How Liverpool failed Momo Sissoko

Rafa is one of the world's top coaches. I suppose you are a regular visitor to Melwood and watch how Rafa simply ignores Momo's deficiencies. What a rubbish blog. Momo has not shown improvement despite the intensive training and support that a top class coach and backroom staff have provided. It will do Momo good to find a new club, not because he has been failed, but because he has failed. He has talent, but Liverpool can't afford to take risks on a regular basis with a player showing no sign of improvement and waning confidence.

Look at the players whose game has improved at Liverpool. Gerrard has improved, Mascherano has improved, Riise has improved as a midfielder. I don't think the problem is down to Liverpool. I think the problem is down to the player. There's only so much you can train, the rest is natural talent. I just don't believe that he'll ever be fluent on the ball and be able to pass the way a decent midfielder should be able to.

Sportingo has got to be the worst football site on the net, the articles are laughable!

Sissoko's had every opportunity in the world to prove his worth at Anfield. Unfortunately for him the modern game require more than good stamina and ability to break up play. For too long this club has valued players in the Sissoko mould at the expense of more skillful players flooding the top teams. And the criticism Rafa brought in Masch instead of developing Sissoko's weaknesses (as if there's any guarantee they can be improved. Look at Riise for reference having had 6 years of regular play without improving one yota) just goes to show how limited knowledge the author of this article has. While I've been a staunch critic of Rafa's rotation policy for more than a year, dishing out Sissoko goes a long way to show he's a great manager understanding what kind of players you need to win no. 19. If he could just take the same view on the inherently piss-poor Riise...

Momo hasn't been the same since his eye injury. Simple as that. If anything I have seen an improvement in his passing, unfortunately because he is so inconsistant you only see it in spurts. I'd wish Momo well if/when he moves on.

Just reached a new depth of liverpool hatred. You lot are pathetic.

Pants. Momo has not improved and that can only be down to one reason. Momo himself. I always improved when I stepped up a notch and trained with better players or we got promoted up the leagues. You raise your own game, the way I was trained never changed in that time and nobody ever paid me specific attnetion to perfect a bycycle kick, chest trap or first time passing. I did that myself, learning from and teaching my team mates, we improved playing together and on our own. Ridiculous article and clealruy you have some love for Momo. I like him too but where's the sense in playing him ahead of Mascherano, Gerrard, Alonso or Lucas whoe are currently better than he is? Would you rather Momo played and it cost the side? Then you'd be moaning about Rafa. Momo has had his chances and failed spectacularly against Marseille in one of our worst home shows for years. That was down to him, not Rafa. He can only pick the side. If two years at Liverpool cannot improve a player then I fear that is a short coming of the p

What an awful blog. Liverpool are one of the big clubs in the world. Sissoko came in with noticable flaws in his game, but flaws Rafa believed he could improve upon. If anything Sissoko's passing and shooting have worsened. Stamina, pace and power will get you so far, but at a club like Liverpool you need a more complete arsenal, especially when competing against 3 of the best midfielders in the world in Alonso, Gerrard and Mascherano. Sissoko could easily fit in well outide of the top 4 in the Premiership.

Unless you can actually prove with facts that the training regime for Momo is failing him, rather than possibly a little bit of fault falling on Momo's shoulders for not upping his game, then you are full of hot air. Rafa brought Momo to Valencia, and at the time, Momo was a forward, belive it or not! It was Rafa who suggested he play as a denfensive midfielder, so if you are a fan of Momo, then you can thank Rafa for having the abillity to spot the potential in the player in the first place! Rafa brought him with him to Anfield, and knows him long enough to stick with him and to know what the player requires as regards training. I feel that it's a combination of tough competition for the central 2 midfield positions, low morale and horrific injuries that has had an effect on Momo's game. Not rotation, since Momo was also at Valencia and was playing well under that system, and not Rafa, because Momo owes Rafa a lot for spotting the potential in him in the first place and for bringing him along to the place w

I would just like to point out that the 'flawed genius' part of the title was put there by Sportingo, not me. My original title was 'How Liverpool failed Momo Sissoko'. I don't think he's a genius at all! The overall point is, why not just sell Sissoko instead of keeping him hanging about until the Mascherano situation is resolved? Sissoko's progression is being stunted due to lack of games and lack of proper development. Furthermore, being a bit part player does nothing for confidence, so it's no wonder his performances when he does play are below par.

Jaimie, ask yourself why Momo became "a bit part player"? This negative, unresearched piece only serves to highlight the laughable level of artlcles carried by this site.

Doesn't make sense to me. Anyway - The fact that Momo became a bit part player is due to LFC's failure to make any headway ironing out his flaws, the strong competition, and the purchase of Lucas and Mascherano. With those purchases, Rafa basically said 'Momo - I have no faith in you'. Rafa is only keeping Momo around as a back-up, just in case Mascherano leaves. This is usuing the player in the most unacceptable way. If he's not good enough, let him leave and give someone else a crack at developing his potential. Don't be selfish and just let him rot on the sidelines as some emergency back-up.

of course liverpool are useing sissoko. what club doesnt use their players. thats what their there for. the club is the important thing, players are a cog in a machine. and they are paid well to be a cog. Youve got marbles in your head if you think rafa didnt notice momo's lack of passing ability and wouldnt have tried to have fixed it. Did it ever cross your mind momo just isnt good enough. absolute rubbish blog. i want my two minutes back

[quote]Doesn't make sense to me. Anyway - The fact that Momo became a bit part player is due to LFC's failure to make any headway ironing out his flaws, the strong competition, and the purchase of Lucas and Mascherano. With those purchases, Rafa basically said 'Momo - I have no faith in you'. Rafa is only keeping Momo around as a back-up, just in case Mascherano leaves. This is usuing the player in the most unacceptable way. If he's not good enough, let him leave and give someone else a crack at developing his potential. Don't be selfish and just let him rot on the sidelines as some emergency back-up.[/quote] Jaimie, sorry to put your bonfire out with liquid bodily waste, but Sissoko decided to stay in the summer, not Liverpool stopping him. He said in an interview 6 weeks ago that he was wrong to stay at Liverpool and made a mistake, because he could have gone to Italy in the summer. Don't blame the club for this. You are wrong.

