Tanguy Ndombele

[Daisuk]

I'm honestly quite baffled at people actually saying N'Dombele is a disaster - whaaat?! What planet do you live on? He's been out injured, isn't quite up to speed yet, needs a bit of time to settle - but the talent on show is just beyond ridiculous - he's doing things with a football I haven't seen from many players before. There are bits of both Modric and Dembele in him. His first touch is unbelievable, he's got quickness and vision (he sees things most players don't and executes before you're even able to call it from the armchair), great passing, he's got a great burst of pace. I do agree that he looks unfit and doesn't quite have the stamina to last a full game - but of all the shortcomings of a footballer, a lack of stamina/fitness must surely be the best one - we know that can be trained fairly easily.

I'd just like to quote myself from February 6th last year for maximum smugness.

 

[Finney Is Back]

I don't know how they didn't realise after his debut in the Aston Villa match. I've said numerous times there been some revisioning to suggest he started poorly. He actually started very positively under Poch and was arguably our best player for the first 3 matches of last season (albeit the team itself in terrible form). Then he got his injury and never seemed to get back on form and fit and then the manager changed.

But he started well, and not being able to see his obvious quality is baffling. Then some of those same fans seem big fans of the guys who clearly lack in so many areas.

I find it all quite confusing. [emoji28]

I'm not sure that his problem last season was injury and I think Mourinho's treatment of him pointed to that as well.

He was sulking and not putting in the effort at times last season. That little video clip of him against Wolves showed a clear bad attitude.

It is quite rare for a player to change their attitude under the same manager and big credit to Ndombele for doing this. Credit to Jose as well as I couldn't see it turning out like this and thought the Harry Redknapp arm round the shoulder might've been the better option. That's why Jose is a football manager and I'm anything but I guess.

 

[Bedfordspurs]

I'm not sure that his problem last season was injury and I think Mourinho's treatment of him pointed to that as well.

He was sulking and not putting in the effort at times last season. That little video clip of him against Wolves showed a clear bad attitude.

It is quite rare for a player to change their attitude under the same manager and big credit to Ndombele for doing this. Credit to Jose as well as I couldn't see it turning out like this and thought the Harry Redknapp arm round the shoulder might've been the better option. That's why Jose is a football manager and I'm anything but I guess.

His fitness has changed massively too though
He looks slimmer, leaner and hungrier (possibly due to the first 2)
He also clocked the fastest running the weekend, all be it over short distances
The guys got the tools, and now seems to have the attitude. He really could be whatever he wants as a player

 

[parklane1]

I thought his class was there to see from the start, the only issue was getting properly fit and getting settled.
The fitness can be worked on, the problem is when it's the other way around, when they have fitness but not the class, that's much harder to fix.

I agree, he just needed time to get fully fit and to settle to a much faster game then he had previously been used to.

 

[metalgear]

Yeah what a performance. He was attack all the way and the opponents felt it. Goal or not, that's the reason Mourinho kept him in longer than usual. Think about that!
Dele are you watching.

Puskas two years in a row?

Incredible, scarcely believable finish - the sort that a footballer would be lucky to score as an utter fluke once in his life, never mind with the control and accuracy Ndombele used.

But even better, it capped off a truly wondrous performance from the guy, and he lasted the full 90 for the first time in an eternity (in the PL, anyway). He was an absolute, pulsating menace - you could see when he got on the ball, the entire SU defence backpedalled frantically in fear of what he would do. He straight up bodied fools today - and from a *deeper* role. This is where he belongs, imo - deep, next to Hojbjerg, dictating play, having space to turn and play those line-breaking passes or drive into space.

Magnificent, magisterial game. He gave the ball away once or twice - that's to be expected. But what we got in return was an absolute joy of a footballing performance, which put absolute terror into the opposition.

It's good to see him do that - good to see someone fear us again for what we can do with the ball.

Sent from my SM-T865 using glory-glory.co.uk mobile app

 

[metalgear]

6 in 100
3 in 50
Impossible!

More like a one in a lifetime goal. That famous Marco van Basten extreme angle volley goal is easier than this.

Oh it is.

