Liverpool FC Forum

by **stmichael** » Thu Apr 27, 2006 12:57 pm

I have to say, I've rated the lad highly since day one but yesterday he showed me parts to his game which I haven't seen before. In the past I've always said that he was a better player without the ball in many ways. However last night, aswell as being the destroyer, he was back to making those surging runs we saw earlier in the season and also made a couple of cracking long passes. In many ways he was our main creative force going forward. There's no doubting the ability he has, although I'm not sure that he should be pushed into becoming a more attacking player.

His best work is done in and around the centre circle, if you start asking him to do more further up the field then I think that you start to dilute the influence he has further back and you start to maybe dilute the strongest parts of his game.

Whilst I've always said that he was a better footballer than a lot of people gave him credit for (comparing him to a young vieira was a bit over the top) I think we saw yesterday just what a beast this kid is going to be. And note that it comes when Gerrard and Alonso are both out of the team. You would probably have expected Hamann to have stepped up to the plate and lead from the front but Sissoko did it and how.

I was just thinking you know, we paid £5 million pounds for this kid where as Chelsea paid £24 for Michael Essien. Despite Chelsea's obviously inflated transfer market, this statistic is quite staggering when you look at the two players. Whilst I'm sure Essien is a better player than what he has showed so far in this country, I just don't see what the guy really has to offer that Sissoko doesn't.

All hail the prophet mohammed :bowdown

by **66-1112520797** » Thu Apr 27, 2006 1:15 pm

And how bad would it of been if he'd signed for the bitters ?

For me, he has been our best signing this season he adds so much energy to the midfield and he offers quality cover for either Alonso or Gerrard. I would of winced before, if either Alonso or Gerrard were out of the team and in comes Biscan or Diao but not anymore. We have good depth in that area of the park now, and while Sissoko has still room for improvement it will be a pleasure to watch him develop as a player at Liverpool.

by **AussieKopite** » Thu Apr 27, 2006 1:28 pm

I was originally a critic of Momo, my problem was that the had a tendency to go in to challenges too hard and as a result get booked or sent off. Since then, he has really matured and I have confidence he won't get booked. WELL DONE MOMO!!!

by **mighty mo** » Thu Apr 27, 2006 1:34 pm

what a signing, not only are the bitters angry at not signing him, but what about valencia who sold him for a pittance in today's market.he has been immense this season and will look forward seeing him being one the best midfield powerhouses in the world wearing the red shirt.

by **stmichael** » Thu Apr 27, 2006 1:41 pm

I'm not going over the top on the back of one performance but you can't help but be impressed. Yesterday, when you saw a midfield including Hamann, Sissoko and Kromkamp, you along with me probably thought "well where the hell's the creativity gonna come from". Well Sissoko set up the first goal with a great surging run and had his best game for us by far in terms of his distribution.

Bigmick started a thread a while back asking "have we found ourselves a gem?" and I think it's becoming more and more clear by the day that we have. It's funny really because the view on the guy were so varied. Members such as Banana claimed that the guy was already "world class" where as stu the red claimed that the guy would never even be "class". For me, I'm still very much in the middle. The answer to that question would more likely have been answered if Gerrard had left, as most thought he would when Sissoko was brought as his replacement.

by **redmikey** » Thu Apr 27, 2006 1:47 pm

good shout st mick

momo is rising the bar with every game which at times you would think poosible!

in midfield containing momo, rafa,and xabi is the things dominance are built on.

did any one read the interview momo did on the offical site, really humble because of his up bringing, and you can see that it drives him to sucess, not money but pure pride in himself.

i don't know how rafa dose it but he seems to want players that are more than just talented but that also have the desire to become great.. the club needs to match rafa dream for us and this could be the dawn of a golden period in lfc history

by **maximus** » Thu Apr 27, 2006 1:51 pm

No coincidence that his absence through an eye injury, coincided with our 'mini slump' a couple of months back.

