Tanguy Ndombele

Full interview here, for those of you who passed their GCSE French...

https://www.tf1.fr/tf1/telefoot/videos/interview-ndombele-87057472.html

 

I thought he took too many chances in the deeper role in the week. He didn't get caught but there were 3/4 occasions where had he coughed the ball up we'd have been in trouble.

 

That’s his game tho. It has to be accounted for so when he inevitably loses possession we have cover.

 

I don’t think that should be his game when he’s the deepest midfielder, either him not doing that at those times, or him not being in that position, are fine with me.

 

Are you aware of the phrase 'a leopard can't change his (or her) spots'? That's NDomb. No way he isn't going to try those things. In which case, maybe MouMou shouldn't play him there.

 

Until GLC is fit we don't have a better option to play deep and get the ball moving.

 

I agree. And with that in mind, you have to set up to mitigate for when NDomb coughs the ball up.

 

https://www.football.london/tottenham-hotspur-fc/players/how-tanguy-ndombele-helped-dele-19763532

 

You can remove your first four words from that sentence.

 

Encouraging to see him get a start in the deeper duo with a back four behind him. Also encouraging that he wasn't taken off for Sissoko when we went 2-0 up.

Only WBA, but he seems to be gaining the fitness and trust from Mourinho that he can play that role. He offers so much more on the ball than our other options, if he can start regularly there even if not against the biggest teams I think it will help us a lot.

Will be interesting to see how Mourinho uses him against Everton. A much better team and a knockout game.

 

Agree, and his fitness is the big thing. Mourinho had previously spoke about him wanting to play Lo Celso and him together, I reckon he sees him playing deeper with Lo Celso further up which would allow for better attacking combinations - if Lo Celso ever gets fit of course!

Weirdly NDombele wasn’t very good on the ball yesterday, but think it was just an off day rather than because he was playing deeper. His passing was poor....

 

Yeah it was his worst passing game for some time
But that’s fine as it’s part of his development in that role
What I liked again was he didn’t shirk any defensive work and that’s a big part of him being a success in that role

 

NDombele looks quite frustrated at the moment. I think he likes to do ‘his own thing’ and is being asked to stay put.

 

I agree
Their all over the place but not necessarily in a bad way
Both had really good games yesterday

 

I agree...though we do need to give him the ball more, plain and simple.

 

I thought that as well. Against teams that bank up and defend the chaotic randomness of Moura and Lamela can be a good thing. They're unpredictable, direct and commit players.

If you just had a bunch of tidy passers, then maybe that's all they would do?

Obviously against a different type of opposition these attributes could work against us.

 

If we don’t play in organised patterns (which we don’t) then I guess it’s a good thing like you say
But it’s only good in certain games and situations