Player Watch: Moussa Sissoko

[MattPhilpott]

How can you realistically plan for 4 of them to be injured at the same time? We only usually play 2 of the fuckers at once anyway!

I get your point entirely! But how often have we had all of them fit? I don’t think anybody would have thought sissoko would have had this resurgence, and granted, Diers Appendix was a bit of a curveball.

My point is though, that when we didn’t invest in a new CM, you could have seen it coming that we could run into midfield depth issues, due to the track record of injuries to our current players?

 

[Everlasting Seconds]

I get your point entirely! But how often have we had all of them fit? I don’t think anybody would have thought sissoko would have had this resurgence, and granted, Diers Appendix was a bit of a curveball.

My point is though, that when we didn’t invest in a new CM, you could have seen it coming that we could run into midfield depth issues, due to the track record of injuries to our current players?

You are correct. The need for a CM has been blatant for two seasons. It's one of the reasons for why we have no trophies from the last two seasons, even if we've come close.

 

[NinjaTuna]

Down to our last midfielder...let’s not say we didn’t see it coming after this summer, only a matter of time...

Hope I don’t get too Neg Repped for this...but Yaya Toure is available for nothing, our lack of central midfield options now, even at 35 I think he could do a job in that midfield...6 month contract with option of a further year. Man has won it all, and bossed the prem, may know Serge well too.
Couldn’t hurt imo..nothing to lose at this point

Tbh i think you're right. Get Yaya in to plug the gaps for now. Or follow @thinktank 's hopes and dreams and stick Foyth in there

 

[Haddock]

Sissoko, the machine. Just exchange some parts and tighten the screws right?

Seriously though. I'm praying it's nothing serious. He's been the stand out player for me thus far.

 

[Shadydan]

Lol Yaya Toure guy can't even fucking run

 

[the shelf]

Yaya Toure is quite possibly the most 'un-Poch' player I can think of...

 

[longtimespur]

I agree that we should have bought at least 1 in the summer but, according to some ITK in here, the players we targeted didn't want us. They're happy to wait for the teams they want to come in for them.
We could have bought a 2nd or 3rd tier player but then that would have been wrong as we might end up with more dross to try and get shot off.

 

[mil1lion]

Down to our last midfielder...let’s not say we didn’t see it coming after this summer, only a matter of time...

Hope I don’t get too Neg Repped for this...but Yaya Toure is available for nothing, our lack of central midfield options now, even at 35 I think he could do a job in that midfield...6 month contract with option of a further year. Man has won it all, and bossed the prem, may know Serge well too.
Couldn’t hurt imo..nothing to lose at this point

Dier is back, Wanyama will be back soon. Isn't Dembele back too? I would consider not selling him until the summer now unless we get someone in first. Sorry but not Toure, I'd actually sooner recall Onomah than get someone like Toure. We also have Skipp, so no we're not down to 1.

Fair play to Sissoko for filling in when injuries really hit our midfield hard. He has finally got the love and support of the fans. Great reception for him again yesterday which will help his mood during recovery. I hope he is back soon.

 

[Mr Pink]

Doucouré is who we need to fill the void, not Toure.

 

[dondo]

Doucouré is who we need to fill the void, not Toure.

Would be a great signing imo

 

[E17yid]

Doucouré is who we need to fill the void, not Toure.

Watford would probably ask for £50-£60mil

 

[Wearegoingtowintheleague]

Tbh i think you're right. Get Yaya in to plug the gaps for now. Or follow @thinktank 's hopes and dreams and stick Foyth in there

i actually think due to our current situation this isn't such a terrible idea,

I would worry about how much training he's had for the role though as getting his positioning right would be crucial to holding the midfield together.

But foyth playing the Dier role and falling back to make it a back 5 could help us through this difficult period.

he's certainly comfortable enough on the ball for the anchor role.

i just hope sissoko isn't out too long, he's been such a beast, offers so much protection and covers so much ground.

 

[dontcallme]

Watford would probably ask for £50-£60mil

Would certainly cost a lot.

The cheap, stop-gap signings for our level is very difficult.

If we buy a midfielder he needs to be of the long term quality required.

Last thing we need is more players not good enough for us that we are in need of selling.

 

[coys200]

If they think Wanyama will be fit in a week or two we won’t buy. Sissoko winks Dier wanyama would be fine till the summer with Skipp cameos and dele/eriksen if needed. The squad make up has changed in that Sissoko has become a viable option as a CM. Which although sounds corny is effectively like a new signing. In the summer the obvious move is sell Wanyama and get a more attack minded CM. So you then have Sissoko and newbie as ACM and Dier winks Skipp as DCM. For me that would be a very nice balance. I’d also expect to see Maghoma make a break through next season as well.

 

[BringBack_leGin]

I think the way it has evolved we’ve gone from it being two CMs essentially remaining in the middle third at all times (Dembele and Wanyama/ Dembele and Dier) to a reversion to the type of CM we had in our first season with Pochettino, I.e. one middle third player (Bentaleb) and one more box to box player (Mason) who plays at a higher tempo. The options we have for this with Dembele soon to depart are Winks and Dier as a more attacking and more defensive middle third player option, and Sissoko and Wanyama as more attacking and more defensive box to box options. However, Dembele is the only Cm with have who to this point has ever produced consistent top class performances and he clearly is no longer capable, so if he’s off then it’s imperative that we sign a player who could do either role and in partnership with any of those players. Ironically, if Bentaleb had progressed as we had hoped then he’d be ideal were he still here. Frenkie de Jong appears to be seen as the ideal signing going on Itk, but there absolutely has to be other options otherwise we’re really gambling on what we have. Will Wanyama ever be fit enough? Will Sissoko keep up this new improved confident version of? Will Dier ever truly dominate? Will Winks develop further.

The answer may we be Skipp, but even if he evolves, Sissoko is touching 30, Dier seems a flight risk and Wanyama shows no signs of ever reaching previous heights, or being fit enough to do so. With Dembele off we have identify and being in a 5th Cm, and it has to be someone with creativity, either from deep or further forward, because the added factor in this melting pot is that we have starting g using Eriksen powers to supplement our CM and we currently know not how much longer we’ll be doing that.

 

[Mr Pink]

Watford would probably ask for £50-£60mil

Was hoping 30 mate, but in this crazy market you're probably right.

 

[E17yid]

Was hoping 30 mate, but in this crazy market you're probably right.

I’d be all over him at £30m but I seriously doubt Watford would be picking up the phone for anything less than £50m but I have no idea what his contract situation is, tbf.

 

[Tucker]

I was gutted when Sissoko went off yesterday, he’s been playing out of his skin lately, but I have to say once we got back out in the second half, we didn’t really miss him. We battered United for 45 minutes. It was only their goalie that saved them.

 

[allatsea]

Shame the club hasn't get us up to date with how he is doing with his injury. I fear the worse.

 

[Luka Van der Bale]

Shame the club hasn't get us up to date with how he is doing with his injury. I fear the worse.

Pochettino said it didn't look too bad.