Sissoko admits major tactical change Mourinho has made since arriving at Spurs

Moussa Sissoko has admitted that Jose Mourinho has turned Tottenham into a team who are happy to concede possession to the opposition as opposed to a team who liked to have the ball under Mauricio Pochettino.

Mourinho’s style of football may not be in-keeping with Tottenham’s traditions but the Spurs boss’ approach was hailed at the start of the season as the North Londoners were sitting at the top of the table.

The Portuguese coach seemed to have turned into a defensively sturdy outfit, with Jurgen Klopp even labelling Spurs ‘a results machine’ in December.

However, things have gone downhill considerably over the last couple of months as not only have Mourinho’s men struggled to create chances but they have also looked defensively suspect.

To rub salt into Spurs fans’ wounds, Paris Saint-Germain seem to be thriving under Pochettino, with the Argentine getting the French side playing free-flowing attacking football and scoring goals for fun.

Speaking about the former Spurs boss and the current one, Sissoko told beIN SPORTS (as relayed by Football.London): “He’s [Pochettino] a very good coach. I learned a lot with him in this club, he did a good job here.

“He had the opportunity in Paris, which is one of the best European clubs.

“We have a different style of play compared to previous years.

“Mourinho has established a style of play where you leave possession. With Pochettino, we had the ball more often.”

Spurs Web Opinion

Sissoko is only stating the obvious here as Mourinho, throughout his career, has relied on defending resolutely and punishing the opposition’s mistake rather than taking too many risks on the ball. That style of play has brought the Portuguese coach plenty of success in his career. While things are not working out the way Mourinho wants at the moment, I still believe that we could be effective playing this way once we upgrade on personal in a couple of important areas of the pitch.

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