Notable that despite being handed a chasing in the first half, there was enough heart in the squad to try to get back into the game. We may have a number of problems but there are still players who are willing to give it everything, to try and get a result.
The good: Gio The bad: The defence The ugly: Ndombele’s fitness, actually getting really annoyed at how ****ed he gets so early on. We can’t afford expensive flops and he’ll be one if he doesn’t sort himself out.
it’s baffling tbh The guy is a pro playing in the toughest league in the world...what the **** is he doing here and what is he doing with himself to be so unfit?
There we can see how Jose changed the game in the second half. We can also see how we can begin to build the new squad around Lo Celso. Dele worked his socks off and Dier was terrific, Lucas is so much better as super sub as Poch knew. Vertonghen has been described on here as past it. I do wonder sometimes. As I said let's see what happens in the second half.
It’s just embarrassing to be honest. He has so much talent but it’s pointless if he can only last 25-30 mins at a solid level.
For sure but constantly being out of breath and unfit isn’t something that’s to do with moving to a new league. He’s worryingly out of shape.
This is a major concern to me too. Despite being on this special 'global fitness' programme for going on 2 months now, there has been no discernable improvement in his fitness levels or stamina. I had a mate at school who could hit top bins with his eyes closed from 40 yards. But he was a fat fecker who enjoyed his happy meals too much and spent most weekends partying at night and sleeping in during the day. Skill, ability and technique count for nothing if you don't have the application and discipline. So either our pretty useless physio team missed something obvious in his medicals (I mean, the guy was refused contracts as an 18 year old for precisely this reason), or the player himself just can't hack the step up from Ligue 1 and lacks the cajones to stick to whatever regime we've designed for him. Currently the biggest waste of money in the club's history, second only perhaps to Soldado. But at least Soldado cared.
As was speculated a few weeks ago, it's possible that he has anterior pelvic tilt which is giving him poor posture and, as a result, putting extra strain on his lower back that has knock-on effects for his hamstrings and groin And, as was also pointed out, Raheem Sterling has the exact same thing
The Prem is a hard league to adjust too but being out of breath after 30 mins or so is just so unprofessional. Lo Celso struggled with the pace early on but he never looked tired or fatigued. Ndombele actually looks like he’s been down the pub and sunk a few pints before he plays. He even looks quite podgy.
Pound for pound Soldado is certainly the worse but at £55m Ndombele is pushing him close. He has the talent to be one of the best CMs around but his physical condition will hold him back unless he sorts himself out. Does make you wonder how on earth he passed our medical.
Does he really think doing this will motivate Ndombele to work on his fitness/physical conditioning though? Most of the time he speaks about individual players in his squads, it doesn't end well.
