"He is a midfielder. I think… he is a midfielder" - Antonio Conte on Tanguy Ndombele, December 30
It has been quite the week on the European stage for players deemed surplus to Antonio Conte’s requirements at Tottenham Hotspur. After Giovanni Lo Celso drove Villarreal to a win over Bayern Munich on Wednesday, there was an inevitability about Tanguy Ndombele making a significant contribution for Lyon away to West Ham United last night.
“Bon match,” was Lyon coach Peter Bosz’s concise assessment of the 25-year-old’s performance as he scored the equaliser to leave the Europa League quarter-final finely poised. Here was the man Tottenham paid £55million for to be a game-changer in the summer of 2019, still their player but changing games for the club they signed him from.
Perhaps the most notable aspect was how Ndombele, whose fitness was repeatedly and justifiably questioned in North London, did not fade from the action. Yes, Lyon had a man advantage for the entire second half because of Aaron Cresswell’s controversial red card. And, yes, the pace of the game was slow for the most part as the visitors dominated possession. But that was in large part down to Ndombele dictating the tempo.
READ MORE: Antonio Conte makes clear Oliver Skipp vow
A player who completed nine league games at Spurs was motivated and sharp enough to keep going until the end. Maybe he is a gifted talent after all or maybe he simply feels more comfort and freedom at home. That is how David Moyes, the West Ham manager, views it.
"I remember him before he came here and he was a really good player," Moyes said this morning. "That's why he was signed for big money. Sometimes what we do here is put so much pressure on players, the prices and expect so much from them. Then when they maybe can't deliver what everybody thinks it can quickly turn against them.
"Coming to the Premier League is never that easy to settle, especially when you're an overseas player. Maybe he's really comfortable in his own country, with the players and the surrounds. That can sometimes make a big difference. But the Premier League is difficult. Teams will play differently against you and maybe the expectation was so big at the time."
On the plus side, nights such as these may widen what had looked like a small market for him in the summer. With three years remaining on a deal worth £200,000-per-week, it may not be easy to offload a player who could not win over three different head coaches (albeit having been signed by a fourth who was sacked not long after his arrival) and eventually lost the fans’ faith too.
Lyon have an option to buy him in the summer for £54million but are unlikely to have sufficient funds, leaving the player in limbo. Reports in France indicate Lyon would like to extend the loan, paying a proportion but not all of his wages but whether that is a convincing proposal for Spurs chairman Daniel Levy is doubtful. More certain is that consistent performances on a big stage may be the only way Spurs can recoup a fair amount of money.
Ndombele looked lost the previous time he set foot on the London Stadium pitch. It was late October and Nuno Espirito Santo’s brief, miserable reign as Tottenham head coach was hurtling towards its conclusion.
West Ham won 1-0 and such was the paucity of attacking intent from the visitors they were lucky to get nil. As so often during two-and-a-half years of unfulfillment in North London, Ndombele looked lost during 84 minutes of toil and Conte did not require much time to decide that he was not what was required if the team was to make a charge for the top four.
Last night he returned to Stratford not quite fully rejuvenated but well on the path of rediscovery. There was a smattering of pantomime boos as his name was read out long before kick off and in a slow-paced opening he dominated possession, pinging the ball in all directions with ease.
No one had more touches than his 119, with 92% of 95 passes completed and only Lucas Paqueta having more attempts on goal. Talk of stats can seem cheap when there is no end product, though. "He was the best player on the pitch last night," Moyes added. "I don't think we helped with the way we played but he played well."
The leveller was hardly a thing of beauty but Spurs fans who were crying out for such tangible, decisive contributions from their club record signing since 2019 will have been justified to wonder why he appeared largely incapable of such feats in their colours. That he struck a blow against one of their biggest rivals may at least provide some consolation.
