Tottenham: Yves Bissouma accused of ‘lazy’ style of play after Ange Postecoglou hook
Tottenham midfielder Yves Bissouma has been accused of having a “lazy” and “passive” style of play by Alan Hutton after Spurs’ win over Nottingham Forest.
Ange Postecoglou made the bold call to hook both Bissouma and Pape Sarr at half-time in Spurs’ 3-1 win over Nottingham Forest on Sunday (7 April) and the introduction of Pierre Emile-Hojbjerg and Rodrigo Bentancur changed the game.
Second-half goals from Micky van de Ven and Pedro Porro ensured Postecoglou’s side leapfrogged Aston Villa to climb back into the top four, with some pundits suggesting the upturn in form was a result of those changes.
While Hutton believes Spurs could opt to start Bentancur ahead of Bissouma against Newcastle on Saturday (11 April), he doesn’t think Postecoglou will completely ditch his “go-to” midfield pairing.
“It seems like Sarr and Bissouma are his go-to two at this moment in time,” Hutton told Tottenham News.
“I think if you want to change it up Bentancur could come in but I don’t think he will change both. But these things happen as a manager, you’re looking at the game and thinking how can I change this? How can I impact this? What do I need to do to make it better?
“That was what he decided. I think on their day, Bissouma and Sarr can be very good, but when it’s not going their way, they can be a little bit passive. Bissouma sometimes looks a bit lazy in his play, not because he is, it’s just his style.
“Sometimes you just need to change it up, I think Bentancur coming in, he can make a difference, he can see stuff going forward and that’s maybe why he made the change.
“But I don’t see him making too many changes.”
Will Ange Postecoglou start Yves Bissouma for Tottenham against Newcastle United?
Spurs know that the final few weeks of the Premier League campaign will define their first season of action under Postecoglou. While the Australian insists he isn’t concerned by Champions League qualification, it is incredibly important for Tottenham.
The 58-year-old has been widely praised for his excellent start to life in North London and a huge part of that has been his dynamic pairing in midfield. Even if they looked off the pace against Forest, they have been two of Spurs’ best players this term.
Postecoglou may opt to roll the dice against Newcastle on Saturday, but he is unlikely to ditch the plan that has served him so well this term. He will back his team to claim all three points.
In other Tottenham news, Micky Van de Ven is a wanted man ahead of the summer transfer window after a “phenomenal” start in North London
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