Antonio Conte has been speaking to the media ahead of the Premier League clash between Tottenham and Leicester on Saturday, where he made a revealing admission about Yves Bissouma.
What’s the story?
Well, the £301,787-a-week Italian has only handed the Mali international one start in the Premier League since his £25m move from Brighton back in June.
Bissouma has not been injured, so many people have questioned why he isn’t being named in the starting XI.
Now, Conte has shed light on the situation.
As quoted by the Evening Standard, the 53-year-old said: “The only player that is struggling a bit with the tactical aspect is Bissouma, but also he is improving a lot in every aspect.
“I am sure when we start again and play 12 games, for sure he is another player I can count on but I try to take the best decision for the player because I want to protect the player.”
By the sounds of it, Conte is yet to be convinced about Bissouma’s ability to take on tactical knowledge, which is definitely concerning given the fact he experienced a full pre-season under the Italian.
Tottenham – presumably – sought to wrap up the signing early in the summer to avoid this specific problem, and ensure the Malian had plenty of time to get to grips with Conte’s demanding style.
Unfortunately, it seems Bissouma is still a while away from being fully trusted at Spurs.
Yves Bissouma will come good at Tottenham
Despite Conte’s comments, we are confident that Bissouma will succeed at Tottenham.
The Tottenham No.38 was one of the outstanding midfielders in the Premier League last season, helping Brighton to a ninth place finish in the Premier League as he shone in the centre of midfield.
However, football under Conte is a different animal to anything he’ll have experienced throughout his career.
Even the likes of Harry Kane could be seen vomiting during a training session in South Korea during the summer, as a result of the demands placed on the players.
Hopefully, Bissouma can nail down a place in the starting XI at Tottenham soon, and show everyone why Spurs spent £25m to bring him to north London.
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