Morecambe booing a clear indication of Ndombele's current standing at Spurs
"He's a midfielder." Antonio Conte bluntly stated the obvious in the build up to Tottenham's New Year's Day trip to Watford when questioned on Tanguy Ndombele, but there was more to the Italian's reply. Having previously waxed lyrical about Harry Winks, a player who was set for a January exit only to convince Conte otherwise in recent weeks, the response on Ndombele felt as though the head coach had already made his decision on the Frenchman. Bear in mind Conte had reportedly wanted to sign Ndombele for Inter back in August 2020.
Conte is known to give players a clean slate when he takes over the reins at the new side and Tottenham was no different. The likes of Winks, Ndombele and Dele Alli, outcasts in previous regimes, were handed the chance to win Conte over, yet the latter pair have struggled to do so. Reports state that both Ndombele and Dele are now available for transfer this month.
What is so grating about Ndombele, though, is that he has all the natural talent to make it as one of the best in his position, yet lacks the application to truly achieve greatness. With Conte, you need both to succeed. Both traits, though, were found wanting in Tottenham's eventual 3-1 win over Morecambe on Sunday. The FA Cup game was the perfect opportunity for fringe players to stake a claim for regular minutes.
Granted, League One side Morecambe are hardly world beaters - sorry Shrimps fans - yet even against third tier opposition, Ndombele looked out of his depth. The France international was withdrawn with 20 minutes to play and booed off the pitch by the home support. Some even suggest the midfielder slowed his walk to the touchline as fans vented their frustration.
A WhoScored rating of 6.12 was Ndombele's fifth lowest from starts in a Spurs shirt as the former Lyon man failed to impose himself on the game. He was dispossessed twice - no player was done so more - and failed to create a goalscoring chance. A 91.5% pass success rate may look good on paper, but in a midfield three including Winks and Giovani Lo Celso, fans will have expected Ndombele to get forward and support the attack not simply retain possession for the sake of it.
By comparison, Lo Celso was the man of the match, returning a WhoScored rating of 8.36, with the Argentine providing the assist for Harry Kane's first and Spurs' third to put the game beyond doubt. Lo Celso made four tackles and created six chances, putting in the sort of performance fans have come to expect from the 25-year-old. It was the polar opposite for Ndombele in a game that seems to have been the straw that broke the camel's back in north London.
Spurs fans are hardly the most patient - a lack of silverware since a 2008 League Cup success over Chelsea is an indication as to why - yet those at the club were prepared to give Ndombele the chance to adjust to the rigours of English football following his club-record arrival in 2019. Frustrated by the Champions League final defeat at the hands of Liverpool, the midfielder's capture was a statement signing by Spurs and after a goalscoring debut, supporters were confident they'd finally acquired the player who could succeed Mousa Dembele in the middle of the park. 922 days later and he's being berated by his own fans against League One opposition. Quite the fall from grace.
In total now five managers - Mauricio Pochettino, Jose Mourinho, Ryan Mason, Nuno Espirito Santo and now Conte - have all struggled to consistently get the best out of Ndombele, with the Frenchman actually enjoying his longest spell of success, surprisingly, under Mourinho, who opted to use the big money capture in the number 10 role to good effect before, again, dropping off the radar.
Others may have been more forgiving of Ndombele sauntering about the pitch without a care in the world, but it's an attitude that won't fly with Conte. Have Spurs fans seen Ndombele play his final game for the club? It's likely at this point and he'll need to enjoy a monumental redemption arc to even work his way back into Conte's reckoning let alone step foot on a football pitch with the Italian in charge.
With Conte having the - you'd like to think - full backing of the decision makers at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, it won't be long before Ndombele is shown the exit in what has proven a tremendous waste of his immense quality. This is a player who boasts a Premier League dribble success rate of 73.2% since joining in 2019, better than any other Spurs player, and this ability to glide past an opponent should have helped take his game to the next level.
In being booed off the pitch against Morecambe, it marks a real low point in Ndombele's career and one that is now better served elsewhere. Spurs will be hoping they can cut ties with the Frenchman this month in a move that would suit all parties because, at present, there's a high chance Ndombele won't be seen again in a Tottenham shirt with Conte calling the shots.
