"I think it's probably indicative of our season," Postecoglou said of Bissouma's form. "He has been very good at times but he hasn't really got a flow. He got suspended, he went away to the Africa Cup of Nations. It's very, very hard for any player to maintain certain levels if you've not got consistency in game-time and consistency in flow.
"I think he's been better the last few weeks. Because it was so disruptive in the middle of the year, like a lot of others, he wasn't getting up to the levels that he showed earlier in the year. The challenge for him is to work his way through that. I still think he's been a really important player for us this year and when he is playing at the levels I know he can play, it makes us a much more difficult team to stop."
Asked if Bissouma was frustrated with his season form, Postecoglou added: "I don't sense that in him. Like everyone else, and like us as a club, he hasn't really hit the consistent levels he'd want to. But that's OK. That's where we're at. That's where he's at. That's where a lot of the group are at. The challenge is to fight through that and make sure you come out on the other side stronger and more consistent."