, and to his credit he seems to just get his head down and get on with it. I suspect thats all there really is to the mystery of why he is still here.

For all of your defence of him - why hasnt he been offered a new deal yet? Sanchez joined last summer and got one already.
You can’t seriously think Poch still picks him for any game if he doesn’t follow the instructions he is given - if he wasn’t performing what was asked of by Poch he wouldn’t be playing ever - you can’t seriously argue otherwise considering how he has treated other players. He would rather give his place to a young player if there was no one more senior available....
 
Probably because he was put on a contract as (almost) a top earner and hasn’t justified getting an improvement further up the scale?

He had a terrible first year. He recovered well last year and I expect a slight improvement in this one. I don’t think he’s been amazing, and I don’t think he’s first choice or anything - I just defend him to counter balance the unfair criticism he gets in my mind. Plus, if we wanted to bomb him out, there would easily be clubs that would take an international tournament finalist who’s played top level and CL football for the last GHod knows how many years. But he probably knows he isn’t going to get better than us, and we’re probably quite happy to have him as a squad player that doesn’t complain. As such he never looks like he’s near the exit door. If we wanted to bomb him out though, he would be out.

You see anything negative against him as an attack that must be defended. While Ill admit there are a few posts taking the Michael, most are fair criticism if you take off your public defender glasses. They dont need to be jumped on so enthusiastically.

Genuinely - I suspect its the price tag keeping him here. If he was a £15m punt he would have been long gone IMO. That we cant get any sort of value back is most likely why we havent sold him. As you said (and as Ive said) he does his best and seems to be a decent pro.

That we havent tried to tie him down longer does say something though, considering its our MO to do so to key players.

And thats it really, he isnt key, is he? He is the first to be dropped as soon as key players are fit.


Sanchez was at fault for the goal imo.

Verts got beaten a couple of times, that’s unlike him.

Honestly I though that was just a peach of a cross that took our defenders out of it, not sure what he should have done otherwise?

You can’t seriously think Poch still picks him for any game if he doesn’t follow the instructions he is given - if he wasn’t performing what was asked of by Poch he wouldn’t be playing ever - you can’t seriously argue otherwise considering how he has treated other players. He would rather give his place to a young player if there was no one more senior available....

I seriously think Poch picks him because he see's no alternative, not because Sissoko does a specific job. As above, I expect him to be on the bench as soon as better options are available. Hopefully Dembele proving his fitness will be the case.

I think the team is worse for him in it, and the players are worse around him (see Dier trying to cover him all game) but the team is such that it manages to work anyway. Albeit not as well.

The alternative today was Amos, a kid yet to even taste mens football - who looked as such for the few minutes he had when he came on.
 
If he was as bad as some make out on here I don’t think he would have thought twice about playing either Dembele from the start or Amos. He didn’t have any issues throwing KWP in for his debut away at SJP last season...

Why would Amos and KWP be the same? That doesnt make sense at all. Everyone is different, and its Pochs job to decide when someone is ready to step in.

Id suggest being on the bench, and coming off the bench was a major step for Amos, I doubt he was actually ready for a start though.

Similarly, with so many WC players playing, and the possibility of them getting fatigued etc - starting Dembele as opposed to bringin him on was a risk.

One more player to possibly break down/need substituting.

Sissoko is in the squad. He is fit (one of his genuine strengths), and he was all that was really available. Its not much of a shock he played.


@nayimfromthehalfwayline should have been close enough to challenge for the ball

I really just thought it was a superb cross, had no real complaint myself - but fair enough.
 
You see anything negative against him as an attack that must be defended. While Ill admit there are a few posts taking the Michael, most are fair criticism if you take off your public defender glasses. They dont need to be jumped on so enthusiastically.

Genuinely - I suspect its the price tag keeping him here. If he was a £15m punt he would have been long gone IMO. That we cant get any sort of value back is most likely why we havent sold him. As you said (and as Ive said) he does his best and seems to be a decent pro.

That we havent tried to tie him down longer does say something though, considering its our MO to do so to key players.

