Some of the praise goes a bit past the mark, owing a lot to the sheer shock of how much he's improved this year, but the fact is without his performances in the midfield this season we'd be completely screwed. He's doing a serviceable job in a role where we don't have any other options. It would be great if we had Prime Dembele to occupy that role, but sadly Prime Dembele no longer exists. Oliver Skipp isn't ready to take on all that, Eriksen or Winks is out of position there. Sissoko maintains the shape and stabilizes the platform upon which our stars can shine.
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Some of the praise goes a bit past the mark, owing a lot to the sheer shock of how much he's improved this year, but the fact is without his performances in the midfield this season we'd be completely screwed. He's doing a serviceable job in a role where we don't have any other options. It would be great if we had Prime Dembele to occupy that role, but sadly Prime Dembele no longer exists. Oliver Skipp isn't ready to take on all that, Eriksen or Winks is out of position there. Sissoko maintains the shape and stabilizes the platform upon which our stars can shine.
Thank you for the last sentence
I’ve called Moussa a lot of things but never brilliant but I can honestly say that when he gets the ball and runs at the opposition I get excited because you never know what’s coming next and, presumably, neither does the opposing defence
Yes he’s quite capable of falling over the ball which I alluded to the other day but he’s also capable of causing havoc as per the Inter game
I’m glad he’s ours
Then you can’t see Kante as one to be honestTo be fair, I don't see Sissoko as a DM or playing as one.
You drew a diagramHow the fuck can you not understand. I even drew a fucking diagram?
How can he play centrally when the three were Winks, Sissoko and Eriksen? This is most used line up this season:
WinksIn this system Winks is the central pivot, holder and Sissoko and Eriksen have similar remits, to transition the ball - whilst at the same time doing regular midfield duties (that any midfielder 4/6/8 has to do) without the ball.
Sissoko------------------Eriksen
How the fuck is that me saying we have three 8's?
Even the less frequent occasions we play a CM2 - it's always Winks (or Wanyama on Saturday) that has the more disciplined remit
Look where Wanyama (12) is, and where Sissoko (17) is. One is clearly protecting the defence, the other more forward and right.
Arguing he's a DM, you are not doing yourself/him any favours because he's a fucking shit defensively - compared to any half decent DM and many that aren't pure DM's. He tackles the same amount as Eriksen, pressure events (pressure and regains) are worse than Eriksen. And Eriksen is definitely not renowned for his defensive capabilities is he?
Sissoko has no footballing brain. Even defensively he is reactive, and slow to reacte too, compared to people like Kante or even Wanyama two years ago.
Offensively, which has been a major part of his remit for most games, he's fucking turgid most weeks. Against Burnley he competed 24 passes, 8 of them forward, Cheslea he made 32 passes (while Winks playing the more defensive role made 90), 11 forward. Woolwich 33 passes, 15 forwards.
I watched Spurs
Well he hasn't been this season, Jorginho has. So you're right, I don't see it.
So glad that Sarri doesn't play the best DM in the league in DM.
It's been a huge reason why Chelsea are where they are in the league. Sarri is a stubborn bastard
Is Jan still a CB because he goes forward?
What’s a DM to people then, and what is Sissoko?
A central midfielder that defends the back line, breaks up play and brings the ball out from our box and distributes it to the AMs in the oppo half.
Yeah that’s a DM to me.
Yeah, he is that good, pretty epic that Wenger could've bought him and bought Xhaka, who was more expensive, instead.
Kante last season....oh look he’s doing exactly the same thing
No, because he predominantly plays in the centre back position.
Sarri has even said Kante isn't playing defensive midfield because he isn't good for that position. If his own manager can't convince you, I'm not going to be able to.
The majority of Sissokos game is him playing further forward than our deepest central midfielder and taking the ball forward. Itd be like calling Dembele or Pogba a defensive midfielder or better yet calling Dele a defensive midfielder and he does far more defensive work than Sissoko.
Kante 2016.....Same position, same role.
Looks like he was never a DM at all then
If you think Dembele, Pogba, Dele and Sissoko do the same thing then that’s your perogative
I think all of them do the duty of a midfielder.
None of them however are predominantly defensive midfielders.
They're all footballers innit?
But Sissoko is defensive
How the fuck can you not understand. I even drew a fucking diagram?
How can he play centrally when the three were Winks, Sissoko and Eriksen? This is most used line up this season:
WinksIn this system Winks is the central pivot, holder and Sissoko and Eriksen have similar remits, to transition the ball - whilst at the same time doing regular midfield duties (that any midfielder 4/6/8 has to do) without the ball.
Sissoko------------------Eriksen
How the fuck is that me saying we have three 8's?
Even the less frequent occasions we play a CM2 - it's always Winks (or Wanyama on Saturday) that has the more disciplined remit
Look where Wanyama (12) is, and where Sissoko (17) is. One is clearly protecting the defence, the other more forward and right.
Arguing he's a DM, you are not doing yourself/him any favours because he's a fucking shit defensively - compared to any half decent DM and many that aren't pure DM's. He tackles the same amount as Eriksen, pressure events (pressure and regains) are worse than Eriksen. And Eriksen is definitely not renowned for his defensive capabilities is he?
Sissoko has no footballing brain. Even defensively he is reactive, and slow to reacte too, compared to people like Kante or even Wanyama two years ago.
Offensively, which has been a major part of his remit for most games, he's fucking turgid most weeks. Against Burnley he competed 24 passes, 8 of them forward, Cheslea he made 32 passes (while Winks playing the more defensive role made 90), 11 forward. Woolwich 33 passes, 15 forwards.
I think your analysis of his game is spot on, but what you can't take away from Sissoko is that he is playing with heart. He is giving everything and despite his obvious limitations he is helping us win games. It was his assist against Dortmund that got us the win.
Having said that there is no doubt at all that the entire team is suffering from the downgrade of Dembele to Sissoko. Dembele made all our other players look better because he would always draw multiple opponents towards him in the middle third and create huge spaces for teammates when he inevitably dribbles past the pressure and releases them. Sissoko simply cannot do that, he doesn't have the technique or football IQ to be able to dribble past players from a standing start or open up half the pitch in one turn as he receives the ball. When pressed he panics and he only ever tries to take on opponents when he is running at top speed which happens maybe once or twice a game. It's not a coincidence that the quality of our football this season has been mostly rancid, the team have not adjusted to the absence of Dembele and Sissoko is not a long term solution to that. His limitations make it so much harder for our team to attack.
I think he's about as defensive as he is attacking. What do people tend to call that? Box to box?
Considering his engine and ability to transition from defence to attack, even if he WAS playing as our deepest midfielder (which he doesn't), it'd be a complete waste of him anyway.
He reminds me of a shitter Yaya Toure during his final years at City, and he was anything but a defensive midfielder. Did do his defensive duty though as I'd expect from every one of my midfielders. Especially under Poch.
What midfielder is deeper? Wink isnt playing behind Sissoko, I dont think Ive ever seen Winks in our own box....Which CM plays deeper, Eriksen?
:lennon: