As an adult, being a sports fan can be an exercise in tedium and dross. Most of the time we devote to watching sports can seem mundane and rather unordinary. Yet, the reason we tune in regularly is that every so often, we are reminded of why we fell in love with sports in the first place. It can come through a fleeting moment that makes us feel something bigger than ourselves, or can arise through an action of incomprehensible genius.
For Tottenham Hotspur, recent matches have largely been tedious affairs, as manager Jose Mourinho has siphoned off the free flowing football that has long been the trademark of the club, and has replaced it with a more conservative and tepid version. Too often, Spurs look unimaginative, as they concede possession and rely on their brilliant duo of Harry Kane and Son Heung-min to exploit their opponents on the counterattack.
This stark conversion would be altogether tolerable if Spurs were consistently achieving positive results, yet that remains a contentious claim of late. While Spurs now sit fifth in the Premier League table after 18 matches, and only four points behind leaders Manchester United (who Spurs smashed 6-1 at Old Trafford mere months ago), Mourinho’s side that is now purportedly embedded with his “winning mentality” has bled away leads against inferior opposition five times this season after 70 minutes (most recently, last week at home to bottom feeders Fulham) and have lost 10 points from winning positions.
And yet, in the midst of this negative football, there remains many flickers of inspiration that make the entire watching experience somehow worth it. The brilliance of both Kane and Son individually, and as a combination, have been espoused on these pages before. But week in, week out, the other player that grabs your attention and replenishes your joy for sport is the dazzling French midfielder, Tanguy Ndombele.
Ndombele arrived at Spurs in the summer of 2019 as the club’s most expensive transfer (£55 million from Lyon), and spent much of last season trying to acclimate to the physicality and pace of the Premier League, amidst the tumult of a significant managerial shift and a three month lockdown due to the coronavirus pandemic.
After a positive start in which Ndombele scored in the opening match against Aston Villa, the season progressively turned into a nightmare. Dealing with a string of hamstring and groin injuries, Ndombele completed 90 minutes for Mauricio Pochettino only four times before he was sacked in November.
Under Mourinho, Ndombele could never fully settle last season. After playing 90 minutes against Norwich at the end of December, he became an increasingly peripheral figure at the club. In the brief appearances he did make, he appeared portly and woefully out of shape (by Premier League standards of course), huffing and puffing after a few sprints, and unable to provide the defensive contributions that Mourinho seeks from his midfield players. Ignominiously, Ndombele was subbed off at half time against Norwich, in Spurs’ final domestic match before the coronavirus lockdown. He appeared lost and his transfer was widely panned as being a flop.
After football returned in June, there were rumours of a training ground dust up between manager and player, and genuine questions were raised in regards to whether Spurs were ready to move on from their record signing. Paris St. Germain and even Barcelona were reported to be interested in taking him on.
Fast forward to 2021, and here we are, the entire situation has turned. Ndombele has become an indispensable figure in Spurs’ attack, has taken on the mantle as the creative engine, and has left fans agog over the array of skills he has to offer.
The Frenchmen has an almost childlike bliss to his game, as he confidently flits around with the ball. It appears almost tied to his feet as he bamboozles opposition defenders, and launches his teammates into attacks with cheeky flicks with the outside of his boot. His complete control of the ball, his ability to juke and turn with it, gives me the picture of a young Tanguy, with the ball at his feet as he emerges from his bed, eats breakfast, walks to school, sits at his desk and goes about his day. Plain and simple, he is a wizard with the ball, and watching him provides us with moments every match that we simply thought were not possible.
One such moment came in yesterday’s Premier League match at Bramall Lane against Sheffield United.
Along with Pierre-Emile Højbjerg, Ndombele helped Spurs control the midfield battle for the first hour. At the 62 minute mark, he played a quick 1-2 with Stephen Bergwijn, and launched into the Sheffield United box. Taking the pass, slightly behind him, and with two defenders marking him out, Ndombele adjusted his body, fell back and hit an audacious chip with the outside of his right foot. The ball sailed over a helpless Aaron Ramsdale, and helped seal Spurs’ 3-1 victory.
The goal was quite simply, stunning. It was the best goal of Spurs’ season, and one of the best goals of the Premier League season. It was also wholly exemplar of the skill, panache and boldness that Ndombele demonstrates on a weekly basis.
Ndombele has rededicated himself at Spurs this season. He appears much leaner, more spritely and committed to the work that Mourinho demands, even contributing in the defensive phase, late in matches. His dedication has been rewarded as he has started 14 of Spurs’ 18 Premier League matches this season. Against Sheffield United, he completed the full match for the first time since that match against Norwich in December 2019.
Watching football every week can remain tiresome and feel perfunctory, and on many such occasions, you truly wish you did just about anything else to fill those two hours. Yet, the true artists like Tanguy Ndombele ensure that you tune in every week, because he is able to share some of that joy that he plays with and reminds you that football can indeed be fun and worthwhile.
Jaideep Kanungo
Jaikan Sport 