Moussa Sissoko

[triggs]

Toure's strongest attributes are technical rather than physical.  Especially now.  He's scored 72 goals for Man City - I doubt more than a third are from dead ball situations.  I doubt he's scored more than 13 from free kicks. His free kicks rely on technique rather than power too.

 

Offensively Yaya is good at CM or AM.  At CM he can control a game at AM he can decide if.  He's not providing any defensive solidity as a CM either.

 

Yaya's passing and finishing - his technical ability is just as good as his physical.  Better in fact.  He doesn't dominate matches physically.  Sissoko's passing in general play is his biggest weakness while its Yaya's main strength.  Making it a s***, lazy comparison. Technically there's nothing Scholes could do that Yaya can't.  Sissoko can't say the same for Jonjo f***ing Shelvey.

 

I was talking about Sissoko possibly being good with a powerful free kick, if you care to read my post properly. Fwiw, 28 of Yaya's 72 goals have been from dead balls situations.

 

You sound like you do most of your scouting on Football Manager ("main strengths and weaknesses"), rather than actually watching games in practice. As I've said many times, you're looking too much into the difference in quality of the two players rather than their actual BEST playing style. You're ignoring the fact that in a majority of the games the players are playing in systems and tactical situations forced on them by their managers.

 

Sissoko's passing looks s*** because he is being played out of position on the wing in a team where he had to defend for 80 minutes, in a central role he would flourish and be a much better player.

 

Yaya Toure at his best is an AM. Moussa Sissoko at his best is an AM. They are both big powerful attacking midfielders. That is the point I've been making all along, you try to make silly counter arguments with a load of garble that isn't actually relevant to the point we are discussing

 

Comparing Moussa's playing style to Yaya is an insult to Yaya. 1 has brilliant technique, 1 of his main weapons. The other doesn't. Being black, strong and quick doesn't mean Sissoko can emulate any part of Yaya's game that doesn't include running.

 

Nothing you have said changes the fact Moussa Sissoko is not good in tight spaces and is an average to poor technically. Under any system he's best when there's space to run into and at his worst with the opposite. He played about 20 games as an AM and was absolutely awful in about 17 of them. He'd pick up the ball too close to other players and lose it. There's more space in wide areas and he has generally looked better there. He could perhaps play CM but severely lacks the technical ability to be successful there. He'll lose the ball a lot because he's not very good at passing.

 

Yaya Toure is  a CM just as much as he is an AM. Mancini & Pellegrini both used him more as a CM of some type. As is the case for Ivory Coast. He's a great CM because he can control a game with his passing.

 

What does being black have to do with anything?

 

I'm not going to carry on a discussion with somebody who is quite clearly unable to look past the fact that one player is of world class quality and the other is not.

 

My mate plays Sunday football in a similar style to Jamie Vardy (fast and pacey), comparisons can be made without actually discussing the quality of the players.

 

My point was and still is that Sissoko and Yaya are both better players when they play centrally and in an attacking position. You carry on reading stats from Football Manager and discussing the colour of their skin.

It's not the same as your Vardy example. Sissoko isn't really much like Yaya Toure. Sissoko creates by trying to run through people and his power and pace. Toure is also strong and fast but generally creates using his unbelievable technique rather than running through people like Sissoko

 

You've just explained my point in your own post by saying that they are both strong and fast. That is the point I was making. The comparison I made was that they are both strong and fast players who are best played in central attacking positions.

 

People are blinded by the fact that Sissoko has been ruined on the wing for four years, rather than looking at his better potential in the middle. If he was played through the middle, you'd find his passing and technique was a lot better and he wouldn't need to rely on his pace.

You said they have similar playing styles when they are actually very different apart from their size and strength. Shola and Zlatan have similar size and strength, doesn't mean they have similar playing styles

[Barnes23]

Sissoko is mediocre (at best) in the final third because he's not a natural attacking player. He's a box to box central midfielder, at least that was what he was described as being when he first arrived here and I've seen nothing to suggest he's anything other than that. Hence, he's criminally being played out of position because this club has had s***, cowardly managers unwilling to give more suitable attacking players game time on the wings out of fear/lack of faith.

 

When he was briefly played in central midfield a couple of years ago alongside Anita (in a 4 man midfield) he was pretty much a beast of a CM because his athleticism allowed him to get up and down and essentially be everywhere. On top of that he can dribble effectively on the counter when the space is there to be exploited (as opposed to trying to force a dribble when teams are back in position as he currently does), and there really are very few CM's in this league who can pick the ball up in the middle of the pitch and really punish space like he can, hence making him something a bit different to the norm. It helped that in CM he got to play more simple passes more often to make his average technique/consistency, rather than having to produce "end product" inside the box.

