The thing that gets me is that, usually, when a player fails a late fitness test we post a tweet clarifying why they aren't in the squad - but we didn't do that with Ndombele
Last time I checked, employers who have people on zero hours contracts stop the pay of employees even when they do come in
My son never lets me forget the time he wanted us to buy Torres before Liverpool bought him and i said a Spanish striker would never make it in the PL
The PL is probably the toughest, most competitive league in the world, certainly the fastest paced. Players come from other countries, other leagues, and everything is new and it always takes them time to adjust to the unique demands of the PL. Some longer than others. And it’s not just the demands of the PL, there’s a new country, a new language, etc. Some adapt, some never do. Mourinho’s job is to get these players fit and able to cope with these demands. If they’re determined they’ll usually succeed. For me, it’s way to early to be writing off N’Dombele or Lo Celso. Although if what we’re hearing about N’dombele Is true, he’s not adapting well, atm.
A really excellent article on where we and Mourinho are and what he might need to do to fix things and move us forward (in both senses).... https://www.fourfourtwo.com/feature...one-who-has-adapt-get-best-out-tottenham-team So far, he's tried to make the team in his own image, despite not having the bits to do it with. Surprise, surprise better teams can identify the bits that are substandard and exploit them. So, if he's going to get anything out of this group, he needs to give a bit and accommodate what we have got. Despite his trophy haul, is he more than a one trick pony? Can he manage successfully without being given what he thinks he needs and would want? I guess we'll start to see against Norwich. Given suspensions and fixture congestion, we need to start Foyth, Lo Celso and possibly Ndombele. Sessegnon needs some time in a better set up, probably off the bench when the game opens up and we need to control the ball like we did a bit more in the second half yesterday. If he picks a Dier/Wanyama pivot, this season is ****ed and I'll spend from now until he goes, just waiting to hear that he's been sacked. I'll be more impressed by his history, if he shows me that he can do something here, on the hoof and against his natural inclinations. It's a proper test of how great he is......or maybe isn't?.......I genuinely hope that it's the former.
You may have to accept that for this season, the mission statement from Levy to Mourinho upon hiring was effectively : Finish in the PL top 4 this season using the current squad, "by any means necessary" .
If I thought that picking a combination of Dier/Sissoko/Winks/Wanyama in our midfield would get us where we want to be, I'd STFU. It won't. We bought Lo Celso and Ndombele because it won't. If we don't incorporate them into the line-up, it's back to flogging our collectives arses to unknown bits of Eastern Europe for Thursday night games.
Until all the MF roster is what I call "PL match fit" , I cannot see what Joses' ideal CM 2 would be in his "4-2-4" formation (and therefore whether he is primarily selecting based on said fitness) . All we do know is that said combos do not work, and at the PL halfway point, what is Jose and the coaching/physio staff doing to get his ideal CM 2s to said fitness ??
Can’t stop watching that Eriksen pass, doesn’t beat the assist he got against Chelsea in the semi final a few years back but it’s definitely up there. Third game now under Jose where he’s come on and helped changed the outcome - Olympiacos, Wolves and now Brighton - more of that please!
Good bit of work by him but Eriksen finding the pass and Dele finishing from a tough angle were always going to overshadow it. Two bits of world class play either side of a good off the ball run and a knockdown.
Foul and a booking for a clear dive by Schelletto, who then immediately got to his feet and brandished an invisible card. I thought that was supposed to be a booking for ungentlemanly conduct? Webster's also a prick for running away from the Brighton fans to celebrate in front of ours. Glad he lost.
