Jose Mourinho: Tanguy Ndombele 'realised he had to change' at Spurs

Jose Mourinho says Tanguy Ndombele ‘realised he had to change’ to spark his Tottenham revival as Spurs boss gives ‘total credit’ to the midfielder for his impact this season

• Tanguy Ndombele’s career at Tottenham was under serious threat last season
• The £54m man struggled at Tottenham and was criticised by Jose Mourinho 
• The midfielder is now a key part of Tottenham’s XI after a revival in north London 

Tottenham manager Jose Mourinho says Tanguy Ndombele’s resurgence this season has come about because the midfielder ‘realised he had to change’.

The Frenchman, 24, was a peripheral figure at Spurs last season and was publicly criticised by Mourinho for some out-of-sorts displays following his £54million arrival from Lyon.

But the pair seem to have put their differences behind them now, with the midfielder a regular starter in Mourinho’s side.

Tanguy Ndombele ‘had to change’ to kick-start his Tottenham career, insisted Jose Mourinho 

When asked about Ndombele’s revival, the Portuguese manager admitted the player has had to change his ways to reach the level he is currently at.

‘I always say, and I’ve really felt it all through my career, that the big responsibility for good and for bad is [with] the player,’ Mourinho told Sky Sports.

‘We don’t make miracles. We don’t make players when they have no quality and when they have no desire and no discipline and no motivation. So for good or bad, it’s always the player’s responsibility and we are the ones who can try to help.

The French midfielder is now an important part of Mourinho’s starting side at Tottenham

‘Sometimes they are open for that and other times they are not. When they are not, there is nothing you can do, but when they are open, you feel that motivation to help them. 

‘When Tanguy arrived here his condition was not good. When I arrived he was getting small injury after small injury which I believe was his responsibility.

‘And for him to realise that he had to change, and work in a different way, is to his credit. Yes, he is playing and playing well. We are happy with him. But, I repeat, it’s total credit to Tanguy.’

He was criticised by his manager for out-of-sorts displays last season following his £54m move

Ndombele’s turnaround in fortunes could spell good news for fellow midfielder Dele Alli, who has struggled to even make the bench this season for Spurs.

However, Alli will be frustrated with his situation at Spurs right now, with the England international still struggling for game time while the club are also appearing to block any hopes for a move elsewhere. 

Having publicly praised Alli for his performance against Marine in the FA Cup last Saturday, Mourinho kept the midfielder on the bench for Wednesday’s 1-1 draw against Fulham. 

He has previously been touted for a move to the French capital to link up with his former Spurs boss Mauricio Pochettino at Paris Saint-Germain.

Ndombele’s turnaround could spell good news for Dele Alli, who has fallen well out of favour

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