Speaking on a recent episode of the Last Word On Spurs podcast, Antony Costa took aim at Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Moussa Sissoko.
Since moving to Spurs from Newcastle United in what was a £31.5 million deal back in 2016, Sissoko has gone on to feature 171 times for the north London side, chipping in with four goals and providing 15 assists along the way.
So far this season, the £16.2 million-rated 31-year-old has made six Premier League appearances, over which he averaged 1.8 tackles, 1.8 interceptions and 0.8 clearances per game, as well as making an average of 41.8 passes per fixture, culminating in an average WhoScored match rating of 6.73 – ranking him as Tottenham’s joint-eighth-best performer in the league thus far.
However, despite his respectable league form so far this season, Costa, speaking on the Last Word On Spurs podcast, criticised the French international, stating his belief that the midfielder’s body language during games indicates that he is scared.
He said: “I just think [Jose] Mourinho likes bodies. Does [Sissoko] work hard? Yes. Does he pass the ball well? No. Has he got pace? Yes. Does he do anything with that pace? No.
“He’s just the most frustrating footballer because when he played for Newcastle United, he had absolute blinders against us. So, when we signed him I was like, ‘sweet, if we can get that Sissoko, brilliant’. But it’s been nearly four and a half years and I’ve not really seen anything.
“I hope Mourinho can bring that player that was at Newcastle out in this team because I just don’t see it. I just can’t see it.
“He comes across a bit nervous on the ball, he doesn’t know what to do with it. [His] body language tells me that he’s so scared. He’s just clumsy. Unfortunately, he’s Mr Clumsy.
“I hate picking people out like that, but facts are facts. He hasn’t scored enough goals, he [doesn’t] set up enough goals. Does he get in the way of people? Yes. Is he another body? Yes. But is he going to change a game? No.”
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TIF Thoughts on Antony Costa’s comments regarding Moussa Sissoko…
From Costa’s comments, it is clear that the podcaster is not the biggest fan of Sissoko, as he feels that the midfielder is nowhere near as creative as he should be for Tottenham, as well as the fact that, in his belief, the 31-year-old does not look comfortable on the ball.
However, considering the midfielder currently ranks as Tottenham’s joint eighth-best player in the league, with the club currently occupying second place in the Premier League table, perhaps it could be argued that there is more to Sissoko’s game than just scoring goals or providing assists, such as the 1.8 tackles and 1.8 interceptions he has made on average per game in the league thus far.