Jose Mourinho is already losing faith in high-priced Tottenham star
Jose Mourinho firmly believes that availability is a skill. That’s why he’s already losing faith with Tottenham star Tanguy Ndombele.
Mauricio Pochettino urged Tottenham to purchase Tanguy Ndombele to make the Frenchman the centrepiece of his new midfield. It’s safe to say that Jose Mourinho has lots of questions about Ndombele’s ability to be a bedrock of his project at Spurs.
Tottenham’s record transfer purchase only managed to play a little over half an hour at Southampton on Wednesday before leaving the match due to injury. His manager was not remotely impressed. Instead, Mourinho took to the media to take a few well-placed shots at Dembele after the club’s 1-0 defeat.
Specifically, Mourinho told the press that Ndombele is “always injured.” He did admit that officials at Tottenham have had high hopes for the talented midfielder all season long, but it’s clear he isn’t a big fan.
Anyone believing these comments might have been a rash statement by Mourinho in the aftermath of a close loss should think again. The Portuguese gaffer is a master at using the media to manipulate his players. Every word he uttered about Ndombele was a part of a clear plan to get the best out of the player.
It’s alarming just how quickly Ndombele’s status with Tottenham has gotten so tenuous. He has the talent to be one of the best midfielders in Europe. To Mourinho’s point, he’s completely failed to stay healthy long enough to establish any sort of rhythm at Spurs. That makes him a very difficult player for Mourinho and his coaching staff to trust on a regular basis.
The question now becomes just how Ndombele will react to Mourinho’s stinging words. Some players don’t deal well with public criticism. Others can find motivation in their manager’s words and use it as fuel to improve their game. Time will tell which sort of player and person Ndombele is.
dark. Next. Mourinho is already playing mind games at Tottenham
No matter what, Mourinho will expect his talented midfielder to show an instant reaction as soon as he returns to training. If Ndombele wants to stay at Spurs for an extended period of time, he’d do well to get back on the practice pitch as soon as possible.