Mauricio Pochettino may have found Tottenham a new wing back at Camp Nou

Mauricio Pochettino got it spot on at Camp Nou, and shifting Moussa Sissoko out to the right may have solved Tottenham’s wing back problem.

There were a lot of impressive performers under the Camp Nou floodlights on Tuesday night, but no one outshone Moussa Sissoko. Tottenham’s unlikely new hero is clearly smuggling a third lung and proved a valuable asset at both ends.

With 30 minutes to go Poch threw on Erik Lamela and, not wanting to sacrifice any attacking threats, pushed Moussa out to the right back position. The instructions seemed as clear as they were daunting: go gung-ho for an equalizer while keeping the greatest player the world has ever seen in check.

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The inexhaustible Frenchman delivered on both counts. He motored down the wing like a teenager in a hot rod and a pinpoint cross onto Lucas Moura’s head forced a fine save from Jasper Cillessen.

Although he’d covered more ground than anyone on the field he didn’t give Lionel Messi an inch. At one stage the fresh from the bench Argentine slalomed towards the Spurs net only for Moussa to shut him down like a human roadblock.

Will Sissoko play there in the future?

The ex-Newcastle man seems to boast all the requisite virtues of an archetypal wing back. His certainly possesses the physical attributes and his final ball is rapidly improving. Last night wasn’t the first time Poch has used him there either.

With both Kyle Walker and Kieran Trippier out injured at the end of the 2016/17 campaign, Moussa reverted to wing back for Spurs’ 6-1 trouncing of Leicester City. His positional and defensive contributions were solid that day and although he failed to titillate going forward, his confidence was as low as an adolescent with acne and a head-brace during that period.

One issue may be that Spurs rarely start with out-and-out wing backs and usually rely on Eric Dier’s versatility to morph between formations mid-match. But both Ashley Young and Antonio Valencia transitioned into consistent performers in Manchester United’s flat back four and although it may not utilize Moussa’s box-to-box engine he certainly seems capable of doing so if required.

Could Moussa be the man to turn Tottenham’s right flank into one of its strengths again? Can the team afford to lose him from the middle of the park? The fact I’m even asking such questions suggests we may well be living in the twilight zone – so, who knows.