Momo Sissoko (7 Viewers)
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Calcio Debate: Sissoko Silencing The Doubters?
Momo Sissoko has made a highly encouraging start to his Juventus career. Carlo Garganese asks whether the Malian midfielder is silencing all those who questioned his signing…
Anyone who has been a regular reader of my Calcio Debate’s will be well aware that I opposed Juventus’ purchase of Momo Sissoko in January.
Having seen Sissoko play regularly in the Premiership with Liverpool over the past few years I had never been a big fan of his athlete-over-footballer make-up, and I believed that his technical and tactical flaws simply would not suit Serie A.
Most journalists and Juventus supporters agreed with this assessment, and saw Sissoko as just the latest in a long-line of disastrous signings from sporting director Alessio Secco, a list that already included the likes of Tiago Mendes, Sergio Almiron, and of course Jean-Alain Bumsong.
However considering what we have seen from Sissoko in Serie A so far, I fear that I may have to eventually hold my hands up and admit that I was wrong about the midfielder.
Since settling into the side, Sissoko has been a colossus, and his energy, tackling, and physical presence has undoubtedly strengthened the centre of the Juventus midfield. While earlier in the season the Bianconeri were something of a soft-touch in the middle-of-the-park, now they look solid, compact and a great deal tougher.
We all knew that Sissoko had great physical attributes before he joined, but what has been most surprising is that he has also impressed technically and tactically. His passing remains abysmal, but he has displayed some flashy pieces of skill, and his positioning and closing up of the space has not been as “headless-chicken” as it sometimes was during his Liverpool days.
I must reserve a note of caution however. Yes, Sissoko has made an outstanding start to his Juventus career, but it must be remembered that this career is only 11 games old. The 23-year-old has only made eight Serie A starts so it is far too soon to start proclaiming him, as Secco did, as the “best centre midfielder in Serie A.”
This declaration is absurd given the presence of proven, seasoned stars such as Esteban Cambiasso, Andrea Pirlo and Daniele De Rossi. If Sissoko wants to obtain these players' reputations then he has to maintain his level of performance not over 11 games, but over one, two or three seasons.
It must also be noted that Juve are generally playing without any pressure at the moment. They have been virtually guaranteed a place in the Champions League for quite sometime now, but next season they will certainly have expectations of fighting for the Scudetto. This is when we see who the real stars are.
goal.com
Momo Sissoko has made a highly encouraging start to his Juventus career. Carlo Garganese asks whether the Malian midfielder is silencing all those who questioned his signing…
Anyone who has been a regular reader of my Calcio Debate’s will be well aware that I opposed Juventus’ purchase of Momo Sissoko in January.
Having seen Sissoko play regularly in the Premiership with Liverpool over the past few years I had never been a big fan of his athlete-over-footballer make-up, and I believed that his technical and tactical flaws simply would not suit Serie A.
Most journalists and Juventus supporters agreed with this assessment, and saw Sissoko as just the latest in a long-line of disastrous signings from sporting director Alessio Secco, a list that already included the likes of Tiago Mendes, Sergio Almiron, and of course Jean-Alain Bumsong.
However considering what we have seen from Sissoko in Serie A so far, I fear that I may have to eventually hold my hands up and admit that I was wrong about the midfielder.
Since settling into the side, Sissoko has been a colossus, and his energy, tackling, and physical presence has undoubtedly strengthened the centre of the Juventus midfield. While earlier in the season the Bianconeri were something of a soft-touch in the middle-of-the-park, now they look solid, compact and a great deal tougher.
We all knew that Sissoko had great physical attributes before he joined, but what has been most surprising is that he has also impressed technically and tactically. His passing remains abysmal, but he has displayed some flashy pieces of skill, and his positioning and closing up of the space has not been as “headless-chicken” as it sometimes was during his Liverpool days.
I must reserve a note of caution however. Yes, Sissoko has made an outstanding start to his Juventus career, but it must be remembered that this career is only 11 games old. The 23-year-old has only made eight Serie A starts so it is far too soon to start proclaiming him, as Secco did, as the “best centre midfielder in Serie A.”
This declaration is absurd given the presence of proven, seasoned stars such as Esteban Cambiasso, Andrea Pirlo and Daniele De Rossi. If Sissoko wants to obtain these players' reputations then he has to maintain his level of performance not over 11 games, but over one, two or three seasons.
It must also be noted that Juve are generally playing without any pressure at the moment. They have been virtually guaranteed a place in the Champions League for quite sometime now, but next season they will certainly have expectations of fighting for the Scudetto. This is when we see who the real stars are.
goal.com
22 April 2008
Sissoko and Chiellini train with squad again
Juventus restarted training today to prepare Sunday's game against Lazio. After individual technique exercises, the Bianconeri played an eight-a-side match on a smaller pitch; Sissoko and Chiellini joined in, having recovered from their injuries: both are now back training as normal. Buffon, Camoranesi, Del Piero and Trezeguet stayed in the gym, but they'll be back training with the others already from tomorrow. Obviously both Andrade and Iaquinta, who's recovering from his muscle strain, didn't take part in the session. But there's good news regarding the Portuguese defender: he's doing physiotherapy in Lisbon after his second operation and has started running a little bit too. He's expected to be making steady progress in the next few weeks.
Sissoko and Chiellini train with squad again
Juventus restarted training today to prepare Sunday's game against Lazio. After individual technique exercises, the Bianconeri played an eight-a-side match on a smaller pitch; Sissoko and Chiellini joined in, having recovered from their injuries: both are now back training as normal. Buffon, Camoranesi, Del Piero and Trezeguet stayed in the gym, but they'll be back training with the others already from tomorrow. Obviously both Andrade and Iaquinta, who's recovering from his muscle strain, didn't take part in the session. But there's good news regarding the Portuguese defender: he's doing physiotherapy in Lisbon after his second operation and has started running a little bit too. He's expected to be making steady progress in the next few weeks.