Initially I nodded when reading your post until, on thinking again, I wondered if someone was in that position and took 100 attempts, would six really be scored.

Sent from my SM-T865 using glory-glory.co.uk mobile app

 

[Spur of the moment]

So Mourinho calls Ndombele out publicly for his laziness and gets hammered for it ...

But regardless of whether that was or was not the right thing to do, huge credit to Tanguy for shrugging it all off, knuckling down and dazzling us all with his staggering skills instead of choosing to become The Big Sulk.

The man has balls.

 

[MKSpur]

So Mourinho calls Ndombele out publicly for his laziness and gets hammered for it ...

But regardless of whether that was or was not the right thing to do, huge credit to Tanguy for shrugging it all off, knuckling down and dazzling us all with his staggering skills instead of choosing to become The Big Sulk.

The man has balls.

Big ones, that’s why he has that bow legged gait and looks knackered all the time!

 

[metalgear]

so we've got our midfield monster back who could we line up as understudy?

Sent from my SM-G985F using glory-glory.co.uk mobile app

 

[Yiddo]

Could you imagine if we had Ndombele and Moussa in the same midfield? Would have 100% possession as no one would get the ball off of them. AVB would cum in his pants with statistics like that.

 

[kanoute16]

It's a shame he is playing in our worst midfield for years

 

[awesome dawson]

It's a shame he is playing in our worst midfield for years

I don’t agree with that statement. Hojbjerg is arguably our best defensive midfielder since Sandro. Wanyama was good for a season and a half and Dembele, excellent as he was, never lived up to his potential due to injury.

 

[harr1984]

Could you imagine if we had Ndombele and Moussa in the same midfield? Would have 400% possession as no one would get the ball off of them. AVB would cum in his pants with statistics like that.

I never thought we would see another Dembele type here - let alone a guy who is more talented than him. NDombele can play the incisive forward passes for assists and is a much bigger goalscoring threat. I loved Dembele and actually thought he was genuinely world class but this guys ceiling is higher.....

 

[Bedfordspurs]

I don’t agree with that statement. Hojbjerg is arguably our best defensive midfielder since Sandro. Wanyama was good for a season and a half and Dembele, excellent as he was, never lived up to his potential due to injury.

Yep
I think there is scope for the tanguy/Hojdjerg axis it be brilliant

 

[Bishop]

I don’t agree with that statement. Hojbjerg is arguably our best defensive midfielder since Sandro. Wanyama was good for a season and a half and Dembele, excellent as he was, never lived up to his potential due to injury.

Sissoko often starts as CM so yes it is one of the worst midfields we've had for years.

When Ndombele plays as the tip of the 3 he's starved of the ball. Look at how much more immediately influential he was just being played deeper and behind the play rather than in front of it.

 

[Danishfurniturelover]

So Mourinho calls Ndombele out publicly for his laziness and gets hammered for it ...

But regardless of whether that was or was not the right thing to do, huge credit to Tanguy for shrugging it all off, knuckling down and dazzling us all with his staggering skills instead of choosing to become The Big Sulk.

The man has balls.

He comes from a good family. You saw the Amazon documentary, his father telling him to give it time and to knuckle down and work hard. I give credit to Ndombele himself and Mourinho but also to his father for bringing his son up the right way.

 

[Finney Is Back]

It's a shame he is playing in our worst midfield for years

And yet if we put him alongside Hojbjerg with Dele in front of them....

 

[Bishop]

And yet if we put him alongside Hojbjerg with Dele in front of them....

Hasn't happened and doesn't look very likely to happen either.

 

[Finney Is Back]

Hasn't happened and doesn't look very likely to happen either.

We can’t complain about having a weak midfield if the manager won’t play the best players

 

[braineclipse]

We can’t complain about having a weak midfield if the manager won’t play the best players

I can definitely understand Mourinho not wanting to start Ndombele in a deeper role early in this season at least. Seems like playing him further forward has been a very good way of settling him in and getting him up to speed physically.

Not early in the season any longer. Will be interesting to see if he's played deeper more now that he looks closer to full fitness at the very least and is getting settled in. I thought the Sheffield United game perhaps was a sign of things to come in that regard.