The lad can only get better and stronger with age

Well done Rafa.........................again

by **HacksawJimDuggin** » Thu Apr 27, 2006 1:53 pm

redmikey wrote:good shout st mick

momo is rising the bar with every game which at times you would think poosible!

in midfield containing momo, rafa,and xabi is the things dominance are built on.

did any one read the interview momo did on the offical site, really humble because of his up bringing, and you can see that it drives him to sucess, not money but pure pride in himself.

i don't know how rafa dose it but he seems to want players that are more than just talented but that also have the desire to become great.. the club needs to match rafa dream for us and this could be the dawn of a golden period in lfc history

Momo, RAFA and Xabi in midfield!!!

Rafa would need to do some work to get gimself fit for the rigour of the premiership! :laugh:

by **SouthCoastShankly** » Thu Apr 27, 2006 1:57 pm

He was my man of the match last night by far. Anyone else notice how Vieira-esque (imagine if stu_the_red could hear me now!) he is becoming. A true workhorse and now he shows us his 'boss' side. He owned the midfield last night.

by **babu** » Thu Apr 27, 2006 2:15 pm

redmikey wrote:good shout st mick

momo is rising the bar with every game which at times you would think poosible!

in midfield containing momo, rafa,and xabi is the things dominance are built on.

did any one read the interview momo did on the offical site, really humble because of his up bringing, and you can see that it drives him to sucess, not money but pure pride in himself.

i don't know how rafa dose it but he seems to want players that are more than just talented but that also have the desire to become great.. the club needs to match rafa dream for us and this could be the dawn of a golden period in lfc history

holy

that post almost made me run outside and wave the flag.

by **stmichael** » Thu Apr 27, 2006 2:59 pm

Bamaga man wrote:And how bad would it of been if he'd signed for the bitters ?

well he'd never get in their side ahead of phil neville would he?

by **darwisigila** » Thu Apr 27, 2006 3:19 pm

if i'm not mistaken, momo actually a striker before rafa converted him into midfield player. Rafa wanted to see what momo can do in midfield and the result is encouraging enough to for rafa to stick him there coz he offer so much power determination to win. That's why momo can step up to take responsiblity when SG and alonso not in the team

by **stmichael** » Thu Apr 27, 2006 3:23 pm

darwisigila wrote:if i'm not mistaken, momo actually a striker before rafa converted him into midfield player. Rafa wanted to see what momo can do in midfield and the result is encouraging enough to for rafa to stick him there coz he offer so much power determination to win. That's why momo can step up to take responsiblity when SG and alonso not in the team

Yeah he was brought to Valencia by Rafa as a striker after scoring fifty goals in two seasons with Auxerre's famous youth team. His first appearance for Valencia came as an emergency midfielder from the bench, latish in a game. Apparently he ran so much and tackled like a monster that Rafa and Pako could not believe what they were seeing. After they ran the videos through the computer they decided to retrain him as a midfielder and thus a future legend was born ...

Apparently Benitez had him chalked down to replace Gerrard if he left last summer. He had been monitoring him at Valencia and had agreed a price with them, then Stevie changed his mind, so the deal was suspended.

As soon as Gollum indicated that he wanted to sign him for Everton via a newspaper, Rafa said words to the effect of "I'm not having that" and handed over five million quid.

I was a bit surprised when he compared him to Vieira as I thought it might put undue pressure on the lad. But it seems he thrives on it. The comparison was absolutely deserved and to think how much better he is going to get is frightening.

by **darwisigila** » Thu Apr 27, 2006 3:39 pm

I can't find another player that had a similar roles like momo did..he's not like makelele. We don't see makelele running and running to cover every area but still he's everywhere and winning ball for his team and starting attacking move.

Momo don't stop running to block and intercept passes and if he won the ball, pass it to teammate. He's not like roy keane or viera. it's momo, our momo. If he can polish his positioning and passing into dangerous area instead to his teammates, he will be a great to watch. Maybe his task right now is just to win the ball back when we lost possesion and to break opponent play.

by **The_Rock** » Thu Apr 27, 2006 3:50 pm

stmichael wrote:As soon as Gollum indicated that he wanted to sign him for Everton via a newspaper, Rafa said words to the effect of "I'm not having that" and handed over five million quid.

Thank god for that...signing for the bitters would have been career suicide

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