Report: 26-year-old failed to impress Postecoglou right from first day of pre-season

Journalist Dean Jones has claimed in his column for GiveMeSport that the tone was set for Tanguy Ndombele’s relationship with Ange Postecoglou right from the first day of pre-season training in the summer.

It did not come as a surprise when Ndombele joined Galatasaray on loan this week (with an option to buy for £13m) as the midfielder had not featured in any of Tottenham’s matchday squads so far this season.

There was some hope among Spurs fans that the Frenchman would be able to revive his career under Postecoglou, but it was revealed in the summer by multiple outlets that the Australian was not pleased with the midfielder’s attitude (The Sun).

The tone was set for Ndombele on the first day

Jones has now explained that Ndombele did not make a good first impression on Postecoglou or his coaching staff when he set foot inside the main building at Hotspur Way for the first time this summer.

The journalist reveals that the 26-year-old ‘strolled in’ to training like a ‘kid begrudgingly returning to school’.

Jones compares Ndombele’s body language unfavourably with Yves Bissouma who arrived with a big smile and ‘full of enthusiasm’, with the Mali international subsequently going on to become a fixture in Postecoglou’s starting eleven.

Spurs Web Opinion

This seems like a case of Jones perhaps reading too much into the body language of players based on the videos published by the club. 

However, there is no doubt that Ndombele has an attitude problem and lacks the drive to maximise his talent as several different managers have not come to the same conclusion about the midfielder.

I am not comfortable with criticising the 26-year-old too much for the same without knowing what is going on in his personal life as Dele’s recent interview taught us that things are not always how they seem.

However, Tottenham do deserve criticism for not doing their homework on the player’s personality before spending a huge sum on him as similar issues had already plagued him at Amiens and Lyon.