Soccer

Emmanuel Petit slates Tottenham's £65m midfielder Tanguy Ndombele for lack of fitness


‘Is he overweight? He needs to improve physically’: Emmanuel Petit slates Tottenham’s £65m midfielder Tanguy Ndombele and says Jose Mourinho’s criticism is justified

  • Emmanuel Petit says Tanguy Ndombele was inconsistent during time at Lyon
  • Petit says Ndombele needs to work on his body language and physical condition
  • The former Arsenal midfielder says he must also learn English to full adapt 

Former Arsenal midfielder Emmanuel Petit has backed Jose Mourinho‘s criticism of Tanguy Ndombele and questioned whether he’s fit enough for the Premier League. 

Mourinho hauled Ndombele of at half-time during Tottenham‘s 1-1 draw with Burnley in March and criticised him publicly after the game. 

The Spurs boss said his side ‘didn’t have a midfield’ during the first half of that game and singled out Ndombele for failing to adapt quickly enough to English football following his £65 million move from Lyon last summer.

Emmanuel Petit has backed Jose Mourinho's criticism of Tanguy Ndombele's performances

Emmanuel Petit has backed Jose Mourinho’s criticism of Tanguy Ndombele’s performances

Mourinho slated Ndombele after subbing him at half-time during Spurs' 1-1 draw with Burnley

Mourinho slated Ndombele after subbing him at half-time during Spurs’ 1-1 draw with Burnley

The Tottenham boss accused Ndombele of taking too long to adapt to English football

The Tottenham boss accused Ndombele of taking too long to adapt to English football

Petit, who spent three years at Spurs’ north London rivals Arsenal between 1997 and 2000, said the Frenchman’s inconsistency is typical of his performances at Lyon. 

”He received the same criticisms at Lyon,’ he told The Sun. ‘We all know the potential of Ndombele. I like this type of player and I used to watch him in France.

‘He was not regularly a top player. Sometimes he could play a beautiful game — then three days later be average.

Tanguy Ndombele 19/20 stats

Appearances: 27

Goals: 2

Assists: 4 

‘He is not consistent enough. He doesn’t play well with any regularity.

‘He has quality but I agree with Mourinho in that Ndombele could do much more.

‘When he is very motivated, fit and ready, with his mind and body, and when he has the ambition to perform well, he becomes a top player.’

Ndombele has started just 12 games this season and Petit believes he’s been exposed without the same protection around him that he had at Lyon.  

‘This is a new country, a new culture and new football for him,’ he added. ‘A new way of playing with new physical and mental demands.

‘He used to play with huge pressure at Lyon but he was protected. He has a lot of qualities right for French football but sometimes he used to rest on those types of things. 

Mourinho says he couldn't keep giving Ndombele chances if he failed to improve displays

Mourinho says he couldn’t keep giving Ndombele chances if he failed to improve displays

The midfielder has regularly been a substitute this season after failing to impress

The midfielder has regularly been a substitute this season after failing to impress

The Frenchman has also regularly been substituted after displaying alarming inconsistency

The Frenchman has also regularly been substituted after displaying alarming inconsistency

‘You cannot do that in England. If he wants to be a top player he needs to perform well every game.

‘Every player has the right to a bad game now and then. But you don’t have the right not to give 100 per cent.’

Petit also questioned whether Ndombele has done enough to adapt to life in England off the pitch and says he must work hard to learn the language and improve his physical condition.

 ‘You cannot be a foreign player not speaking the same language because communication in the dressing room and on the pitch is so important.

‘Is he overweight? He looks a little bit. But his body language does not help him. He needs to improve physically.’

Petit was also asked what he thought of rumours linking the midfielder with a move to Barcelona. ‘When I saw that I couldn’t believe it, ‘ he added. 




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