Jamie Redknapp has praised Tanguy Ndombele for the way he has managed to turn around his Tottenham career under Jose Mourinho this season.
The midfielder struggled to make an impact during his first season at Tottenham after arriving for a club-record transfer fee of £55m. Throughout the campaign, it appeared as if he was struggling to adjust to the pace and intensity of English football.
The midfielder was not helped by the fact that Tottenham were going through a transitional season, with Mauricio Pochettino being sacked in November of last year.
The Frenchman reportedly did not always get along with the Argentine’s successor Jose Mourinho and was even linked with an exit after just one season in North London.
However, Ndombele has looked a completely different player at the start of this campaign, seemingly growing in confidence with every single appearance.
The former Lyon man has quickly evolved into one of Tottenham’s most important players and Redknapp believes that both the midfielder and Mourinho deserve credit for his transformation.
The former Spurs midfielder told Sky Sports PL (27/12/20 at 9:40 pm): “I think you have to give him a lot of credit.
MORE SPURS STORIES
“I think it’s a good example that you have to give players time because when he first arrived, it’s totally different to the leagues he has played in before and you don’t know quite how it’s going to work out.
“A manager leaves halfway through the season. A new manager comes in and he didn’t feel he trusted him and he has pushed Ndombele to produce these kinds of performances. You have to credit the manager, but you have to credit the player more.
“He’s the one who fundamentally has to make that change. He has to start to realise that you cannot just play when you have got the ball. I have been so impressed with how he has turned his Tottenham career around.
“It would have been very easy for him to sulk to a certain extent and think ‘the manager doesn’t fancy me, what’s the point?’. But he hasn’t – He has forced his way into the team. Playing ahead of the likes of Lo Celso but he’s become one of the most important players.”
Spurs Web Opinion
Ndombele’s talent was never really in doubt but it was his attitude that there seemed to some question marks over. The midfielder has got his head down this season and worked hard for the side, and his talent is now shining through. Hopefully, he can continue to work on his fitness and it will not be too long before we see him completing 90 minutes regularly.
Keep up to date with all the latest Tottenham news and opinion by following SpursWeb’s Facebook, Twitter and Instagram accounts.
