This article is part of Football FanCast’s The Chalkboard series, which provides a tactical insight into teams, players, managers, potential signings and more…

Moussa Sissoko endured a poor evening as Tottenham Hotspur were beaten 2-1 by Manchester United on Wednesday.

On the chalkboard

Spurs were second-best throughout the game at Old Trafford and were ultimately beaten by two goals from Marcus Rashford.

The England international netted his first from the corner of the box, squirming the ball past Paulo Gazzaniga, while his second came from the penalty spot after Sissoko fouled him in the area.

No clues whatsoever: Which seasons do these iconic Spurs images belong to?

Not only did the France international concede the penalty, but he also struggled to impact the game in a positive way from midfield.

Lined up alongside Harry Winks by Jose Mourinho, Sissoko had 58 touches of the ball, and registered a pass completion rate of 83%, per WhoScored.

While he completed two dribbles, he was dribbled past on one occasion and did not manage to register a key pass or have a shot on goal.

Indeed, Sissoko appeared to be told to babysit Serge Aurier at right-back and his heatmap shows that he primarily played on the right side of midfield, winning three tackles. He attempted four and his unsuccessful one was, naturally, the concession of the penalty.

Too passive

This was a performance that didn’t offer all that much in either defence or attack.

That can often be the death knell of a midfield, where passivity grips them and there is no dynamism when in possession.

Sissoko, at the end of the day, was asked to do too much and he routinely abandoned his position in midfield to help out Aurier and attempt to stop him from getting into a mess defensively.

That is perhaps not his fault but he was ineffectual in a game where his usual bursts from deep simply weren’t on show, impacting Spurs’ effectiveness going forward.

Ultimately, the lack of attacking thrust from the former Newcastle United man left Spurs in a ponderous position as they were out-fought and out-thought by their opposition.

Meanwhile, Spurs fans have reacted to a youngster’s excellent display.