Jose Mourinho opted to bench Moussa Sissoko for his first game in charge against West Ham at the weekend, bringing in Eric Dier for the Frenchman and some fans are slightly worried what the former Chelsea and Manchester United manager had to say about Sissoko.
Following the win at the London Stadium, Mourinho told BBC Sport (via Ricky Sacks) that “When I see Moussa, he is a very good player, but he is very different than my needs”.
He was mainly discussing the reasons why Harry Winks and Dier had started ahead of the 30-year-old, although Mourinho’s apparent fondness of Dier could mean that Sissoko is set for an extended period on the bench.
Sissoko, who signed for Spurs from Newcastle in 2016, has made 142 appearances for the North London side in his three years with the club. He was forced to make an appearance from the bench on Saturday however, and with Tanguy Ndombele also coming back to fitness, you suspect that Sissoko may soon become surplus to requirements under the new manager.
Reaction from Spurs fans to Mourinho’s Sissoko comments can be seen in the tweets below.
Love Sissoko but if that’s how he feels transfer him. Get rid of who he doesn’t want and don’t let them languish on the bench. Get a full squad of players he wants
— S (@jsethke) November 26, 2019
Thank doesnt sound hopeful for Moussa
— Temerity! (@KeithMcClean2) November 26, 2019
On his way out then…
— John Gardiner (@gingerjohn66) November 26, 2019
It’s the end of Sissoko, it was fun while it lasted
— jamie (@jamie07376006) November 25, 2019
That’s very sad. I hope this isn’t the end of Moussa.
— LordVinovic (@LordVinovic) November 25, 2019
Here we go…
— Poché. (@SpursWhisper) November 25, 2019
These Spurs fans clearly feel that Sissoko’s time in a Spurs shirt may be coming to an end as he may not fit Mourinho’s playing style.
What do we think?
Sissoko has established himself as a very decent box-to-box midfielder but he may lack the technical ability that Mourinho expects from his players. The former Newcastle man was a regular under Pochettino despite his poor start to the season; averaging a 6.56 rating in all competitions for Spurs. Sissoko only recently signed a contract extension until 2023, but the £22.5 million-rated man could soon find himself on the transfer list under Mourinho.