Some staff members at Tottenham believe Jose Mourinho’s stint at the club hampered the development of midfielders Tanguy Ndombele and Giovani Lo Celso, according to a report from The Athletic.
Ndombele and Lo Celso were recruited in the summer of 2019 under then-manager Mauricio Pochettino for a combined fee of over £100 million, but have not necessarily had the impact expected of them at the club.
Pochettino was sacked by Spurs just a handful of months after their arrival at Spurs, with a figure of a polar-opposite style of management in Mourinho appointed in his place.
The Athletic report that some staff at Spurs think the Portuguese coach’s appointment severely stunted the development of the two midfielders, with his methods and approaches preventing their progression at the club.
Both were often handed irregular minutes in the side and little chance to fully break into the line-up, which ultimately led to inconsistent showings.
It is set to be a task to complete for new Spurs boss Antonio Conte who has been drafted in to steady a rocking ship, with the expectation that he can get the side’s underperforming players firing again.
Spurs Web Opinion
Ndombele and Lo Celso have had their issues at Spurs well-documented, and we are still waiting to see their true potential flourish at the club.
A manager like Mourinho probably didn’t help their profiles, whereas having someone like Conte right now can get them in the right direction again.
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