Ange Postecoglou has hailed the qualities of Yves Bissouma after the midfielder produced another impressive display in the middle of the park to help Tottenham ease past Bournemouth on Saturday.
Bissouma endured an extremely disappointing first season at Spurs following his switch from Brighton last summer, with the midfielder being overlooked by Antonio Conte for large parts of the campaign and also picking up an injury, which put him out of action for a couple of months.
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However, the 26-year-old has now arguably emerged as Tottenham’s most important player under Postecoglou, with his press resistance proving pivotal in helping the team progress the ball up the pitch.
Mali international has also been crucial in shielding the back four with his tireless defensive work and the £35m that the Lilywhites paid to Brighton for his services now looks like a massive bargain, especially given the prices that other midfielders around the Premier League have fetched of late.
Postecoglou relies on Yves Bissouma at Tottenham
Postecoglou admitted that Bissouma is crucial to the way he wants Spurs to play and insisted that the midfielder still has room for improvement.
When asked about the midfielder’s start to the season, Spurs head coach told TNT Sports (26/08/23): after his side’s 2-0 win over Bournemouth: “Biss obviously had a disappointing year last year and was looking for a new start for himself today. He was great again today.
“There were a couple of moments where he got a bit sloppy with our possession and there are still areas of his game he can improve. But he’s such a clever player and if we want to play out, that pivot position becomes really important for us.”
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Bissouma’s performances certainly would not come as a surprise for anyone who watched him at Brighton as he was arguably one of the best midfielders in the Premier League during his final couple of seasons with the Seagulls.
The 26-year-old is evidently someone who thrives if given the freedom to play his natural game. The role of the midfield two under Conte was very different, with the Italian demanding perfect defensive positioning off the ball, which Bissouma perhaps lacked.
However, Postecoglou is the perfect coach for the Mali international, given that the Australian wants his number six to receive the ball in tight areas and play out from difficult positions.
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