- Jul 25, 2005
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This may be true in the short term. Let’s actually give Ndombele a chance to have a full preseason under Mourinho, settle, and be fully over all the niggles from this season before we categorically say too much more.I get where you're coming from.
When we were looking at Bruno I always felt he had the potential to be a Luis Suarez type of player. The type of player that truly transforms a team and takes them from being an also-ran to a genuine challenger. That leadership, arrogance and pure intention that only certain players have. Bruno was THE man at Sporting and absolutely bossed the entire Poruguese league for 3 seasons: it takes some serious cojones to do that, regardless of ability.
Lo Celso, on the other hand, is just a marvelous player. Technical, hard working, with vision and commitment but not quite that same level of leadership. I think we are truly lucky to have him and at best he'll be a club legend, and at worst he'll earn us a shitload of money. But he just doesn't have that same leadership value that Bruno brings to a team.
I think if we'd brought in Lo Celso and Bruno, rather than Lo Celso and Ndombele, we'd be right up there competing for 3rd right now. I love Ndombele for his ability, but our team needed that leadership and full blooded commitment in those shaky late-Poch times.
He has all the ability to run the league like a peak Yaya, and I’d think we just all need to be a bit patient with him.