Ndombele (signed for Spurs)

Be a good signing for Tottenham. Not necessarily a huge improvement to their team simply fills the gap left by Dembele. Someone to resist the press, carry the ball forward and keep play ticking over whilst putting a shift in defensively.
 
Great signing!

When he destroyed us when we played Lyon I thought this guy is the absolute bollocks and thought it would be a dead cert that we sign him!

Obvs pep has seen something he doesn’t like and as always, in pep we trust
 
It's interesting that Ndombele was linked to so many elite clubs who've all opted for different targets in the end. De Jong to Barca, Rodri to City, you know?

I don't watch any French football so I know nothing about him beyond what he did to us in the Champions League, but it appears he was a little inconsistent during patches of last season. Those who watch a lot of Ligue 1 say he was always good for the big occasion but occasionally struggled to impose his will on matches he really should have taken control of, apparently much like Lyon themselves. You'd expect that from such a young player with the potential he has, though, and I'm sure Pochettino will get a great tune out of him. I just wonder if that's why City and Barca have gone for other players in the end despite being so heavily linked with Ndombele after Christmas.

It just reminds me of the time Spurs signed Aurier, who was heavily linked to a whole host of elite clubs around Europe for quite some time, only for those elite clubs to go cold on him and pursue other targets instead. Barca went for Semedo, City went for Walker, and Aurier went to Spurs. Admittedly Aurier had serious, serious attitude problems that Ndombele doesn't seem to have, but I'm curious as to why one of the hottest prospects in European football hasn't been snapped up by clubs who could have easily blown Spurs out of the water if they really wanted him.

Based entirely on those two performances he produced against us last season, I'm sure he'll be a fantastic signing for Spurs, and getting a starting player in such an important position for £55m is great business in this market. Considering Winks is never fit and considering Sissoko's improvement might not carry over into next season, it's wise for Levy and Pochettino to see Spurs as a team who still need major improvements and a deeper squad, as opposed to a team who maybe don't need that much in the way of enhancement simply because they made the Champions League final.

As others have said, we can't sign all of them. We'll have Fernandinho and Gundogan and potentially Rodri who could all slot into defensive midfield next season, there really won't be any room for Ndombele.
 
Alan Harper's Tash said:
People liken him to Yaya, myself included previously in the thread, for both good and bad reasons.

Who would Yaya replace in our current side?
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Yeah, I can see the comparisons too although Yaya's quality and end product was better. Yaya was a fabulous passer and, something I think underrated by many, his finishing was of the level of a top class striker.

With the way Pep sets up the team and the players we have, I doubt Yaya would start in our strongest line-up. Not because of quality bit purely because of 'fit'.
 
i feel like i'm going against the grain but i wasn't overly impressed by his games against us - sure his energy was phenomenal and he caused all sorts of disruption, but i felt a lot of his game was based on bustle and energy and being up for it, as opposed to actual world class quality.

Now i dont watch Ligue 1, so i could be wildly incorrect, but i'm not sure he has the consistency. Anyway, could turn out to be the best ever.
 
Coochie coochie coo little spursie worsie. Look at you. Look at you. Making signings like the big boys. So cute.

Sure bless em.
 
I wanted him here badly after his performances against us and then watching him in Ligue 1 thereafter.

If Pep didn't want him and thinks Rodri is a better fit then that's what we trust right there.
 
He was my alternative to De Jong, would've personally gone after Ndombele rather than Rodri but Pep obviously sees something - it'll make their parallel developments interesting to observe from a distance. For Spurs, it's clear he is an ideal signing. Sissoko & Wanyama are getting older but still can be considered to still be in their prime - wonder how Poch will deploy him. Perhaps he will get to play further forward rather than strictly as a DM

Very impressive player, just can't for the life of me understand what Pep didn't like with the player
 
FCBarca said:
He was my alternative to De Jong, would've personally gone after Ndombele rather than Rodri but Pep obviously sees something - it'll make their parallel developments interesting to observe from a distance. For Spurs, it's clear he is an ideal signing. Sissoko & Wanyama are getting older but still can be considered to still be in their prime - wonder how Poch will deploy him. Perhaps he will get to play further forward rather than strictly as a DM

Very impressive player, just can't for the life of me understand what Pep didn't like with the player
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Height could be a reason: Ndombele is 1.81m , Rodri is 1.91m.

Pep knows DM quite well, you know better than me.
When he can have 'young Busquets' he surely prefers young Busquets, even to Frenchman Ndombele.
 
FCBarca said:
Very impressive player, just can't for the life of me understand what Pep didn't like with the player
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Probably nothing.

Like when you order a takeaway,pizza or a curry....both are lovely and go down a treat......but one might just hit the spot that bit more than the other.
 
Heard from people who watched the French league that he is a good player but is inconsistent and can be mentally weak. Still a good player for the spurs to have and surprised Levi is willing to spend that much.

Out scouts who followed him probably better judge then most of us who only watched him in the CL games.
 
St.Pauli support said:
Height could be a reason: Ndombele is 1.81m , Rodri is 1.91m.

Pep knows DM quite well, you know better than me.
When he can have 'young Busquets' he surely prefers young Busquets, even to Frenchman Ndombele.
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There are similarities but this player is a clone of so & so is nonsense. I recognize the allure of Rodri & perhaps there are some aspects of how the player reads the game that is superior to Ndombele but in general I see the Frenchman doing just about everything better than the Spaniard. We'll see though which will make the next year or two interesting in terms of tracking their development.
 
FCBarca said:
There are similarities but this player is a clone of so & so is nonsense. I recognize the allure of Rodri & perhaps there are some aspects of how the player reads the game that is superior to Ndombele but in general I see the Frenchman doing just about everything better than the Spaniard. We'll see though which will make the next year or two interesting in terms of tracking their development.
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You don't understand Pep about this issue at all. Would honestly be interested in details mate.

For what reasons would you clearly have picked Ndombele ahead of Rodri?
Especially if you say there are similarities.
Is it just your feeling or are there definite points?
 
I've watched Pep as a player and coach of Barcelona, I am confident I understand how he views the pivote quite well. What Guardiola and many in Spain have seen in Rodri is his intelligence on the pitch in terms of positioning and reading the game from deep & building into attack. You'll be getting a more defensive minded midfielder that can slot into the back line & split the centerbacks much like Busquets often does. The flip side is that you are not going to get either the dribbler/penetrator or line breaking passes that Ndombele is better at. The thinking there is clearly that City already has enough penetration with the attacking players at Pep's disposal

The lingering question I have is if this position is best served by a more defensive player or one who can be more box to box like Fernandinho. There is no question Rodri will develop further under Guardiola but I do not see him morphing into Ndombele going forward anymore than the Frenchman would become a strictly defensive player. Is that best for City in today's game? I wonder
 
Very good signing for Spurs. If they can fend off interest for Eriksen and extend him, along with bringing in another defender or two and a forward, they could push forward.

I'm not sure if they'll be able to challenge for the title or not with those signings but it's pretty clear that they're the next best side after us and the dippers.
 
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