Sissoko impresses Murphy v West Ham – Is he now a good Spurs signing?

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Danny Murphy singled out Moussa Sissoko for praise during the win over West Ham – time to start thinking differently about the Tottenham midfielder?

(L-R) Former footballer Danny Murphy, Tim Burgess, lead singer of The Charlatans and former footballer Trevor Sinclair talk at half-time on the BBC.

Former Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Danny Murphy praised one particular player at the club for his performance during the 3-2 victory at West Ham United.

It wasn’t Harry Kane, who scored twice against the Hammers, or Christian Eriksen, who got the other, but someone who has come in for plenty of criticism since joining Spurs in the summer of 2016.

Harry Kane of Tottenham Hotspur celebrates scoring his side’s first goal during the Premier League match against West Ham United.

That man is of course Moussa Sissoko, who has largely been considered a flop since a £30m (BBC) switch from Newcastle United a little over 12 months ago.

With Mousa Dembele and Victor Wanyama both injured, Sissoko played in central midfield alongside Eric Dier and clearly impressed the Match Of The Day pundit.

Moussa Sissoko of Tottenham Hotspur tackles Javier Hernandez of West Ham United.

“He’s taken some stick and that’s putting it lightly,” Murphy said on the BBC One programme.

“The best games I’ve seen him play in a Newcastle shirt and a French shirt is in the middle and this was obviously worked on by [Mauricio] Pochettino.

“Without Dembele and Wanyama he sat in there with Dier but he kept going forward. Every time they got good possession or he saw a gap he was off and it caused West Ham problems. Usually it’s only Dele Alli doing this.

“He was at it all game, his energy levels were good, he didn’t mind getting suck in and he looked fit. It was a really dynamic performance.

“He gives them another option and if he is playing at his best he is a good option.”

Will critics of Sissoko at Tottenham and in the wider footballing community have to begin reconsidering their opinion of the 28-year-old since his switch to North London?

Or is this more of a one-off good performance but the France international still has much to prove? Either way, Pochettino clearly thinks the 28-year-old still has much to offer in a Spurs shirt.