Rafa risked losing momo on a free in the summer which is the reason he tied him into a 4 year contract. He'll sell him come the end of the season & will make a tidy profit. Maybe harsh on the player, but it's a good piece of business for Liverpool.

of course it's obvious clubs use players! If Momo is not good enough as you assert, then WHY NOT SELL HIM? Why give him another 4 year contract?! Just because using players is the norm, doesn't make it right. I feel that Sissoko has the potential to improve but that Liverpool are unable to help him realise this potential. Playing in a legue where hoofball rules and technical ability is almost an afterthought may have something to do with it...

Why exactly did Sissoko make the decision to stay and sign a new deal? Consider this quote from Momo at the time: "It has obviously given me a huge boost to my confidence that the manager believes in me and wanted me to stay. Now I want to repay him on the pitch." Rafa obviously told Sissoko that he was a big part of his plans and believed in him etc. Who wouldn't stay after that? Rafa's ulterior motive was to tie Sissoko down as an emergency back-up and then make a profit further down the line. Good business maybe but lying to the player is a reprehensible way to act.

Step aside Oscar Wilde, there's a serious challenger in town. I am, of course, deeply wounded. How will I ever be able to look in the mirror again after your breathtaking insight?! Grow up already! Do you have anything serious to add to the debate? I thought not! Now get back to ThisIsAnfield.com where you belong!

[quote]Why exactly did Sissoko make the decision to stay and sign a new deal? Consider this quote from Momo at the time: "It has obviously given me a huge boost to my confidence that the manager believes in me and wanted me to stay. Now I want to repay him on the pitch." Rafa obviously told Sissoko that he was a big part of his plans and believed in him etc. Who wouldn't stay after that? Rafa's ulterior motive was to tie Sissoko down as an emergency back-up and then make a profit further down the line. Good business maybe but lying to the player is a reprehensible way to act. [/quote] Liverpool failed Sissoko by giving him loads of money and a 4 year contract? Remarkable. And he's been hard done to because he wants to rapay Liverpools faith on the pitch? Well he hasn't, he's been truly woeful. And if that's repaying Rafa's faith then he can go, like he should have in the summer.

Once again Mr Kanwar has come up with another piece of sophomoric scribbling posing as journalism. Kanwar's research & analytic skills are adolescent & his arrogance in passing armchair judgement on both Rafa's coaching skills & Sissoko's ability to improve without any knowledge whatsoever reveals his real agenda. He wishes to subvert & contort any news story real journalist cover, into a splenetic anti-Liverpool rant. But mainly he wishes to create a controversial sticky blog which generates hits & pays his or the site's wage. I will take his own advice, “why bother reading?”, & no longer click on any Sportingo link. Others who find his opinions tiresome may wish to do so too

What's the point of having a 4 year contract if the boss has no faith in you, and is only using you as an emergency stop-gap? What's the point of keeping Sissoko when his confidence is shot as a result of his realisation that he's basically number 5 in the midfield pecking order? It's bad for Liverpool (Momo's poor performances recently) and it's bad for the player (Loss of confidence). Sissoko's lack of development *cannot* solely be down to the player himself. The club must also take some of the blame. With world class managers/coaches/facilites etc, Momo should have been showing signs of improvement. He hasn't.

The very essence of competitive football is" You get your chance and you grab it with both hands..Sissoko has singularly failed to do this on numerous occassions at Liverpool over the last 18 months. A downward spiral in form began after the eye injury in Spain and he's never recovered, to the point where Benitez went out and got Mascherano to do the same job....Momo has had juvenile flaws in his game all his pro career...Other mangers couldn't iron them out, neither will Rafa..He is using Rafa's wordsa player without game intelligence...Which means he'll keep making those mistakes, you just hope his contributions in other aspects are worth the flaws...Evidently they are not and Rafa will sell him for a large sum to Inter, who have an abysmal record of wasting talent. Dennis Bergkamp anyone?...Rubbish blog by the way...All over the shop!

The very essence of competitive football is" You get your chance and you grab it with both hands..Sissoko has singularly failed to do this on numerous occassions at Liverpool over the last 18 months. A downward spiral in form began after the eye injury in Spain and he's never recovered, to the point where Benitez went out and got Mascherano to do the same job....Momo has had juvenile flaws in his game all his pro career...Other mangers couldn't iron them out, neither will Rafa..He is using Rafa's wordsa player without game intelligence...Which means he'll keep making those mistakes, you just hope his contributions in other aspects are worth the flaws...Evidently they are not and Rafa will sell him for a large sum to Inter, who have an abysmal record of wasting talent. Dennis Bergkamp anyone?...Rubbish blog by the way...All over the shop!