Alasdair Gold has claimed that Antonio Conte has been playing Oliver Skipp and Yves Bissouma out of position.
Spurs’ season has been quite interesting so far. Despite their poor performances, they have managed to grind out wins and have gone into the mid-season break sitting in fourth place and having advanced to the knockout stages of the Champions League.
Rodrigo Bentancur and Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg have been Conte’s trusted pair in the midfield this season and both have them have been solid, limiting the regular playing time for the likes of Skipp and new signing Bissouma.
And Gold has suggested that Skipp and Bissouma have been played incorrectly by Conte in the rare times that they have started.
While Speaking on the Gold and Guest talk Tottenham podcast, he said (13:25):
“I think Skippy has been used quite sparingly and when he has played, has played in the wrong position.
“I still don’t understand why he’s playing Bissouma as an anchorman and Skippy is almost like an attacking winger at times.
“Surely swap them around and have Bissouma as the box-to-box midfielder and Skippy holding, as he was so brilliant at Norwich doing it and in the first season for Spurs after he came back [from loan] as well.”
Skipp was unable to play at the start of the season due to injury, and he has only made two league starts since then.
Bissouma has had more opportunities, appearing 18 times in all competitions, most of them as a substitute but he is still not trusted enough by Conte to start in the Champions League.
Gold suggests that Bissouma should be playing as a box to box midfielder, a position he played at Brighton regularly and excelled. While Skipp should be played as a holding midfielder.
And to be fair on the players, Bissouma struggling to make an impact at Spurs could have to do with the fact that he is not being played in his natural role.
