Though to be fair Sissoko has a knack for staying on the pitch consistently and not picking up knocks left and right. I love Dembele and when healthy and on song he was unstoppable...but it simply did not last long enough. Moving on
Moussa Sissoko - Player Thread
- Thread starter Spursex
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Though to be fair Sissoko has a knack for staying on the pitch consistently and not picking up knocks left and right. I love Dembele and when healthy and on song he was unstoppable...but it simply did not last long enough. Moving on
RichmondSpur
Vital Football Hero
I recall you saying as much - it is now a great shout, but for two seasons, I wanted to run over him with a bus!
Well done.
Ex, thanks. I think congratulations need to extend to Poch, for understanding what Sissoko could offer and how his contribution could compliment our team.
Nick Real Deal
Vital Football Legend
Poch did say Sissoko was unique in his transitional play from defence to attack. Or words to that effect. This surprised some at the time as perhaps we hadn't seen much of it. Now of course it's more evident.
I stand by every single critical word I've ever said about Sissoko. He deserved every byte of it. And more. He was utter shit.
He's come around, by leaps and bounds, and he's made himself undroppable, and kudos to him for it. I was hoping someone would shoot him or something, just to make him go away, now I wouldn't suggest a starting XI in an important match without him in it.
However..... His track record indicates flashes of brilliance followed by long periods of less than mediocrity, so be a bit careful about slappin yourself on the back too hard. Let's enjoy it while we can. History suggests it could all unravel into Shitssoko at any moment.
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He's come around, by leaps and bounds, and he's made himself undroppable, and kudos to him for it. I was hoping someone would shoot him or something, just to make him go away, now I wouldn't suggest a starting XI in an important match without him in it.
However..... His track record indicates flashes of brilliance followed by long periods of less than mediocrity, so be a bit careful about slappin yourself on the back too hard. Let's enjoy it while we can. History suggests it could all unravel into Shitssoko at any moment.
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I don't think anyone with a brain would say Sissoko is better than Dembele, all I was trying to say is to win things you need the right balance. That can sometimes mean that the better player may get left out for the benefit of the team. For me, if you are going to play two holding type midfield player then at least one of them needs to be able to burst forward at pace.
Spursex
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I have a brain.
He is my book now currently better than Dembele; to be fair Sissoko can't dribble in circles, run down blind alleys and then run backwards with the ball before passing it sideways, he does actually pass forwards and even runs beyond the opposition midfield....
He might even end up scoring more than Dembele ever did for us...
So, in my view, he's actually a far more effective player now that Dembo ever was for us...the only debate is can he be more consistent than Dembele ..(tongue in cheek that one!)..
:eek!:
muttley
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With Sissoko, I think you have to play the system that suits him. That means giving him the freedom to pound around the pitch and wear down the opposition. I don't think 4-2-3-1 suits him as he's not disciplined enough for the double pivot and doesn't have enough quality on the ball to play in the 3. Like Pogba at Utd he's best in a narrow 3 man midfield and clearly does his best work in the right channel but license to switch with the other midfielders. Pogba does the same from the left.
The biggest concern about Sissoko is his age. He enters his thirties in a few months time and I have a feeling his powers will wane pretty quickly. He will go through a process where he's still trying to play like the young, athletic Sissoko but can't because he'll lose pace and stamina. He won't be like all action midfielders like Lamps, Parker, Gerrard, Keane, Viera etc who had the close control and passing to adapt their games and be equally as influential but in deeper roles.
Hopefully, we'll get one more season out of him at these current levels before that happens. I'd settle for that as the squad goes through it's major transition. Also why I've been impressed with Doucoure this season. He has all that energy of Sissoko, but has a much better touch and has added goals on top. A much better football brain as well.
The biggest concern about Sissoko is his age. He enters his thirties in a few months time and I have a feeling his powers will wane pretty quickly. He will go through a process where he's still trying to play like the young, athletic Sissoko but can't because he'll lose pace and stamina. He won't be like all action midfielders like Lamps, Parker, Gerrard, Keane, Viera etc who had the close control and passing to adapt their games and be equally as influential but in deeper roles.
Hopefully, we'll get one more season out of him at these current levels before that happens. I'd settle for that as the squad goes through it's major transition. Also why I've been impressed with Doucoure this season. He has all that energy of Sissoko, but has a much better touch and has added goals on top. A much better football brain as well.
Spursex
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hmm, Don't buy into the hype around Doucoure, his passing ability is dire, his positional play is at times about as disciplined as a naughty schoolboy.
He does score goals, but Watford fans will tell you his defensive side is poor and his workrate isn't great, when he chases the ball down in the oppositions half as he might sniff a goal scoring chance, he just doesn't work back.
It will be an interesting summer, but I'd be surprised if any of the top 6 went in for him.
Its relief mate, you know like when tooth ache stops. The terrible Sissoko went away and the not bad one in contrast feels wonderful. We should still break the bank for N'dombele and sign Teilemans before Leicester do. We'd be in a better place.
