To say that Moussa Sissoko’s time at Tottenham has been smooth would be an outright lie, yet despite the many transfer rumours sending him far away from Wembley, the France international is still in Mauricio Pochettino’s plans.
Not only that, but after missing out on the World Cup and the last few squads, he’s back in the national team due to Paul Pogba pulling out of the UEFA Nations League game against Netherlands and the friendly against Uruguay.
As is customary, the player sat down with some members of the media to discuss how things are going both at club level and with France.
Asked what he felt his status at Spurs was, he told Foot Mercato: “That’s a good question. I don’t know how I ca judge my status. I know that when I arrived, it wasn’t easy. I arrived late in the transfer window. A lot o things had happened. It wasn’t easy for me, but I hung on, I fought, I gave my best as I have always done.
“This year, it’s going well. Very well even. I just had this hamstring issue early on. I recovered well. At the moment, I’m playing regularly. We’re doing well, so it’s cool. I hope to continue like this, play a lot of game, be performant and try to win something at the end of the season.”
Explaining the club want to, at least, lift a cup come the end of the campaign, Sissoko, knowing the ability that surrounds him on a daily basis also talked of potentially winning the Premier League, even if he knows that will be extremely difficult.
As for his relationship with his manager, Mauricio Pochettino, which has had its ups and downs: “It’s simple. We trust and respect each other, and that’s what’s most important. I’m not trying to find more. When we see each other, we say hi. If we need to talk, we talk. On the pitch, I try and do what he tells me to.
“If I have something to say back, I do. I’m not looking for more. We get along well just like he does with other teammates. I have no problems with him.”
It seems the 29-year-old has come a long way, both personally and in the Tottenham group from the day when his manager was telling the press Sissoko was ‘falling short of expectations’ a couple of years ago.
These days, Pochettino isn’t sure what the fan reaction would be if he dropped him. That’s how well things are going.
