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Player Watch - Tanguy Ndombele

JayB

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Aug 24, 2011
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It's a pertinent question to ask why Ndombele is so woefully short fitness wise.
It's always been a problem for him. It's the reason he was released by his academy and languished in the French fifth division before getting snapped up by Amiens as an 18 year old, then moved onto Lyon after two seasons. He's admitted that he was immature early in his career and was nowhere near the fitness standards for a top footballer. The physical demands of the Premier League are something that he's going to have to come to grips with, but I have full confidence that he'll eventually reach the required level. It means we won't see him at his absolute best for a while, but his ability is there for all to see. Just a matter of time IMO.
 

Wheeler Dealer

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Jul 29, 2011
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It's always been a problem for him. It's the reason he was released by his academy and languished in the French fifth division before getting snapped up by Amiens as an 18 year old, then moved onto Lyon after two seasons. He's admitted that he was immature early in his career and was nowhere near the fitness standards for a top footballer. The physical demands of the Premier League are something that he's going to have to come to grips with, but I have full confidence that he'll eventually reach the required level. It means we won't see him at his absolute best for a while, but his ability is there for all to see. Just a matter of time IMO.
If he doesn't then that's an awful amount of money to piss up the wall
 
D

Deleted member 27995

It's always been a problem for him. It's the reason he was released by his academy and languished in the French fifth division before getting snapped up by Amiens as an 18 year old, then moved onto Lyon after two seasons. He's admitted that he was immature early in his career and was nowhere near the fitness standards for a top footballer. The physical demands of the Premier League are something that he's going to have to come to grips with, but I have full confidence that he'll eventually reach the required level. It means we won't see him at his absolute best for a while, but his ability is there for all to see. Just a matter of time IMO.
50 mill + and we need to give him time?

Not good enough.
 
D

Deleted member 27995

What should we do then?
What do you mean 'we' ? I didn't pay 50 million plus for a footballer we need to give 'time' too surely when you start forking out that kind of cash you expect to get a player ready to make an impact on a regular basis. Not be so unfit he is blowing 50 - 60 minutes into a football match.
 

JayB

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Aug 24, 2011
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50 mill + and we need to give him time?

Not good enough.
Who else would you have signed then? He's indisputably one of the most talented CMs of his age in the world. He was in the CL squad of the season for 2018-19 and was widely reported to be Madrid's second choice to Pogba, but we managed to sign him before they moved onto alternatives. How do you suppose we could have done better?

There's one thing holding him back and it's imminently fixable. He's not a 16 year old kid who doesn't pay any mind to his diet or fitness regimen anymore. With proper conditioning work he'll come to grips with the physicality of the PL in time. FFS he's been at the club for a couple of months, by your standards the likes of Son, Modric, and many other would have been deemed not good enough as well.
 

CowInAComa

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Aug 31, 2012
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It's always been a problem for him. It's the reason he was released by his academy and languished in the French fifth division before getting snapped up by Amiens as an 18 year old, then moved onto Lyon after two seasons. He's admitted that he was immature early in his career and was nowhere near the fitness standards for a top footballer. The physical demands of the Premier League are something that he's going to have to come to grips with, but I have full confidence that he'll eventually reach the required level. It means we won't see him at his absolute best for a while, but his ability is there for all to see. Just a matter of time IMO.

... 'Eventually reach the required level'

Jesus fucking Christ. He wasn't bought in from the academy.
 

CowInAComa

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Aug 31, 2012
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How many world class seasons has he got under his belt? Genuine question, I don't know his history.
 
D

Deleted member 27995

Who else would you have signed then? He's indisputably one of the most talented CMs of his age in the world. He was in the CL squad of the season for 2018-19 and was widely reported to be Madrid's second choice to Pogba, but we managed to sign him before they moved onto alternatives. How do you suppose we could have done better?

There's one thing holding him back and it's imminently fixable. He's not a 16 year old kid who doesn't pay any mind to his diet or fitness regimen anymore. With proper conditioning work he'll come to grips with the physicality of the PL in time. FFS he's been at the club for a couple of months, by your standards the likes of Son, Modric, and many other would have been deemed not good enough as well.
I remember Modders fitting in quite quickly and making a difference, Sonny I agree with but we didn't pay 50/60 million for him.

He is meant to improve us on the pitch thus far bar a goal and an assist his play has been bang average. Not 50 million quids worth of footballer. If he needed a DM next to him to help his play why didn't we pursue one instead of the usual bollox situation we ended up having with Lo Celso?

Demanding more from a player you break your transfer record for isn't a bad thing. You should expect them to offer plenty on the pitch, and often.
 

JayB

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Aug 24, 2011
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... 'Eventually reach the required level'

Jesus fucking Christ. He wasn't bought in from the academy.
Jesus fucking Christ the impatience on display in this thread is utterly staggering. How many top players come to England and have to adapt to the physical demands? It happens at top clubs every season.

Ndombele is an immense talent and if Son’s goal hadn’t been chalked off we’d all be praising his vertical passing which set up the goal. Instead we’re all lashing out looking for scapegoats. New signings usually need a bit of time FFS I can’t believe it even needs to be said.
 

CowInAComa

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Aug 31, 2012
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Jesus fucking Christ the impatience on display in this thread is utterly staggering. How many top players come to England and have to adapt to the physical demands? It happens at top clubs every season.

Ndombele is an immense talent and if Son’s goal hadn’t been chalked off we’d all be praising his vertical passing which set up the goal. Instead we’re all lashing out looking for scapegoats. New signings usually need a bit of time FFS I can’t believe it even needs to be said.

Players from the French league are almost always shit, it's no different to Grealish looking good in the championship.

Why do we never learn?
 

CowInAComa

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Aug 31, 2012
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He's younger than Winks, so can't really use the answer in any meaningful way

Winks isn't our record signing.

The French league is basically Man city playing in the championship. What justified record money on buying a player who has had one (?) decent season in the championship?
 

JayB

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Aug 24, 2011
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Players from the French league are almost always shit, it's no different to Grealish looking good in the championship.

Why do we never learn?
So Kante, Fabinho, Martial, etc. were all poor purchases in your opinion? Did Ricardo Perreira look shit to you today? Is Lacazette shit for the scum? Talk about a gross overgeneralization.

Ndombele’s made all of a half-dozen appearances for us, two off the bench. In those scant appearances he’s made quite an impact (Villa, the throughball to Son today which under a sane offside review paradigm would have wrapped up the match). Yes there’s still more to come from him but I can’t believe the criticism I’m seeing.
 

JayB

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Aug 24, 2011
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No its not. Its an analogising the strength of the french league. So makes perfect sense thanks.
Regardless of the strength of the league overall there can be no question that there are plenty of top players that come out of France. The France national team very well might have the most talent to choose from of any national team in the world, to the extent that they can ignore players on the level of Lacazette and Rabiot and suffer no ill effects. The vast majority of those players start their careers in the French league. All of our top six rivals have squads replete with French players or players who came from that league, it's a bit silly to be suggesting that we should close ourselves off to one of the most talent-rich countries in Europe.
 
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