Former Crystal Palace striker Clinton Morrison has urged Antonio Conte to hand more opportunities to summer signing Yves Bissouma so the midfielder can showcase exactly what he can do.
Bissouma’s arrival from Brighton during the summer transfer window was met with excitement by the Tottenham fan base, given the reputation the midfielder had built at the Amex Stadium over the last couple of years.
However, the 26-year-old has started just one game across all competitions since his move to North London (Transfermarkt), with Conte continuing to stick with the tried and tested partnership of Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg and Rodrigo Bentancur in the middle of the park.
Last week, the Spurs head coach admitted that Bissouma was ‘struggling with the tactical aspect’ of Tottenham’s system, which is why he has not had as many minutes as the likes of Ivan Perisic, Ricahrlison and Clement Lenglet (Football London).
The Mali international did impress in the Lilywhites’ 6-2 win over Leicester on Saturday after replacing Dejan Kulusevski in the 70th minute of the game as Conte shifted to a 3-5-2.
Morrison has now claimed that Bissouma can only show that he can fulfil the demands of Conte’s system if he is given opportunities to play.
When asked about Conte’s comments regarding the midfielder not understanding his role, the pundit told Sky Sports News (17/09/22 at 2:00 pm onwards): “He doesn’t understand because he isn’t playing, at the moment. I know they work on stuff in training.
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“But you have to give him minutes. I think he has had one full start and that was the Forest game. It probably didn’t go to plan like Conte wanted him to do.
“He’s been playing Bentancur and Hojbjerg. But I think Bissouma is an outstanding player. How can he not know the style of play or the system that suits Tottenham?!
“But there are a lot of fans calling for him to be called in and be amongst that midfield. I do think he’s a good player. But give him minutes and let him showcase his ability.”
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Reading between the lines, it seemed like Conte was suggesting that Bissouma still needs to work on his defensive positioning if he is to play in a two-man midfield.
However, the 26-year-old showed on Wednesday that he is a useful option in a three-man midfield alongside Hojbjerg and Bentancur. It will be interesting to see if Conte decides to use a 3-5-2 more often following the international break.
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