Moussa Sissoko and the Importance of Substitutes

Moussa Sissoko is not, and probably will never be, the kind of player from the current Tottenham’s squad who is at the centre of everyone’s attention or will arouse the greatest emotions. However, discarding his involvement in the team’s overall performance would be unfair, especially when every helping hand on deck is appreciated, and there many smaller parts to be played throughout the season. He serves his purpose well.

Photo by KamHeadley, CC BY-SA 4.0

It is true that many Spurs fans expected much more from Moussa. The club executives put a high price on the table when signing the Frenchman, as well as the fact that he is rapidly approaching the age of 30 doesn’t help his case. It is also true that here at thefightingcock.co.uk, we have recently expressed some profound doubts about him and his role at the club, trying to figure out what our manager, Mauricio Pochettino, sees in the midfielder. While Moussa Sissoko will most likely not become another Edgar Davis, perhaps the backlash regarding his appointment a bit harsh.

If the Spurs are the team aspiring to greater things in England and Europe — and the past few seasons seem to support this statement — then quality substitutes are the key. Battling strong opposition in various competitions can be exhausting. Except for the EPL, we are still in the game for the FA Cup and Champions League. Reinforcements will come in handy. Sissoko’s assist in the last cup match against Rochdale in addition to Harry Kane’s later goal from the penalty was nearly enough to advance them to the next round. In the end, the rivals equalized us, and we have to face them for a do-over. Despite not being his first choice, Pochettino has faith in Sissoko, who may be even considered for Didier Deschamps’ squad, will travel to Russia for 2018 World Cup. What would seem almost impossible, with the strong competition in France’s midfield (Pogba, Tolisso, Rabiot, Kante), has been validated by fans in recent poll voting that gave him 54 percent support in the call-up.

It is obviously much too soon to make any assumptions whatsoever, but in the not-too-distant future, many bookmakers should pick up on that. For the time being, I’m sure Sissoko is taking it one game at a time. The first available opportunity is the next Premier League clash with Crystal Palace; however, the player is perhaps not a solid candidate to appear in the starting lineup. Therefore, the odds at Unibet for him to score in that game are set at 11/2, but hey, you never know. Other than that, he has a rather good chance to play in the FA Cup replay match, which is to be held on 28^th February.