Cheick Tioté (1986–2017)

[AyeDubbleYoo]

I haven't looked at the table recently but weren't we only 4 or 5 points off top 10 anyway? Doesn't say much that if the group of players you mentioned below had played together all season we would have won two of the games that we drew but otherwise it would have been the same!

 

There are a lot of ways to finish mid table though... we could have a brilliant season and just fade at the end.

[The College Dropout]

Sissoko's never a #10. Not sure he's even a good player imo. Loses the ball a terrible amount. Probably a CM or wide forward imo.

[AlanSkÃrare]

Sissoko's never a #10. Not sure he's even a good player imo. Loses the ball a terrible amount. Probably a CM or wide forward imo.

 

Alan?

[The College Dropout]

His passing is very erratic. And he's physically immense but he has the knack for a great final ball sometimes. Which is why he could be usefull wide.

 

Whenever i've seen him play he's been the second striker. Was good for 3 games and very bad for most of the rest except Benfica away.

[AyeDubbleYoo]

He's a central midfielder, no doubt about it.

[The College Dropout]

I can't imagine his passing could be so bad at CM tbh

[Wilson]

He's so obviously a CM, I look forward to seeing him in the number 10 role next season.

[Dokko]

Not sold on sissoko, played his best games straight off the plane and out of position, then completely faded to a point where I was glad he was out injured. For me the opposition Sussed him quickly.

 

He's a central mid for me, right in the middle, not infront of the defence or behind the strikers, right in there alongside Cabaye only he does the running, Cabaye does the passing and Tiote does the tackling. If we could get that working 

 

But Pardew won't.

[The College Dropout]

Not sold on sissoko, played his best games straight off the plane and out of position, then completely faded to a point where I was glad he was out injured. For me the opposition Sussed him quickly.

 

He's a central mid for me, right in the middle, not infront of the defence or behind the strikers, right in there alongside Cabaye only he does the running, Cabaye does the passing and Tiote does the tackling. If we could get that working 

 

But Pardew won't.

 

Agreed. Had a bang when he started but he went on to look garbage outside a few games.

[The College Dropout]

I do think from deep with more passing options hes a player

[AyeDubbleYoo]

I'm hoping Pardew used Sissoko as he did out of desperation to find someone who could affect our season. Longer term he must be a CM for us.

[Cronky]

Not sold on sissoko, played his best games straight off the plane and out of position, then completely faded to a point where I was glad he was out injured. For me the opposition Sussed him quickly.

 

He's a central mid for me, right in the middle, not infront of the defence or behind the strikers, right in there alongside Cabaye only he does the running, Cabaye does the passing and Tiote does the tackling. If we could get that working 

 

But Pardew won't.

 

I wonder whether Sissoko was over-played. He was new to Premiership football, but seemed to be playing every minute of every game. He's clearly a good athlete, but he started to look more and more knackered. Plus he was trying to do too much himself, in a struggling side.

 

As for Cabaye and Tiote, I'd rather we had two players who could do a bit of both passing and tackling. I don't think C and T were ever the awesome combination that often gets cited.

[The College Dropout]

It worked and it still does to a degree. You get the worst Tiote performances without Cabaye and vice-versa. Tiote helps out with the running, Cabaye has more licence to pass. BUt most importantly, Tiote does less passing and Cabaye does less legwork.

[Cronky]

It worked and it still does to a degree. You get the worst Tiote performances without Cabaye and vice-versa. Tiote helps out with the running, Cabaye has more licence to pass. BUt most importantly, Tiote does less passing and Cabaye does less legwork.

 

My other concern is that neither of them are particularly good going forward. Cabaye is a playmaker rather than an attacking midfielder, and it often means that he and Tiote end up side by side. We end up looking too static.

[Dokko]

Not sold on sissoko, played his best games straight off the plane and out of position, then completely faded to a point where I was glad he was out injured. For me the opposition Sussed him quickly.

 

He's a central mid for me, right in the middle, not infront of the defence or behind the strikers, right in there alongside Cabaye only he does the running, Cabaye does the passing and Tiote does the tackling. If we could get that working 

 

But Pardew won't.

 

I wonder whether Sissoko was over-played. He was new to Premiership football, but seemed to be playing every minute of every game. He's clearly a good athlete, but he started to look more and more knackered. Plus he was trying to do too much himself, in a struggling side.

 

As for Cabaye and Tiote, I'd rather we had two players who could do a bit of both passing and tackling. I don't think C and T were ever the awesome combination that often gets cited.

 

Think sissoko made a few runs from mid and Pardew thought he'd do the hba role until he's back, only sissoko has a lot more weight, isn't used to the pace of the league and isn't expected to run full pelt like he he did that often during a game and yeah he probably did fade a bit.

 

I still see him making runs, just not that often, and to use the runs with a bit a bit more care and intelligence. For me by the end he was a central Obertan, and I'm in no doubt he's a better player than that.

