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Tottenham flop could become Spurs’ secret weapon

By Rucker Haringey

NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE, ENGLAND - AUGUST 13: Moussa Sissoko of Tottenham Hotspur and Florian Lejeune of Newcastle United battle for possession during the Premier League match between Newcastle United and Tottenham Hotspur at St. James Park on August 13, 2017 in Newcastle upon Tyne, England. (Photo by Stu Forster/Getty Images)
NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE, ENGLAND - AUGUST 13: Moussa Sissoko of Tottenham Hotspur and Florian Lejeune of Newcastle United battle for possession during the Premier League match between Newcastle United and Tottenham Hotspur at St. James Park on August 13, 2017 in Newcastle upon Tyne, England. (Photo by Stu Forster/Getty Images) /
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Moussa Sissoko may save his Tottenham career

Rumours of Tottenham’s attempts to offload Moussa Sissoko dominated the summer transfer window. The £30 million flop seemed destined to leave North London as a failure. Suddenly, it seems the French international has a real chance to save his Spurs career.

Sissoko has looked surprisingly competent to open the 2017/18 campaign and he believes his improved play to be a direct result of having a full preseason to learn his club’s tactics and his teammates. No matter what the explanation it’s clear he’s been a better player this season. In particular, he was exceptionally bright in this weekend’s start against Everton before limping off due to injury.

Skeptics will point at the small sample size and dismiss Sissoko’s recent run of form as a blip on his pitiful Tottenham career. I’m not prepared to be quite that cynical. There are reasons for real optimism in terms of Sissoko’s ability to impact Mauricio Pochettino’s squad this season.

Arguably the most encouraging thing about his performance against Everton was that he was deployed as a central midfielder. Most of his appearances for Spurs have seen him try to operate as a wide man. It’s clear that isn’t his cup of tea. Sissoko is capable of making driving runs forward with the ball, but he’s not going to dance around anyone on the wing.

At first glance, Tottenham’s midfield seems too crowded to give Sissoko sufficient opportunities. There are only two starting places available for the group of Mousa Dembele, Victor Wanyama, Eric Dier and Harry Winks. Sissoko’s midfield start against the Toffees came in the absence of Wanyama due to injury and Dembele’s limited availability. As such, he got the starting nod alongside Dier.

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Further examination shows there’s a real chance for Sissoko to insert himself into that mix. Dier, Dembele and Wanyama are all much more defensive-minded players. Oftentimes, playing two of that trio together in the double-pivot causes Spurs to be too negative in the midfield. Partnering a more forward-minded player like Sissoko with one of them provides Pochettino with much more balance.

That opens the door for Sissoko to get a lot of playing time when Pochettino wants to start a more attacking XI. In particular, Sissoko could get plenty of starts against teams who are inclined to set up conservatively against Spurs. His ability to attack opponents through the middle could unlock defenses who elect to park the bus against Pochettino and company.

That does not, however, mean that I expect Sissoko to become an unquestioned member of the starting XI against all opponents. His propensity to switch off makes him a liability on the defensive end of the pitch. Against elite opposition, Pochettino is still more likely to play two of his more defensive minded stars.

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The point here is very simple. Moussa Sissoko is clearly transitioning from a worthless player to a midfielder who could greatly enhance Pochettino’s options this season. That’s an astounding progression for a player who seemed destined to end up playing in Turkey just a few short weeks ago.

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