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Clinton N’Jie Ready for Second Season with Tottenham

By Alexander Balano

ENFIELD, ENGLAND - DECEMBER 03: Clinton N'Jie looks on during the Tottenham Hotspur training session on December 3, 2015 in Enfield, England. (Photo by Tottenham Hotspur FC/Tottenham Hotspur FC via Getty Images)
ENFIELD, ENGLAND - DECEMBER 03: Clinton N'Jie looks on during the Tottenham Hotspur training session on December 3, 2015 in Enfield, England. (Photo by Tottenham Hotspur FC/Tottenham Hotspur FC via Getty Images) /
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After suffering knee ligament damage back in December and missing most of his debut season because of said injury, Clinton N’Jie is looking forward to his second season with Tottenham Hotspur.

Since joining Tottenham from Olympique Lyonnais last summer in a £12.2 million transfer, Spurs were getting a forward who enjoyed success in a 4-3-3 formation that also featured Alexandre Lacazette and Nabil Fekir. The three players were instrumental in helping guide Lyon to a second place finish behind Paris Saint-Germain during the 2014-15 Ligue 1 season.

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While Clinton N’Jie showed promise with Lyon a year ago after making 30 appearances, scoring seven goals and registering eight assists in Ligue 1 (33 apps, 8 goals and 9 assists in all competitions), there was some skepticism after he was signed last summer.

One, it was N’Jie’s first year as a starter and although he did well, everyone had to take it with a grain of salt. Secondly, he had to make the jump from the top-flight division in France and join a more competitive and difficult league, the Premiership.

The bar was set very high for Clinton N’Jie after showing Ligue 1 and Europe what a promising talent he could become. Unfortunately, his role wasn’t as a starter in Mauricio Pochettino’s squad upon joining.

Even before suffering a MCL sprain that has essentially wiped out his debut season with Tottenham, N’Jie was deployed as a super sub to come in late during the second half of games and help Spurs secure a win or earn a draw.

LONDON, ENGLAND - DECEMBER 10: Clinton N'jie of Spurs runs with the ball during the UEFA Europa League Group J match between Tottenham Hotspur and AS Monaco at White Hart Lane on December 10, 2015 in London, United Kingdom. (Photo by Bryn Lennon/Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND – DECEMBER 10: Clinton N’jie of Spurs runs with the ball during the UEFA Europa League Group J match between Tottenham Hotspur and AS Monaco at White Hart Lane on December 10, 2015 in London, United Kingdom. (Photo by Bryn Lennon/Getty Images) /

In two specific league games, Manchester City and Liverpool, Tottenham fans were able to get a little taste of what to expect from the Cameroon forward.

Despite coming in late against Man City and with Spurs already winning 3-1, N’Jie made sure to make an impact offensively.

Per FourFourTwo’s Stats Zone, the 22-year-old completed four out of five passes, one which was an assist on Érik Lamela’s goal, completed two out of four take-ons, had his only shot attempt blocked and committed one foul.

Clinton N’Jie was only on the pitch for 13 minutes but made the most of his time and looked dangerous moving forward with the ball at his feet.

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Against Liverpool, with Nacer Chadli suffering an injury early in the match, N’Jie would be able to play 79 minutes and get an extensive look as a left winger.

Using FourFourTwo’s Stats Zone once again, N’Jie completed 22 out of 37 passes (one was a successful cross), had one successful take-on out of three attempts, took three shots (one was saved, one was blocked and the other was off target), completed two out of five tackles and committed one foul.

Based on these two specific games, it looks obvious that Clinton N’Jie is a player who is looking to get forward and can string together successful passes. What he needs to work on is of course getting better defensively and taking more shot attempts when given the chance.

All of these things will come with time, which is why N’Jie is excited for next season.

Speaking to Tottenham’s official website this is what the Cameroon international had to say about his first year with the north London club and what he hopes to bring to the team moving forward.

“It’s been a tough season for me from the start until now and I want to thank everybody – the staff, the doctors, the physiotherapists who have always been there for me,” N’Jie said.

“Next season I think I’m going to be like a new signing to this team because I still have a lot to offer to our supporters and my team-mates.”

“I just wish that next season I will be fitter so I can perform how I know I can and make everyone happy,”

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While there isn’t much information to gather on Clinton N’Jie’s season so far with only 14 appearances (two Europa League starts) and one assist, even with a small sample size, the talent is obviously there.

It all comes down to being more fit and having more opportunities to play.

And in due time, the 22-year-old forward could finally make his mark next season with an entire pre-season under his belt and competition with Tottenham’s other wingers on the squad.

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