Moussa Sissoko has responded on Instagram when asked about Tottenham midfielder Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg’s lack of pace. The Danish star played alongside Sissoko during the 2020-21 season at Spurs, under Jose Mourinho.
Sissoko, now Watford captain, played 61 times in the 18 months he played under Mourinho as Spurs boss. On many occasions, the France international was used in midfield with Hojbjerg, a Mourinho signing.
But in the summer just gone, Sissoko left Spurs after five years and 202 appearances for the North London club – joining Watford. The ex-Newcastle man has since proven to be a crucial part of Claudio Ranieri’s side.
Sissoko hosted a Q&A session on his Instagram story, during Tuesday evening and one of the questions he was asked about was Hojbjerg’s perceived lack of speed. He responded, by asking the man himself.
Sissoko on Hojbjerg: Does Tottenham man really lack pace?
Or perhaps more importantly, does an apparent lack of speed really matter in Antonio Conte’s 3-4-3 system? Arguably not. All Hojbjerg and Oliver Skipp – or Harry Winks – need to do is work hard and keep running.
They need to be box-to-box midfielders, terrier-like. Aggressive, defensively intelligent but also contributing in attack. Hojbjerg has done that to a degree, with five goal involvements this season.
Yes, he could be quicker and it is evident at times – but he is better equipped to play in the middle of the park under Conte than most.
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