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Ex-Player Watch Player Watch: Mousa Dembele

JayB

Well-Known Member
Aug 24, 2011
6,652
26,046
Sissoko hasn't ever played the No. 6 role as far as I know. His touch is too poor for him to be the last man in front of the back line. Teams would press the daylights out of him and it would put us under massive pressure.

What he does do is play the box-to-box role, getting up and down the pitch, covering his flank and quickly transitioning us into attack with his bursting runs forward. I'm as doubtful as anyone about whether he's the best choice in the long term, but for the remainder of the season I think he's proven that he can replace what Dembele used to provide us with perfectly adequately.
 

JR1994

Well-Known Member
Jan 11, 2018
1,155
4,716
Sissoko hasn't ever played the No. 6 role as far as I know. His touch is too poor for him to be the last man in front of the back line. Teams would press the daylights out of him and it would put us under massive pressure.

What he does do is play the box-to-box role, getting up and down the pitch, covering his flank and quickly transitioning us into attack with his bursting runs forward. I'm as doubtful as anyone about whether he's the best choice in the long term, but for the remainder of the season I think he's proven that he can replace what Dembele used to provide us with perfectly adequately.

Actually think Sissoko passing and touch has improved significantly in recent weeks. Everton away his one touch passing helped our transition massively.. he’s starting to play the pass before the assist
 

Rout-Ledge

Well-Known Member
Jul 29, 2005
9,611
21,718
A brilliant servant to the club over the last 6 or so years. But getting £11m for him with a few months left on his contract is amazing business considering he’s barely played this season, and hopefully it means our chances of signing a good CM this month have gone up a fair bit.
 

rossdapep

Well-Known Member
Aug 25, 2011
21,904
78,639
Wouldn't get carried away about Sissoko replacing Dembele, he just isn't as good a passer and I don't think ever will be.

We're crying out for a Carrick Mk.2 IMO.
Neither was Dembele's to be honest. I'd also counter that by saying Sissoko is better at breaking the lines quicker. Dembele is a monster of a player and we were tougher to get the ball off but I don't think we should look for like for like. We need a new DM, someone who can screen the backline.
 

'O Zio

Well-Known Member
Dec 27, 2014
7,405
13,785
After initially dividing opinion he went on to be one of our best players but unfortunately, like so many great players down the years, injuries held him back and have eventually got the better of him. Real shame to see him sort of fizzle out in the end given what a quality player he was on his day. Wish him all the best in China and for the future.
 

Cornpattbuck

Well-Known Member
Jul 23, 2013
6,873
15,942
It was over a year or so ago that he said his body was struggling to keep up with demands. Really sad to see him go but it sounds like this is the best for all parties. Will be missed. Absolute legend.
 

DaSpurs

Well-Known Member
Jan 20, 2013
11,816
13,655
Honestly resented his very existence in the squad for a few years due to his affinity for sideways passing and ineffectiveness upon arrival at the top of the opposition’s box, but no player has ever entirely flipped my stance on him in a single game, and that infamous game was THAT game away at Liverpool. I’m sure most of you remember it well. He absolutely dominated that game in every way possible, and then went on to finish out the season in a similar fashion.

Will also delightfully remember his New Year’s game against Chelsea, the 5-3 humiliation of Mourinho. Remember fondly Hazard, William, and Oscar all desperately trying to dislodge the ball from him, to absolutely and laughably no avail.
 

brendanb50

Well-Known Member
Jul 21, 2005
4,483
3,890
Sad to see him go but the timing is right if £11m is on the table for him. A great return given his fitness issues but on his day - what a player.

For me, whilst i appreciate we haven't had much of him this season and we're making do - we're very light in a key area and with Eriksen's deal not resolved we absolutely need to be reinvesting this money back into the team. Maybe January isn't the right time to buy, maybe the right players aren't available and maybe we don't want to spend anything but someone must be looking at CM as an issue which needs prioritising.
 

Cornpattbuck

Well-Known Member
Jul 23, 2013
6,873
15,942
Interesting line from the Guardian, which is fair enough really...

"The 31-year-old midfielder, who has battled a foot problem for some time, has six months to run on his Spurs contract and has long seen China as his next destination. He thought a deal had been agreed last summer only for nothing to materialise."
 

Kspur

Well-Known Member
Jul 13, 2014
498
739
He totally flipped my opinion on him too, he has been absolutely integral to us for the majority of his time here, what a player, love him on the ball. Right time to go and frankly £11m is more than I would have expected at this point.
 

George94

George
Feb 1, 2015
3,661
19,454
Sissoko's 29, his touch isn't getting any better at this point IMO.

As good as Sissoko has been this season, we absolutely should be looking at cashing in this summer while he's in good form and actually using the money toward a top midfielder like Ndombele to replace Dembele.

Nobody would touch Sissoko last summer, reckon we would have struggled to give him away for nothing.
 

Phomesy

Well-Known Member
Aug 20, 2013
9,188
14,102
He would had been a great asset to have in the second half of the season competing on 4 fronts.

Should have kept him and allowed him to leave on a free.

I know many will say £11m now is better than nothing in the summer, but that’s peanuts in the modern game and him staying could have proved vital in winning a trophy this season.

I agree in principle but we had promised to allow him to get his last big "pay day" and I think going back on that word when we'd already failed to find the move in summer wouldn't be great for reputation.

Good luck Moussa and thanks for the memories.
 

Paolo10

Well-Known Member
Apr 6, 2004
6,179
7,621
Sissoko hasn't ever played the No. 6 role as far as I know. His touch is too poor for him to be the last man in front of the back line. Teams would press the daylights out of him and it would put us under massive pressure.

Although he doesn't regularly play there, he has before, including a few times with Spurs e.g. at the Bernebeu and more recently vs Bournemouth.
 

dagraham

Well-Known Member
Sep 20, 2005
19,115
46,080
I agree in principle but we had promised to allow him to get his last big "pay day" and I think going back on that word when we'd already failed to find the move in summer wouldn't be great for reputation.

Good luck Moussa and thanks for the memories.

Yeah that is a fair point, but wouldn’t he still get his big pay day move next summer?

I’m more annoyed we haven’t planned properly for this by already having his replacement here and settled in.

Right now it just simply feels like weakening the squad in a season where we have a chance to win things.
 

Tyler24durden

Well-Known Member
Aug 31, 2012
1,047
4,440
Is Ndombele actually that good?

Few times I’ve seen him, he’s looked decent but certainly not brilliant and not worth £60m+.

Not that seen much of him but from the little I have seen, I much prefer Amoudou Diawara at Napoli and Denis Zakaria looks decent too.

Diawara seems to be very talented and is apparently available for about £35m which is far more reasonable.
 
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