Bissouma: "Everything is about the team and the way we work"
Tue 15 August 2023, 10:00|
Tottenham Hotspur
Winning is what matters when it comes to football for Yves Bissouma.
A commanding presence in midfield during Sunday's 2-2 draw with Brentford as we made a solid start to our 2023/24 Premier League campaign, Yves produced one of his best performances to date in Lilywhite at the Gtech Community Stadium.
We had started well against the Bees as Cristian Romero had given us the lead on 11 minutes, but our hosts hit back with two goals in nine first-half minutes to turn the game on its head. We did dominate possession though and deservedly levelled on the stroke of half-time through Emerson Royal but we couldn't quite find another way past a stubborn Brentford backline in the second half, forcing us to settle for point.
Having orchestrated the game from the middle of the park, Yves was deservedly awarded the Premier League's Player of the Match award at full-time, which seemingly capped a bright few months for the 26-year-old as he has made an excellent start to life under Ange Postecoglou however, speaking to SPURSPLAY after the final whistle in west London, his disappointment in only coming away with a point in our season opener was clear.
"Everything is about the team and the way we work," Yves stated as he reflected on his personal performance. "I can say thanks to the coach and my team-mates because we worked really hard. Everyone played well and the most important thing for me isn’t to be Man of the Match… I want to win.
"That’s my mindset. I don’t just play for myself, I play for my team, for Tottenham Hotspur, for my team-mates, for everyone. So, if I’m Man of the Match and we don’t win, it doesn’t make sense to me. I want to win.
"I prefer not to be Man of the Match and we win the game. I’m okay, but not really happy because we didn’t win. We’ll see next game. Thanks for the appreciation and we’ll work hard to be stronger for the next game."
At the Gtech, we were the dominant force. Playing a high line and forcing our opponents back to the last, the disappointment in the team not to take the victory was only natural.
However, with the home of the Bees generally leaving a sting in the tail for those who visit there - Thomas Frank's side only lost two home games last season - there are plenty of positives for us to take from the performance into Saturday's clash with Manchester United (kick-off 5.30pm UK).
"Of course, we deserved to win. We played really well but we missed some chances and, in the Premier League, you can’t miss chances, because it’s really hard," our number eight explained. "I thought we deserved to win but the reality is we drew so we have to forget it and look forward to next week.
"It’s really hard to play against Brentford away but this season, we want to win every game. We’re working really hard. We prepared to win, but you never know, it’s really hard, but the thing is if you don’t win, don’t lose, so we drew.
"The coach asked us to play the football we enjoy playing and try to win as well. The first thing is that we try to do what the coach wants, that’s really important. Everyone knows how hard it is against Brentford away, we got one point, now we look forward to United. We’ll watch the game again and see how we can stop mistakes and how we can be better next week."
