Yves Bissouma has opened up on how he reacted to the criticism he received from Ange Postecoglou and the Tottenham fan base over recent months, and has shed light on what helped him come out of the rut he was stuck in.
Just a few weeks ago, it seemed like we might have seen the last of the Malian at Tottenham as Bissouma was being heavily linked with a summer transfer and had fallen way behind in the pecking order.
In fact, Postecoglou even criticised Bissouma publicly back in March, with the Australian suggesting that the midfielder lets games pass by him.
However, the 28-year-old has stepped up for the Lilywhites at a crucial point in the season, delivering two solid performances against Bodo/Glimt in the Europa League semifinal after the Lilywhites lost some key players to injuries.
Yves Bissouma makes an admission about Ange Postecoglou’s criticism
Last week, Postecoglou confessed that he had asked Yves Bissouma to be ready a month ago, predicting that he would be needed at a crucial point in the season.
The Tottenham manager’s prediction came true, and the former Brighton man admits that he always took the Australian’s criticism constructively, as the 59-year-old wants to see him play at his best.
Bissouma told Sky Sports about his relationship with Postecoglou: “It’s always a pleasure to work with Ange. I have a good relationship with him. He’s one of the managers who really understands players and tries to do his best for his team. He puts in all of his energy for success.
“I take it [any criticism] in a good way because when I was good, he was telling me I was good. And when I’m not, if he says that, I take it in a good way. He said that for me to improve, to show him the best [player] he knows, it’s making me work hard to be at my best.
“You prepare yourself during pre-season to have a really good season, but sometimes, things happen and you have to deal with them. It’s important to stay strong, mentally especially, because it’s not easy.”
Bissouma added on Postecoglou (BBC): “He’s like a dad or uncle for us. He’s always trying to make us understand what he really wants. For us, he’s Ange, he’s him. He’s got his idea. He’s trying to help us every time. He’s always protecting us.”
Bissouma understands criticism from Tottenham fans
A couple of months ago, Bissouma was coming under a lot of criticism from Spurs fans on social media, with many of them running out of patience with this lack of consistency.
However, the Tottenham supporters were pleasantly surprised at the way Bissouma stepped up against Bodo/Glimt, and the midfielder insists that he understood the frustrations of the supporters.
When asked about the criticism from the fans, Bissouma responded: “I understand when some fans are not happy with me. It’s because they know I’m a really good player, they know how I can help the team, and they’re frustrated because I’m not doing what I can do.
“I understand and I take it in a good way. That’s why all these things make me work harder to become at my best, try to help my team and bring them to the level that this club needs to be.”