With Oliver Skipp unavailable for the Leeds United clash, Tottenham Hotspur‘s midfield dynamo Tanguy Ndombele could start. But Spurs boss Antonio Conte has warned Ndombele he must become more of a team player if he is to hold down a place in the starting eleven.
Antonio Conte Wants Midfield Dynamo Tanguy Ndombele to Become Team Player
Midfield Dynamo Tanguy Ndombele Has to Play for the Team
Since arriving at the club in 2019, Ndombele is still on the threshold of becoming a consistent first-team performer at the club. He clearly has ability and he shows flashes of brilliance. But these are only flashes. Now Conte has demanded more from the Frenchman, wanting him to play as more of a team player.
Conte said: “For sure, Tanguy has the quality.
“At the same time, he has to understand that there is a team and he has to play into the team. I think it means that it is important to keep order and to do what the position asks you to do.
“For sure with Tanguy we are working. We are working very hard. He has to work much more than the others, because he has talent, but he has to put this talent into the team for the best of the team, not for the single player.”
This comes as a bit of a clash with Ndombele liking a ‘free’ role in midfield. He said in an official interview with the club:
“Of course, I always feel good when I’m playing with freedom out on the pitch,”
“At the end of the day though, I’m a player that can adapt to different positions. I’ve played as the number six, closer to the defence, or if I’m playing the number eight role or the number 10, I’m always able to adapt to those different positions.
“Of course I like to have that freedom and it’s true that, at the moment, I have more freedom to get forward, which is always good for me.”
Ndombele Must Pull Weight With Rest of Spurs Squad
Ndombele may have to sacrifice some of his forward runs for the sake of the team. It is equally important for any Premier League midfielder to put in a shift hassling opponents and protect the defence as well as driving the team forward.
Critics, including former boss Jose Mourinho, have chastised Ndombele for being a bit too sluggish and unable to keep to the Premier League pace for 90 minutes. Recent reports from Alasdair Gold suggest that Ndombele is finally starting to adapt to the tempo. He is reportedly in the best physical condition since arriving at the club.
If Ndombele can continue to build up his fitness and be able to cover more of the pitch, he should soon start reaping the benefits. His phenomenal ball skills and ability to carry the ball forwards means that if he can start recovering more of the ball in his own half, he could really help Spurs to counter at a frightening pace.
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