 

 

[Dokko]

It worked and it still does to a degree. You get the worst Tiote performances without Cabaye and vice-versa. Tiote helps out with the running, Cabaye has more licence to pass. BUt most importantly, Tiote does less passing and Cabaye does less legwork.

 

My other concern is that neither of them are particularly good going forward. Cabaye is a playmaker rather than an attacking midfielder, and it often means that he and Tiote end up side by side. We end up looking too static.

 

That's where in a 3 sissoko would fit in, just all of them side by side (possibly Tiote dropping a bit further back) but certainly not having sissoko too far away from Cabaye.

 

The other option is wingers, proper full on pacey wingers meaning the mid is simply there to win the ball back and pass it out wide.

[Skirge]

.............................Krul................. ...........

 

Debuchey......Colo...........Saylor........Santon

 

............................Tiote

 

........-..Cabaye......................Sissoko

 

.....Barfa...............Cisse....................?

[madras]

.............................Krul................. ...........

 

Debuchey......Colo...........Saylor........Santon

 

............................Tiote

 

........-..Cabaye......................Sissoko

 

.....Barfa...............Cisse....................?

hope the ? is someone who's natural game involves getting in the box as that line up, for all it looks good, has similar problems to last seasons in cisse being isolated. I'm struggling to remember many if any occasions that ben arfa received or was in a position to receive the ball in the box, i don't put that down to tactics but it just not being in his game.

[Gallowgate Toon]

Sissoko's passing will improve when deeper, he won't force it as much with more options around him. I hope he's like what Dyer was for us but more of a help defensively and with the ability to shoot from the edge of the box. Got the ability to be a top box-to-box player.

[LiquidAK]

.............................Krul................. ...........

 

Debuchey......Colo...........Saylor........Santon

 

............................Tiote

 

........-..Cabaye......................Sissoko

 

.....Barfa...............Cisse....................?

hope the ? is someone who's natural game involves getting in the box as that line up, for all it looks good, has similar problems to last seasons in cisse being isolated. I'm struggling to remember many if any occasions that ben arfa received or was in a position to receive the ball in the box, i don't put that down to tactics but it just not being in his game.

 

This. Exactly why our 4-3-3 worked so well despite Ba not being a natural left winger - he always wanted to get into the box.

[Ronaldo]

Not sold on sissoko, played his best games straight off the plane and out of position, then completely faded to a point where I was glad he was out injured. For me the opposition Sussed him quickly.

 

He's a central mid for me, right in the middle, not infront of the defence or behind the strikers, right in there alongside Cabaye only he does the running, Cabaye does the passing and Tiote does the tackling. If we could get that working 

 

But Pardew won't.

 

I wonder whether Sissoko was over-played. He was new to Premiership football, but seemed to be playing every minute of every game. He's clearly a good athlete, but he started to look more and more knackered. Plus he was trying to do too much himself, in a struggling side.

 

As for Cabaye and Tiote, I'd rather we had two players who could do a bit of both passing and tackling. I don't think C and T were ever the awesome combination that often gets cited.

 

This I agree with. Cabaye and Tiote have never complimented each other, in spite of what 11-12's results suggest.

[madras]

.............................Krul................. ...........

 

Debuchey......Colo...........Saylor........Santon

 

............................Tiote

 

........-..Cabaye......................Sissoko

 

.....Barfa...............Cisse....................?

hope the ? is someone who's natural game involves getting in the box as that line up, for all it looks good, has similar problems to last seasons in cisse being isolated. I'm struggling to remember many if any occasions that ben arfa received or was in a position to receive the ball in the box, i don't put that down to tactics but it just not being in his game.

 

This. Exactly why our 4-3-3 worked so well despite Ba not being a natural left winger - he always wanted to get into the box.

it's also why we tried for de jong, remy and PEA imo.

[Guest bimpy474]

I wouldn't play Cisse up top in any formation that leaves him isolated as his hold up play is awful. Get players around him, gotta hope Pardew will do so.

[Segun Oluwaniyi]

Sissoko's never a #10. Not sure he's even a good player imo. Loses the ball a terrible amount. Probably a CM or wide forward imo.

Rubbish. He's shown his ability since the age of 18, and he walked onto the pitch against one of the top 10 teams in Europe and was immediately the best player on the pitch.The boy is a workhorse. Pardew tried to turn him into artist because we lack creativity. Look at the man, the sheer pace and power, the will, the rage. Do you look at someone like that and tell them to play a position where they need to be patient and precise? Sissoko has the talent for it and posses those attributes, but it's limiting for him. He played too far up the pitch in a team that was broken, and I thought he still was an important player for the team and one of our better performers. People have been on a crusade to denigrate our players lately, I don't understand some of it. There are differences between playing below the standard you've set over 5+ years and simply being inadequate.

[Ronaldo]

Course he's a good player. In a lot of ways he's the perfect partner for Cabaye.