What's new

Sissoko questions Pochettino's tactics following defeat to Bayern

mawspurs

Staff
Jun 29, 2003
35,066
17,740
Spurs midfielder Moussa Sissoko has claimed that playing with a diamond midfield means that the players tire more easily than playing any other system.

Source: Football London
 

theShiznit

Well-Known Member
Jul 26, 2004
17,800
23,813
You could see it clearly, we had the three of Winks, Sissoko and Ndombele, all having to shuttle across the width of the pitch to cover wide men and fullbacks attacking and looking shattered pretty early on. All while Alli, Son and Kane have license to jog around when we don't have possession (and sadly sometimes when we do)
 
Last edited:

wrd

Well-Known Member
Aug 22, 2014
13,603
58,005
fair fucking play to Sissoko, he's spoke up for the players and put it out to the public. He's taken a risk but it's out there now.
 

Twizzle

The Alpha Male
May 25, 2008
4,955
4,735
hmmmmm,

how can other others play with the diamond mid yet we cant
 

Tiberius Gracchus

Well-Known Member
Jan 22, 2004
746
1,822
What he actually said was “we get too tired playing in a diamond”. That could be understood as a criticism of Poch, or it could be understood as Sissoko saying they need to get fitter.

If it is a criticism of the tactics, is he right? Probably yes

If so, is he right to say it publicly? Probably no

Has there been any indication that Poch will move away from the diamond system? Also no. So maybe the players are starting to feel that they have to say it publicly ir there’ll be no change
 

wrd

Well-Known Member
Aug 22, 2014
13,603
58,005
hmmmmm,

how can other others play with the diamond mid yet we cant

Who else plays the diamond? I'm genuinely curious as this evening I was thinking how arrogant it is to decide that we know better the system that pretty much all other top teams in the world use in terms of 4-3-3.
 

DelBoyN17

Well-Known Member
Jun 3, 2019
67
308
Playing Winks, Sissoko & N’Dombele at the same time reminds me of when England would play Gerrard, Lampard & Scholes in the same team, it never worked but the manager always picked them albeit out of position hoping their individual quality would shine through, I genuinely think that’s what Poch is doing now, he needs to bite the bullet & drop one if not two & bring Dier back to shore up our back 4 & go again
 

Tiberius Gracchus

Well-Known Member
Jan 22, 2004
746
1,822
Playing Winks, Sissoko & N’Dombele at the same time reminds me of when England would play Gerrard, Lampard & Scholes in the same team, it never worked but the manager always picked them albeit out of position hoping their individual quality would shine through, I genuinely think that’s what Poch is doing now, he needs to bite the bullet & drop one if not two & bring Dier back to shore up our back 4 & go again

That’s a good point about England, although I think it was also weak because Gerrard lacked the positional discipline to pivot with Lampard. Gerrard needed the team built around him so that he could float around and pop up where needed
 

Metalhead

But that's a debate for another thread.....
Nov 24, 2013
25,351
38,294
Who else plays the diamond? I'm genuinely curious as this evening I was thinking how arrogant it is to decide that we know better the system that pretty much all other top teams in the world use in terms of 4-3-3.
Stoke play it apparently, which is ironic because they are struggling too.
 

rossdapep

Well-Known Member
Aug 25, 2011
21,905
78,641
Stoke play it apparently, which is ironic because they are struggling too.
Yeah Nathan Jones did it at Luton and had fantastic results right? But wasn't that because his team were young and full of energy. Whereas Stoke are anything but.

If Sissoko is struggling you know we've got an issue as he has a lot of power and stamina. Ndombele isn't used to it, Winks isn't that kind of player and I dont even know if Lo Celso could do it. Skipp may be able to but Poch doesn't give him any game time.

So does Poch replace them all and pin all his hopes on Ndombele getting fit?
 

Dansleno1r

New Member
May 8, 2019
12
21
fair fucking play to Sissoko, he's spoke up for the players and put it out to the public. He's taken a risk but it's out there now.

What good do you think will come of it?

His opinion may be on the mark, but I can't see how undermining Poch in a public forum is anything other than a recipe for trouble.
 
May 17, 2018
11,872
47,993
Unpolished gem of a tactician that Sissoko is. Quite the diamond in the making.

The only quote is "We get tired too quickly physically when we play with a diamond midfield,"

Unless I've just realised I'm a natural born tactician, I didn't think you needed to claim to know anything about tactics to know what makes you exhausted.
 
Top