Ange Postecoglou discussed ‘Yves Bissoumas stellar start to the season with talkSPORT, as well as why he would prefer to avoid facing Cristian Romero.
Yves Bissouma was told he can be a “leader in this group” by Ange PostecoAnge Postecoglouglou during one of his first Tottenham training sessions, the coach has confessed. Due to a number of factors, Bissouma’s first season with Spurs did not go as planned. In an effort to make up for lost time, he returned to Hotspur Way in the summer.
Postecoglou noticed the player in training right away and felt he had a talent who could play a significant role in his Tottenham club. Despite obviously feeling encouraged by Postecoglou’s words, Bissouma unluckily arrived late for practice the next day, and the head coach had to remind him of the necessity of being a leader.
After regaining the form that made him stand out at Brighton & Hove Albion, Bissouma has been “good since then” and is now playing a crucial part in Spurs’ turnaround in results under Postecoglou.
The Tottenham manager said on talkSPORT, “I don’t think I’ve done anything special with him. “All the players, you need to create an atmosphere. I put the blame on them as well because you can sometimes point the finger at the manager from before or other people when you’ve had a bad season, but in the end, I told all the players, it’s about them now.
“You never start with a clean slate, but you do have the chance to take control of your career, prove to me your abilities, and be the best version of yourself. I was fortunate that he was present when I came, Biss. Several of the boys had represented their countries in soccer, but Biss had been here from the beginning.
“I sort of grabbed him and told him that the way he was training at the time, the first three or four sessions we mostly had young boys and I said ‘you can be a leader in this group’. Although I was previously aware of his talent, I could tell from the manner he was practicing that he benefited from it.