 

Chances are that like Tiote he's now broken beyond repair after years of having his head filled with "go on son, you can take 'em all on" desperate nonsense by s*** managers to supplement him playing in a role he isn't suited for because they're desperate for "magic". He'll also not get a chance in central midfield short of an injury crisis because the club is flooded with CMs who are actually seen as CMs, and combined with not having enough wingers even if Rafa did realise that Moussa isn't a winger or a number 10 he'll have no option to persist with Moussa on the flanks until next season at least, and even then it'd probably take Moussa a run of games to forget this crappy style of play he's been coached into by world renowned geniuses like Pardew, Carver and McClaren.

 

. Despite being more versatile due to being better technically, I suspect the same is true of Wijnaldum as well.

 

[Cronky]

I think only one of Wijnaldum or Sissoko should play. They have similar weaknesses, but Wijnaldum has the better all-round quality.

[themanupstairs]

I'd personally play Moussa in Yaya Toure's position at Man City, they have similar playing styles (running through people) but Yaya is just better at it.

 

They don't have similar playing styles at all. Yaya is a passer and is a legitimate goal-threat with both feet. He has rampage mode but that's not how most of his goals or assists or meaningful play manifest. Sissoko gets the ball and tries to run at players to be effective. It's rampage mode or nothing.

 

Can you imagine SIssoko sitting in and dictating play like Yaya?

 

You have a point, but I don't think I've ever seen Sissoko try to sit and dictate play so I can't know. As far as I can remember, he's only been played in the number 10 and wide right roles. Never seen him start in midfield.

[FustinoSolano]

Been saying for months to drop him but when I think about it after the anger of another pathetic performance has subsided I'm not sure who I'd bring in for him. Perez doesn't suit a wide role, Gini is wasted out there, Aarons clearly not ready or fully match fit. We have no natural right winger at the club so as much as Sissoko frustrates and infuriates I can't see any viable alternative, certainly not for tomorrows game.

[loki679]

There's always Obertan.

[Dave]

Thought he had a decent game today, overall. Usual mixed bag going forward but he did really well at left back IMO.

[Mr Logic]

Best LB at the club.

[AyeDubbleYoo]

Fair play today, he ran miles. Tracked back right til the end as well. Wish he hadn't ballsed up that counterattack mind.

[TRon]

He ran himself into the ground so no issues with the work rate, but his shooting and passing lacks conviction now. Clearly suffering a drop in confidence.

[Guest firetotheworks]

Should have taken down that chance that he needlessly volleyed first time, but he was okay.

[M4]

Shame he didn't get involved more. Had that moment early on when he got his shoulder in front on the fullback. After that not much.

 

Would have liked to see him switch sides with Townsend. Feel like Janmaat and Sissoko could have done well.

 

[St1pe]

I still really don't understand him playing on the left?

[Dave]

I still really don't understand him playing on the left?

 

To accomodate Townsend on the left.

[triggs]

Think we could try him beside Shelvey in centre midfield, maybe in a more defensive role. He has serious strength and power so if he had the discipline to play there it could work well

[KaKa]

So much energy, strength, drive, desire ... But the guy is not a forward player. Feel bad for him because we get frustrated with him in those positions but he really can't help it. The ability isn't there.

 

Loved his attitude today in being dropped to left back and doing a sterling job with no hesitancy or complaint.

 

No idea what we do with this guy as a player though. He has to be in midfield somehow, with enough quality around him to mask his lack of technical ability.

 

Want to see him alongside Shelvey, with De Jong just ahead of both. He showed today he can be very useful in a defensive role.

[Kanj]

Think we could try him beside Shelvey in centre midfield, maybe in a more defensive role. He has serious strength and power so if he had the discipline to play there it could work well

 

Kept that cunt Borini quiet as soon as he was there, not a single player was going to try and run at him.

[Tachikoma]

Leave him there at LB tbh, it limits the damage he does offensively (to us) but still makes use of his insane athletic ability.

[Gallowgate Toon]

So annoying in the final third, but a more committed performance from him. He just looks so uncomfortable at the idea of going on his left foot

[Figures 1-0 Football]

Seems a lot more 'up for it' since Rafa has came in although his quality is very hit and miss.

[Dr Venkman]

I think he's fucking rubbish

[Interpolic]

I don't like him on the left, when he needs to do something that requires thought such as cutting inside then everything turns to shit. At least when he's on the right he sometimes accidentally beats his man.

[nemtizz]

Frustrating and definitely not as good as he should and/or could be, I'd say.

[The College Dropout]

Lacked quality.

[Dr Venkman]

 

I don't like him on the left, when he needs to do something that requires thought such as cutting inside then everything turns to shit. At least when he's on the right he sometimes accidentally beats his man.

 

Good point. Whenever he does beat a man it looks like it's more down to luck than judgement. He's just a constant disappointment.