Clearly not always on the same page at Tottenham following his £30m arrival from Newcastle, Moussa Sissoko and Mauricio Pochettino appear to now have a better working relationship, with the Argentinian manager using his midfielder far more this season.
The France international was often linked with a move away from White Hart Lane/Wembley during his first campaign in a white shirt, but those rumours have now disappeared, and it seems the 28-year-old will stay at the club for the foreseeable future.
Speaking to France Football this week, Sissoko explained why things have suddenly improved for him at Tottenham.
He said: “Pochettino is a manager who deserves all the praise he gets. Year after year, he improves his teams. What changed between us? Not a lot. I never had a problem in particular with Pochettino. I hope it’ll continue. Now, I feel happier, more at ease on the pitch.
“You can see it in my performances. What also helped is that I had a full preseason, unlike last year when I arrived on the last day of the transfer window. Mentally it was hard, but I held on. It’s a lesson for the future. I hope I never have to go through that again”.
Already making 25 appearances for Tottenham this season, Sissoko is just nine away from his total from last season, but has already played six more minutes, showing his newfound importance in Pochettino’s plans.
With a long second half of the season in the Premier League ahead, and a hopefully long Champions League run to go with it, the former Toulouse star’s versatility will certainly come in handy.
