Ange Postecoglou acknowledged that Yves Bissouma is not playing as well as he did earlier in the season, admitting that the midfielder is striving to find consistency.
After a difficult first season at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, where he struggled to get a look-in under Antonio Conte, it appeared like Bissouma had turned a corner at the start of this campaign.
The 27-year-old started the season like a house on fire and was looking much more like the player we had seen at Brighton, not only helping break up play impressively but also proving quite press-resistant, showcasing his ability to dribble out of tight spots.
However, that version of Bissouma has gone missing since the turn of the year, with the midfielder now looking a lot more tentative and tending to take the easy option in possession.
There is more to come from Yves Bissouma at Spurs
Postecoglou stated that the trajectory of Tottenham’s season has mirrored the Mali international’s and suggested that the player has found it difficult to find any rhythm after returning from the African Cup of Nations.
When asked about Bissouma’s downturn in form, the Spurs head coach told Football.London: “I think it’s probably indicative of our season.
“He has been very good at times but he hasn’t really got a flow. He got suspended, he went away to the Africa Cup of Nations. It’s very, very hard for any player to maintain certain levels if you’ve not got consistency in-game time and consistency in flow.
“I think he’s been better the last few weeks. Because it was so disruptive in the middle of the year, like a lot of others, he wasn’t getting up to the levels that he showed earlier in the year. The challenge for him is to work his way through that.
“I still think he’s been a really important player for us this year and when he is playing at the levels I know he can play, it makes us a much more difficult team to stop.”
When asked if the midfielder is frustrated with his own recent performances, Postecoglou responded: “I don’t sense that in him. Like everyone else, and like us as a club, he hasn’t really hit the consistent levels he’d want to. But that’s OK.
“That’s where we’re at. That’s where he’s at. That’s where a lot of the group are at. The challenge is to fight through that and make sure you come out on the other side stronger and more consistent.”
Spurs Web Opinion
Bissouma comes across as a so-called confidence player, who seems to struggle to get out of a rut when things are not going his way. However, at his best, we know that the 27-year-old is a huge asset to the side as he brings a lot more thrust to Tottenham’s midfield.
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