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I really wasn't convinced when we bought him, in fact after hearing from some barcode fans who watched him week in week out my heart dropped a little; inconsistent, disinterested, goes missing in games if it goes against him - although none of them ever said his first touch was as poor as it appeared when he signed for us.
His one get out of jail card with me was when I was being told that the people at Spurs were utterly dismayed at how lacking in fitness he was - I said as much here, and when he did start / get on it showed - his recovery was like watching Billy the overweight goat trying to run more than a few yards, pitiful.
On Saturday I was at the Everton game with a top PL scout that had tried hard before we signed him to get him (I've spent last season regreting that they didn't!) we had a long chat about Sissoko and he was convinced that when we signed him he was carrying a soft tissue injury and that put off the four other clubs he knew were after him; Manure, Leicester, Roma and Monaco! Plus of course us - said it all went down to the wire and was pretty cheesed off that we'd beaten him to his signature.
His view was that his lack of fitness had affected him badly, and that if we're patient his quality would shine through; he did think his confidence looks fragile, but believed that a couple of decent performances and that would get reset..
Anyway, as we saw last season he looked dreadful; last season I'd been told he'd been bought as a competitor/replacement for Dembele (for two reasons, before the Chinese changed their rules there was a strong belief that getting a vast sum for a crock would be smart business and secondly we knew he'd be having an op that may or may not solve his ankle issue).
But his fitness meant that his touch and his form was dire and the last thing we could do was trust him in the middle in an area where with us the work rate can be exceptionally high, so we gave him game time in his French squad position, but to me he still looked dreadful.
He's spent the season also having (I'm told) an attitude 'adjustment' - laughed my head off when I was told that Saturday - it seems Poch doesn't care what your international rep might have been, you either shape up or you're excluded.
Yesterday he said this:
“This season is totally different because I had the pre-season with the team”, claimed the French international.
“Last season I signed at the last minute and didn’t have the pre-season so it was difficult.
“Now I feel good and ready to fight, like everyone, and to try to give my best for the team. I hope I will do well this season and we will all do well in the league, in the Champions League and in the cups.
“When you start you’re always happy. The manager gave me my chance and I tried to give my best. I think I did well, like all the team, so I’m happy.”
As I've said many many times here; fitness affects form, touch, mentality and confidence - but it seems that he's just won Poch is first endorsement of his fitness by being played in the position he was bought for.
I wonder if I (and a few others here that's been dismayed at buying him) will have to end up eating large chunks of humble pie at the end of the season...(or before - preferably!)...
He and Dier imposed themselves on a very good CM pairing and whilst the rush by some to now claim that Everton 'weren't all that' - they weren't because we imposed our game on them and dominated them.
His one get out of jail card with me was when I was being told that the people at Spurs were utterly dismayed at how lacking in fitness he was - I said as much here, and when he did start / get on it showed - his recovery was like watching Billy the overweight goat trying to run more than a few yards, pitiful.
On Saturday I was at the Everton game with a top PL scout that had tried hard before we signed him to get him (I've spent last season regreting that they didn't!) we had a long chat about Sissoko and he was convinced that when we signed him he was carrying a soft tissue injury and that put off the four other clubs he knew were after him; Manure, Leicester, Roma and Monaco! Plus of course us - said it all went down to the wire and was pretty cheesed off that we'd beaten him to his signature.
His view was that his lack of fitness had affected him badly, and that if we're patient his quality would shine through; he did think his confidence looks fragile, but believed that a couple of decent performances and that would get reset..
Anyway, as we saw last season he looked dreadful; last season I'd been told he'd been bought as a competitor/replacement for Dembele (for two reasons, before the Chinese changed their rules there was a strong belief that getting a vast sum for a crock would be smart business and secondly we knew he'd be having an op that may or may not solve his ankle issue).
But his fitness meant that his touch and his form was dire and the last thing we could do was trust him in the middle in an area where with us the work rate can be exceptionally high, so we gave him game time in his French squad position, but to me he still looked dreadful.
He's spent the season also having (I'm told) an attitude 'adjustment' - laughed my head off when I was told that Saturday - it seems Poch doesn't care what your international rep might have been, you either shape up or you're excluded.
Yesterday he said this:
“This season is totally different because I had the pre-season with the team”, claimed the French international.
“Last season I signed at the last minute and didn’t have the pre-season so it was difficult.
“Now I feel good and ready to fight, like everyone, and to try to give my best for the team. I hope I will do well this season and we will all do well in the league, in the Champions League and in the cups.
“When you start you’re always happy. The manager gave me my chance and I tried to give my best. I think I did well, like all the team, so I’m happy.”
As I've said many many times here; fitness affects form, touch, mentality and confidence - but it seems that he's just won Poch is first endorsement of his fitness by being played in the position he was bought for.
I wonder if I (and a few others here that's been dismayed at buying him) will have to end up eating large chunks of humble pie at the end of the season...(or before - preferably!)...
He and Dier imposed themselves on a very good CM pairing and whilst the rush by some to now claim that Everton 'weren't all that' - they weren't because we imposed our game on them and dominated them.
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