OPINION
Danny Higginbotham highlighted that Tottenham midfielder Moussa Sissoko is capable of helping his side go on the attack as well as doing the defensive work that is needed.
The Sky Sports pundit raved about the 29-year-old player ahead of Spurs facing Burnley on Saturday and pinpointed this attribute that the midfielder possesses.
“He’s huge, this was obviously against Leicester City when they played the diamond, he has that ability to go forward but he can do the defensive side of the game when he needs to,” said Higginbotham on Sky Sports News (Thursday February 21st 11:23am).
“And I think the balance that Tottenham has, he fits really well in the team.”
Higginbotham rightly pointed out that due to being able to do the defensive work as well as push forward when on the ball, Sissoko was able to fit in the team very well and help Mauricio Pochettino’s have an ideal balance.
While the midfielder has rightly been draped in praise this season after looking like a much-improved player in the 29 appearances he has made, the attribute Higginbotham highlighted is still underappreciated.
There is so much emphasis put on how many assists or goals a player gets, that when an all-rounder like Sissoko excels without obvious jaw-dropping stats to highlight, they end up not getting the credit they deserve.
Sometimes in games due to tracking back and being needed to help his side’s defence, the powerful Spurs midfielder doesn’t get an opportunity to be a creative force in games and that can lead to his numbers not flattering him.
It may be an unglamorous job to chip in defensively, but someone has to do it and Sissoko should be appreciated more for that reason.
Thankfully Higginbotham has been spot-on to draw attention to Sissoko’s contribution and hopefully in the near future it will be brought to the attention of others.