Match Threads Chelsea vs Spurs - Match Thread - Day 10

[ardiles]

For the time being, with Ndombele & GLC not fully fit, Sissoko has played a vital part, with his pace and power, in breaking down attacks against the top teams.

Against weaker, more defensive sides, I’d rather a more intelligent / skilful player over Sissoko to start in midfield with PEH & one of Ndombele or GLC, until they both improve their fitness levels.

When both Ndombele & GLC are fully fit and able to last a full match, I’d expect our starting midfield to comprise both these players and PEH.

 

[spursfan77]

He was excellent today filled the space that Wermer was looking to get into to the point that there best attacker was taken off. Last week he had another good game in these type of games and the way the team is set up to play he is an integral part of the side ,

I agree. I 100% am not a sissoko fan but it is obvious what his function is in the team at the moment and he is doing it well. Can he be upgraded on, yes definitely, should he be in the team at the moment, yes definitely too.

 

[davidmatzdorf]

Yeah, right. I can count the number of people on this site who take disappointment well using the contents of my nutsack

Am I the left or the right?

 

[davidmatzdorf]

He was excellent today filled the space that Wermer was looking to get into to the point that there best attacker was taken off. Last week he had another good game in these type of games and the way the team is set up to play he is an integral part of the side ,

Sissoko offers a lot especially in big games. It’s not a coincidence he has 65 caps for the world champions.

It's part of the consistent way fans underestimate and sometimes don't even notice positional intelligence in footballers. Some of it is down to ball-watching. Some of it is that the result of good defensive positioning is what doesn't happen.

What didn't happen today was Chelsea getting behind our defensive line and pulling our shape to pieces. Two big reasons for that were called Moussa and Pierre.

 

[tooey]

I agree. I 100% am not a sissoko fan but it is obvious what his function is in the team at the moment and he is doing it well. Can he be upgraded on, yes definitely, should he be in the team at the moment, yes definitely too.

Especially as Sissoko is 31 and once his legs go a bit he's going to be proper gash. For the time being though, good enough at what he does.

 

[UbeAstard]

Right I am going to get some stick for saying this... but I am sick to death of Sissoko starting for us when Lo Celso is available. He has absolutely no vision or ability to play forward passes and literally ruins 99% of attacks or build up play when the ball goes through him, therefore absolutely negating any positive effect he has defensively. And he does have a big part to play defensively, he works his socks off. We start with Lo Celso and I’m convinced we would have had a far better chance to win today. Lo Celso is superb on the ball, good in the final third and at the very least decent in defence. Why we aren’t starting him over Sissoko is making my head explode every game he is available

What have you won as manager?

 

[wadewill]

Sissoko was literally a 9/10 without the ball, 2/10 with it.

In games like these his defensive work massively outweighs his inadequacies with the ball, it’s a shame when it fall to him in a half decent position because he is more than likely going to lose it when he has men tight to him. But he was excellent defensively

In games against weaker teams I do expect we will turn to Gio and Ndomele at some point soon.

 

[Reece_Spurs]

A lot of fans don't see that or appreciate that part of his game.

This.

I really hate saying this sometimes as it makes me sound like i'm some sort of know it all football sofa fan, but I do wonder how people watch football, because despite Sissokos obvious flaws on the ball and going forward, if you can't see or appreciate what he brings to the team as a whole then I have to question that persons overall football knowledge.

Thats what Shadydan is saying, Sissoko is probably the most unappreciated player in our team and has been for a very very long time, too many people judge him on what he does on the ball and don't realise how much he does for the team tactically and physically off the ball, it's invaluable, there's a reason he's in the first team every week.

For those who don't like him, next game you watch live, rather than looking at the action and the actual ball, try and look and Sissoko and what he's doing off the ball every now and then, it's quite interesting watching players instead of the ball sometimes as it brings a better understanding of the tactics and formation when in and out of possession. I think If more people paid attention to this sort of thing then they wouldn't question his place in the squad as much.

 

[Flobadob]

What have you won as manager?

? it’s my opinion. I don’t rate Sissoko. I’m allowed to state my opinion fella. I think the positive impact he has defensively is totally negated by the fact he can’t help us in an attacking sense, especially not in the role he’s playing recently where he picks the ball up very deep and can’t even make one of his bursts forward as it’s too risky. What does he then offer in terms of skill and composure in the ball and vision to play forward and build attacks? Absolutely nothing. I’m not disagreeing with anyone about his defensive impact, he’s been very good in that sense but I think his deficiencies pretty much overshadow that. Sorry for thinking Chelsea were there for the taking if we played a better player instead of Sissoko and being disappointed we didn’t win the game ? A draw is a good result but we could have won that game with more ambition and skill on the pitch

 

[Archibald&Crooks]

Am I the left or the right?