And thats it really, he isnt key, is he? He is the first to be dropped as soon as key players are fit.




Honestly I though that was just a peach of a cross that took our defenders out of it, not sure what he should have done otherwise?



I seriously think Poch picks him because he see's no alternative, not because Sissoko does a specific job. As above, I expect him to be on the bench as soon as better options are available. Hopefully Dembele proving his fitness will be the case.

I think the team is worse for him in it, and the players are worse around him (see Dier trying to cover him all game) but the team is such that it manages to work anyway. Albeit not as well.

The alternative today was Amos, a kid yet to even taste mens football - who looked as such for the few minutes he had when he came on.

Just on your point to me - I’ve got no real issue with people saying they’d rather have someone better with the ball at their feet in the 11. Not jumping at those folks. I am jumping at the ‘Sunday League, can’t pass a ball’ rubbish that always gets spouted, and the under-rating of his performances every single game compared to everyone else. Holding him to much higher standards. Holding up every small thing as an example of how bad he is, but not holding those same standards to every other player.

And it comes back to, if he was *that* bad, as is being made out, if he was of so little value, we would bomb him out ala Janssen even if its on loan. Because otherwise there is no logical consistency between the belief that he is terrible and the fact that our fantastic manager thinks he is worth keeping in the squad. We’d just loan him if we wouldn’t find a buyer, and would hope he played first 11 football somewhere and impressed enough that we could get something back, but wouldn’t risk putting him anywhere near our team because of how negatively he would affect our results. I’m not saying you think he is *that* bad, but many others on here and elsewhere in the Spurs fandom do. It doesn’t make sense.

When he plays, he has a role, and as the man himself said, Poch is happy with him. Now when Dembele plays next to Dier, I’m sure they expect more from Dembele in certain ways than they do Sissoko. So the expectation would be slightly different. And maybe they expect more defensively / covering wise from Sissoko than they do Dembele. But either way, when he plays, he is carrying out his instructions well enough to impress his coach. And there’s a reason Dembele will start ahead of Sissoko all other things being equal, because they can probably expect more from him overall, but Sissoko wouldn’t be anywhere near the side if he wasn’t doing what was asked.

You must have played some team sport and would know what it’s like. I played basketball, and every time I moved up a level I was almost surprised at how high the standards were, and how difficult it was to impress, and how set the expectations were. And that was pretty much county and university level...in the UK...so not great. But still, there were standards, it was hugely competitive, and you had to be adding value otherwise you’d be nowhere near the side. I ascribe 100x more importance on standards of contribution in elite Premier League football, and as such I have to conclude Sissoko is adding value and seen as someone who can maintain our consistency and results. He’s be nowhere near otherwise.
 
Today was about the result

Dier MOM

Dembele turned the tide in the second half when they started to get on top

Hopefully that is the last we see of Sissoko for the season haha
Dier MOTM for me too. A timely return to form, which had dropped off a bit last season to be honest.
 
Yeah this is the thing, Wanyama is still trying to get over a knee injury he picked up over 12 months ago. He came back now and again last season but didnt look quite right and now he is injured again with the same knee injury.

Winks is still trying to get over that ankle injury he picked up at Burnley away about 3 years ago.

Best case scenario is both are back in about 2 months but they will be eased back in very slowly and whilst I'm optimistic about Winks fingers crossed putting his injury behind him once and for all, I am far from confident regarding Wanyama.

Everyone knows the situation with Dembele and his fitness.

So as I said get used to Dier and Sissoko in central midfield, we are going to see it a hell of a lot.
Vorm still owns a pair of boots doesn't he?
 
Didn't think he stood out as playing particularly well tbh but in that regard not many did - Alli comfortably MotM for me

Dier had his moments, but needs to take a step forward this season. Sometimes his passing is excellent, other times not. Could have been shown a 2nd yellow.

Alli was one of the few players to look calm and collected (Dembele, Verts and the keeper the others). To me Alli always looks potent coming in off the wing. Suits his style - sprinting into the box when he can see an attack forming. But Loris has to be MOM no!? He made at least 3 massive last ditch interventions and stopped as many goals.
 
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