Nick Real Deal
Vital Football Legend
I have a brain.
He is my book now currently better than Dembele; to be fair Sissoko can't dribble in circles, run down blind alleys and then run backwards with the ball before passing it sideways, he does actually pass forwards and even runs beyond the opposition midfield....
He might even end up scoring more than Dembele ever did for us...
So, in my view, he's actually a far more effective player now that Dembo ever was for us...the only debate is can he be more consistent than Dembele ..(tongue in cheek that one!)..
:eek!:
Perhaps not a direct comparison although there are similarities. Dembele used brute force and dexterity to create space but often with no end result. It was great to watch but I always waited for the let down at the end of the move.
Sissoko uses sheer pace in a more direct straight line forward and again often it ends with a let down if he attempts goal himself. However he could be just starting to bring in other players who can do damage like Moura did from Sissokos pass against Huddersfield after a characteristic powerful run forward.
My comparison is they both flatter to deceive unfortunatley. Who would I choose between the two right now ?....Sissoko, two years ago...Dembele.
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muttley
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I always think that Sissoko is tough to play against but also quite tough to play with. I don't see other guys in our team on top form because of Sissoko enabling their games, but I do love his individual contribution right now.
That's one thing I could never accuse Dembele of in our colours. Always using his brain, and guys like Eriksen and Dele had their best moments when he was behind them. Dembele also potentially made Dier look better than he actually is in the same way King did with Dawson.
What I do like though is Poch's versatility to accommodate an unpredictable player like Sissoko. It's the rough with the smooth. At the end of Feb, Sissoko was stupidly erratic when he was in a wider position than Trippier as Chelsea tore us a new one and Pedro scores in the 2-0 loss. Only Sissoko knows why he was in a hopeless position for a box to box midfielder when the play was coming at Davies on the other side. It is that same free spirit that sees him gallop into open space with the ball and leave his man for dead.
I actually think his team mates are now getting more used to it, but still have concerns I don't see them hitting their own top form. The one that deals with it best is probably Winks when he plays with Sissoko.
I wouldn't worry too much about Sissoko losing pace, or agility, or physically breaking down much, for more than a few years to come.
He's a machine. A physical specimen, an anomaly.
He's also pretty much been jogging about the pitch, doing everything he can to not possess the ball, and generally havin' a stroll in most games for the past decade, so this current burst of activity should be sustainable for awhile.
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He's a machine. A physical specimen, an anomaly.
He's also pretty much been jogging about the pitch, doing everything he can to not possess the ball, and generally havin' a stroll in most games for the past decade, so this current burst of activity should be sustainable for awhile.
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freundorfoe
Vital 1st Team Regular
He's had very few crap games this season, and more than 12 decent ones.
Quite happy to admit I had very little hope of Sissoko coming good based on a lot of evidence that he absolutely wouldn't, and said as much in some of the threads Ex linked to I'm sure. He showed the odd flash, there was a small run of games a couple seasons back where he got 3 or 4 assists in 5 games and his pace was hurting teams when we went on a fast break, then he went back to a 9 foot first touch and regularly passing to opposition type games and I all but gave up.
If Dembele was here and half fit, Sissoko would start over him for me. Peak Dembele was obviously far better imo than Ex will ever give credit for, but I do agree that Sissoko might have a more direct impact on our attacking game than Dembo tended to. He's beginning to ghost past players like Dembele, but then rather than laying the ball sideways, runs into space putting defenders on the back foot. I also like that he's clearly keen to add more assists to his game, as evidenced by some social media comments he's made in the past.
I'd be shocked if he ever scores 5 goals in a season though... Gets a nosebleed whenever he's in the box poor bloke.
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Spursex
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Even the Dembele from 2/3 years ago failed to turn up when it mattered - he had about a good 10 game run and then disappeared again.
freundorfoe
Vital 1st Team Regular
I just think you're not acknowledging the value of having a guy who never lost the ball no matter how tight a space he was in. It might not have directly impacted in an obvious way, but indirectly will have given us an out ball, given confidence to our defence - and saved numerous dodgy passes from becoming half chances for the opposition.
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Sissoko better than Dembele? This is one of the most hysterical things I read on these forums.
Those who could not acknowledge what he brought to the team when he was around are now crowning Sissoko as a better player, unbelievable.
The guy was a graceful work horse, it is evident enough that we miss him, and in his best years we were a worse team without him. In fact, in one of our best seasons our only defeats came when he wasn't on the pitch.
He destroyed the best CMs in the PL, created space for everyone around him and made our entire team better by simply steppng onto the pitch.
Those who could not acknowledge what he brought to the team when he was around are now crowning Sissoko as a better player, unbelievable.
The guy was a graceful work horse, it is evident enough that we miss him, and in his best years we were a worse team without him. In fact, in one of our best seasons our only defeats came when he wasn't on the pitch.
He destroyed the best CMs in the PL, created space for everyone around him and made our entire team better by simply steppng onto the pitch.
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