You're slap bang in the middle

 

[HNIM]

This team is growing. I'm satisfied with this result.

 

[punkisback]

Thing is draw against arsenal and lose against Liverpool and this winnable game doesn’t look good on context. It’s all about winning these 6 pointer games when we can. Obvs happy with the result but it’s very early in the season. These draws against competitors are only useful when we’re leading the league later in the season.

 

[Flobadob]

Thing is draw against arsenal and lose against Liverpool and this winnable game doesn’t look good on context. It’s all about winning these 6 pointer games when we can. Obvs happy with the result but it’s very early in the season.

Precisely why I’d sooner see the better player in Lo Celso start the game over Sissoko. I think some people think I’m being negative, I’m really not, it’s a decent result but why not aim higher when that Chelsea team are nothing special at all and were perfectly beatable

 

[punkisback]

Precisely why I’d sooner see the better player in Lo Celso start the game over Sissoko. I think some people think I’m being negative, I’m really not, it’s a decent result but why not aim higher when that Chelsea team are nothing special at all and were perfectly beatable

Honestly think this Chelsea team is very strong. As a unit they work well, better than the sum of their parts. And a lot fitter than the city team we faced last week.

 

[Pistols At Dawn]

I'M STARTING A SISSOKO APPRECIATION THREAD ???

 

[Flobadob]

Honestly think this Chelsea team is very strong. As a unit they work well, better than the sum of their parts. And a lot fitter than the city team we faced last week.

I don’t think we tested them at all defensively and that frustrates me. I don’t think they are all that at the back. Zouma is an incredible athlete but has a mistake in him, Reece James is very inexperienced, although talented and could be got at in my opinion, Silva and Chilwell are both quality players but again nothing special (Silva once was amazing of course). I think we could have got more from this game if we went for it more

 

[davidmatzdorf]

Right I am going to get some stick for saying this... but I am sick to death of Sissoko starting for us when Lo Celso is available. He has absolutely no vision or ability to play forward passes and literally ruins 99% of attacks or build up play when the ball goes through him, therefore absolutely negating any positive effect he has defensively. And he does have a big part to play defensively, he works his socks off. We start with Lo Celso and I’m convinced we would have had a far better chance to win today. Lo Celso is superb on the ball, good in the final third and at the very least decent in defence. Why we aren’t starting him over Sissoko is making my head explode every game he is available

We're setting up with a double pivot. If we started with Lo Celso, Ndombele and Højbjerg in midfield, one of Lo Celso and Ndombele would need to play with the positional discipline I'm not sure either possesses, but is one of Sissoko's strongest areas. One of them would have to play far removed from attacking areas, where Lo Celso couldn't use his pressing and his driving runs and where Ndombele would be too far away from the attackers to use his precision vertical passes. It would be a waste of their skills.

Especially given Ndombele's still-developing stamina and Lo Celso's propensity for niggling injuries, it works better to play them in rotation rather than together, especially against high-quality, free-scoring opposition, where we want to play deep and counter-attack.

It's a team game. You don't just play the eleven players who are easiest on the eye. You select players for roles in an overall shape. Sissoko is disciplined, physical, dribbles and drives well and has a very good positional/defensive sense. He has an essential function in a team that is trying to solve today's tactical problem: neutralising skilled attacking opponents away from home.

 

[Matrix]

Frank talking nonsense, out of all the attacking they had they never really looked that threatening.

 

[Flobadob]

We're setting up with a double pivot. If we started with Lo Celso, Ndombele and Højbjerg in midfield, one of Lo Celso and Ndombele would need to play with the positional discipline I'm not sure either possesses, but is one of Sissoko's strongest areas. One of them would have to play far removed from attacking areas, where Lo Celso couldn't use his pressing and his driving runs and where Ndombele would be too far away from the attackers to use his precision vertical passes. It would be a waste of their skills.

Especially given Ndombele's still-developing stamina and Lo Celso's propensity for niggling injuries, it works better to play them in rotation rather than together, especially against high-quality, free-scoring opposition, where we want to play deep and counter-attack.

It's a team game. You don't just play the eleven players who are easiest on the eye. You select players for roles in an overall shape. Sissoko is disciplined, physical, dribbles and drives well and has a very good positional/defensive sense. He has an essential function in a team that is trying to solve today's tactical problem: neutralising skilled attacking opponents away from home.

Lo Celso has played as part of that double pivot in most of his appearances for us if I remember correctly and done very well.

 

[NEVILLEB]

Chelsea were having an abysmal season and coasting through a painful divorce with a manager this was a very different situation.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/30600753