Tottenham Hotspur boss Antonio Conte reveals stance on Tanguy Ndombele after he was booed off the pitch vs Morecambe
Speaking in his post-match press conference, as quoted by football.london, Tottenham Hotspur boss Antonio Conte explained that he had to substitute Tanguy Ndombele to change the game and secure a victory against Morecambe.
The Frenchman was given the nod to start the game against the third-tier English side on Sunday. Ndombele had a chance to influence Conte’s opinion of him by producing a good display, but this performance was far from it.
The 24-year-old was taking too much time on the ball and was largely anonymous in the final third of the pitch. Even after Morecambe took the lead, the midfielder did not show any urgency in his play, and eventually, he had to be substituted. However, even while he was coming off, the former Lyon ace was in no hurry, courtesy of which the home crowd was booing him.
Spurs went on to win the game 3-1, and Conte revealed his stance on the disappointing display by the ex-Lyon man.
“I was so focused on the pitch, and in football, you have to be good to try to change your opinion if someone is disappointed with you. It happened to me as well as a player with someone being disappointed in my performance.
“I think during the game you have to try the best solution to find something. Especially I am seeing that we are losing 1-0 and you have to try to change something. Especially when you have on the bench players of a top-level.”
Outrageous attitude
The French international may be our record signing, but he has done nothing to justify that price tag in the past two and a half seasons. He has blown hot and cold under different managers but has never acted as the main man or a leader on the pitch.
Jose Mourinho and Nuno Espirito Santo might have dealt with him in their own ways, but Conte is somebody who clearly takes no prisoners. The Italian boss likes a harmonious dressing room and if anybody is causing any problems or is not giving their 100%, they would certainly be dealt with in a fitting way.
Every player has an off day, and that can be accepted. But when our side is down by a goal in a Cup competition, there needs to be some urgency while being substituted. Taking a slow walk off the pitch is not going to help him make any friends at the club, let alone the manager.
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The Frenchman needs to be given a talking-to. He was open to leaving in the summer, but a move never panned out. A January transfer may also be unlikely, especially since we need to add players to our squad rather than shorten our reinforcements. Regardless, this attitude is not going to fly at the N17 anymore, and Conte needs to nip this in the bud as soon as possible.
Failure to impress against a team like Morecambe, without any offence to their standing in English football, may well be the final straw for many Spurs fans who still believe he can resurrect his Spurs career. It’s not unfair on Ndombele either, as he is doing nothing to help his case.
