BrainOfLevy
Michael Carrick
He’s also ahead of Winks. I think it’s pretty clear that the ‘he gets nowhere near the 11 when everyone is fit’ and the ‘he’s being played just so we can sell him’ are both nonsense.
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Moussa Sissoko
- Thread starter Jordinho
- Start date
He’s also ahead of Winks. I think it’s pretty clear that the ‘he gets nowhere near the 11 when everyone is fit’ and the ‘he’s being played just so we can sell him’ are both nonsense.
So the clear answer is he's playing because Poch has made a terrible, terrible mistake.
nayimfromthehalfwayline
Andy Thompson
Since when!?
City - Winks Starts, Sissoko bench
Brighton - Both start
Stoke - Winks Starts, Sissoko bench
Apoel- Both start
Watford - Both Bench
Leicester - Sissoko starts, Winks not in squad (injured?)
WBA- Winks Starts, Sissoko bench
Dortmund - Winks Starts, Sissoko bench
Arsenal - Sissoko starts, Winks bench
Palace - Both start
Real Madrid - Winks Starts, Sissoko bench
Thats our last 11 games, as far back as the beginning of November. Winks starts and Sissoko on the bench 5 out of those. Both start 3. Only 2 Sissoko starts ahead of Winks, one of which I dont think Winks was available.
So how exactly do you reach that conclusion?
He is being played so we can sell him is nonsense. Its a silly point and one Ive never made.
He is playing because of a total lack of options? Thats entirely valid.
Lemonade Money
Steffen Freund
Dembele is fit. Lamela could come in for Eriksen or Dele, if Sissoko was such a terrible option.
BrainOfLevy
Michael Carrick
My bad, I was referring to tonight and assumed Winks was on the bench.
He’s playing ok this first half though, right?
nayimfromthehalfwayline
Andy Thompson
As I put in the match thread, his miss(es) was beyond embarrassing but otherwise he has been fine. Some nice passes, one touch and pass and move stuff, and not frustrated at all.
But to pick at you a bit - you state Sissoko is ahead of Winks based upon a single selection?
Dembele is terribly out of form, hasnt been himself all season and (IMO) doesnt yet look fit still. Playing Sissoko rather than shuffling the entire team makes more sense than moving players all over the place.
How was his miss beyond embarrassing? He struck it hard,low and was heading towards the corner. If that was any player other than Sissoko that wouldn’t be a beyond embarrassing miss - it was a shot on target that the keeper saved. If you want to talk about embarrassing misses, Sons was ten times worse....
BrainOfLevy
Michael Carrick
I don’t necessarily think Sissoko is ahead of Winks if all are fit and performing, no.
But I don’t think it’s fair to say others are out of form and that’s why Sissoko is in, as if it can’t work the other way around. Maybe Winks gets ahead of him because Sissoko was out of form. Does Sissoko get the same leeway?
I thought he was as good as the rest of the team in the second half and totally fits in. There were times that he could have played a crucial ball a little better and could have scored his 1 v 1, but Kane had a mare of a pass and Son had a mare of a miss, so we shouldn’t criticise Sissoko too much ahead of others for them.
Kandi1977
Terry Dyson
And now we have Dembele and Lamela fresh for boxing day, because Sissoko played today, in a game we won comfortably, with a very good assist from Sissoko. Yes he should have scored, but he contributed with a lovely assist. You can't possibly now say that playing him today was wrong!
Bedfordspurs
Martin Peters
Sons is still going up
Lemonade Money
Steffen Freund
The first shot was a good save. The second shot nearly got through his legs and the keeper was looking behind to see if it was in. Both on target. I guess any shot that doesn't go in is atrocious these days.
Lol it was so bad wasn’t it! If Son could add some consistency to his finishing we would have another serious player on our hands.
As for Sissoko he’s not in the team for goals and we all know he’s not a good finisher so anything in that department is a bonus. He played well today and I do think he’s a valuable member of the squad, always fit and in great physical condition to soak up minutes so key other members of team can get rested....
glasgowspur
Dimitar Berbatov
Some poor kid is going think that's Santa sleigh as it goes whizzing by.
nayimfromthehalfwayline
Andy Thompson
The goal gaping, no pressure, only the keeper to beat and he strikes it directly at the keeper TWICE. If it was Kane my response would be the same, embarrassingly bad.
Sons chance was a lot harder, no excuses though it was still poor on his part. Between the two? Sissokos was worse by a distance - and thats everything to do with the situation and not the player.
So why even go there then? Its cheap shots like that that discredit any argument in here. Youre defending Sissoko as if your life depends on it - coming out with that sort of thing just makes you look entirely biased and unreasonable.
Dembele last season showed himself to be one of the best midfielders in the country if not europe. This season he has been a shadow of that player, it is entirely fair to point to his form at this stage. If you want to make an argument for form, then Sissokos is a season and a half of terrible to adequate. How well do you think its going to play out?
As it happens I thought he was pretty good first half. On reflection, he didnt frustrate, he moved the ball quickly, and had plenty of positive contributions. I thought he was worse second half, with his touch returning to its usual low standard and things generally getting rather scrappy.
Funnily enough, first half he has that appalling miss, and second a rather good assist.
As it happened I genuinely thought it was his usual poor control and he got luck. Upon seeing the replay I think its only fair to say it was very good play on his part.
BrainOfLevy
Michael Carrick
I think you’re going a little OTT on my response there, I said ‘and he’s ahead of Winks’ initially because I thought both Winks and Dembele were on the bench. And I was referring to just this game, not trying to claim that I know how Poch rates the three of them in his head.
I’ll defend him when people say silly things like he’s only in the team because we have no one else. Particularly when he contributes well and does his job in an important part of the pitch where we blow another team away.
As for Dembele, no doubt he’s been great, and no doubt Sissoko was poor last year. But maybe Sissoko was just out of form last year and on his true level he’s just as valuable to this squad as Dembele? I’m being slightly facetious, but it’s harsh on Sissoko to use someone being out of form as a reason he is in the side. He’s featured in every single game this year (I think), that means there’s a lot of players that have just been out of form enough to let him in, or maybe just enough injuries, or maybe the reason he’s in our squad is because he’s consistent, he’s fit, and he does his role well.
We’ll obviously agree to disagree on his true level being ‘poor to adequate’. I just think like Jenas, the qualities he brings to the side as a defensively sound, energetic midfielder are just not those appreciated generally by Spurs fans. I just see him being in our side and winning, and I defend him when people go too hard on him.