Tottenham Hotspur picked up another pre-season victory on Saturday afternoon with Championship side Queens Park Rangers beaten 2-0.
Ange Postecoglou is ramping up preparations for a second season as Tottenham Hotspur boss and the last few days have been hugely positive.
Spurs opened their pre-season campaign with a 5-1 thrashing of Hearts in Scotland on Wednesday night.
Tottenham were a little closer to home on Saturday, making the short trip to West London to take on QPR.
Yves Bissouma opened the scoring in the first half before Dane Scarlett found a second after the break.
A 2-0 win was another positive step for Tottenham as the Premier League season draws ever closer.
Ange Postecoglou on Yves Bissouma
Arguably the highlight of the afternoon was a superb goal from Bissouma.
The Spurs midfielder picked up the ball around 30 yards from goal before jinking his way past a QPR player.
Bissouma then played a slick one-two with Dejan Kulusevski before rounding goalkeeper Paul Nardi to slot home.
The 27-year-old joined Tottenham two years ago but had never scored in a Spurs shirt since arriving from Brighton and Hove Albion.
Bissouma has never really been a goalscoring midfielder but for this to be his first goal in a Spurs shirt is remarkable.
This is only a friendly though and Tottenham need Bissouma to shine in the Premier League.
That is the verdict of Tottenham boss Postecoglou too as he reacted to Saturday’s display.
Speaking to Tottenham’s official website, Postecoglou noted that the performance against QPR could give Bissouma some confidence but reminded everyone that it was ‘only a friendly’.
Postecoglou wants to see Bissouma turn in a performance like this in a real, competitive game, believing that he is completely capable of it.
Postecoglou added that Bissouma has been good in pre-season and wants to keep pushing the midfielder and the rest of his squad
“Yeah but it is only a friendly,” said Postecoglou. “I want to see him do it in a game. He’s capable of it. That’s our challenge for all our guys. We know the capabilities are there but we’ve got to produce it when it counts. He was good today, he’s been good in pre-season and we’ve just got to keep pushing him,” he added.
Make or break season ahead for Bissouma
There was real hype around Bissouma’s arrival two years ago.
Paul Merson called the deal an ‘unbelievable signing’ and Jamie Redknapp felt that Bissouma was a ‘brilliant’ addition at Tottenham.
So far though, Bissouma’s time at Tottenham has been a little mixed.
The Malian struggled for regular playing time under Antonio Conte but started last season impressively under Postecoglou.
Bissouma’s fine early season form faded though and he certainly wasn’t at his best towards the end of the campaign.
Reports back in May suggested that Tottenham would be open to selling Bissouma if a suitable offer arrived.
That may be the case for every player in the squad if you really think about it, but was also a warning; Tottenham need to see more from Bissouma.
Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg is on his way to Marseille and Tottenham’s interest in Joao Gomes has so far failed to get off the ground.
That means Bissouma is likely to open the season in Tottenham’s starting lineup but this could be a make or break season.
Bissouma isn’t a developmental prospect; he’s now 27, heading into his third season at Tottenham and seventh as a Premier League player.
The talent is there with Bissouma but Postecoglou needs to see it consistently in the Premier League – and Saturday’s superb goal must be built on moving forward.
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
