Tottenham Hotspur starting to see the real Tanguy Ndombele

A rocky first year at Tottenham for Tanguy Ndombele fades like a distant memory, with the Frenchman starting to show his true colours in north London.  

Scoring in his Premier League debut at the start of last season, the 24-year-old’s career with Tottenham got off to a dream start. His precipitous, drastic decline, however, commenced almost immediately after that dream debut.

Even prior to Mauricio Pochettino’s departure from the club, Tanguy began experiencing the incredible tumult and difficulty that so many foreign players have before endured. Adapting to the Premier League, especially for foreign players who cannot utter a word of English, is no easy feat.

The short move across the English Channel has, over the years, undone some of the most talented, highly touted players. Tanguy endured the harsh reality of trying to immediately live up to a big-money transfer, where expectations were as high as the transfer fee itself.

The burden of expectation took its toll on Ndombele, who was repeatedly criticized publicly by Jose Mourinho. The gaffer castigated Ndombele for being too soft, unfit, uncommitted and completely wasteful in possession.

The Frenchman spent more time nursing injuries on the treatment table than he did patrolling the centre of the park. Culpable for miserable, unnecessary mistakes, Ndombele was blamed for costing Spurs numerous points.

The adversity, like the erection of a giant skyscraper, built, layer upon layer. Many thought, due to the perceived untenable relationship between gaffer and player, Ndombele’s time, albeit incredibly brief, was finished at Tottenham.

Ndombele showing true colours

One can’t pinpoint a single, individual moment the tide turned for Ndombele in London. But toward the end of last season, after the prolonged Covid shutdown, something changed for the Frenchman. He started playing looser, looking more relaxed both on and off the pitch.

Maybe he adapted to life in England; maybe his English lessons were paying off; or maybe he and Mourinho started seeing things eye to eye. Whatever the reason, or combination of factors, the real Tanguy Ndombele stood up.

Jose started playing the Frenchman in a more advanced role, perfectly suiting the mobile midfielder. His control in tight quarters is exquisitely good, while his strength, stability and agility are unrivalled.

Ndombele has the ability to pick out an incisive pass and dominate creatively in his role behind Harry Kane. What we still haven’t seen enough of is his finishing adeptness, modelled brilliantly today against Sheffield United.

His stunning right footed lob against the Blades exemplified just how incredibly skilful a player he is. The deft lob with the outside of his boot was a skill few can pull off. It showcased what is yet to come from the Frenchman, who is starting to live up to the lofty expectations his £55 million transfer fee comes with.

It’s an important reminder of the need for patience and optimism. Footballers aren’t robots, and can’t simply turn a switch to garner desirable results. They must, like everyone else, traverse through adversity, pain and tumult.

It looks like Ndombele has prevailed, embodying the resilience and determination needed to perform at an elite level. I cannot wait to see what else is in store for Frenchman as, if his current trajectory holds, we witness the talented midfielder ascend to superstar status.