Ange Postecoglou has shared that Tanguy Ndombele and Joe Rodon are ‘physically behind’ and that was the reason for their absence as Tottenham Hotspur suffered a 4-2 defeat against Barcelona on Tuesday in their final pre-season game of the summer.
Before the game, it was known that Ange Postecoglou wasn’t taking his strongest squad and some key players were being rested ahead of their Premier League opener, including Harry Kane.
But the reason why Joe Rodon and Tanguy Ndombele didn’t travel wasn’t down to them being rested, but as the Tottenham boss put it ‘I need to be strong’ on what he wants from players given how they play, as he told Football London.
For someone like Ndombele, who was once the club’s record signing, this isn’t the first time that such criticisms have been thrown his way.
Whilst Rodon could be heading for the exit door this summer and he has been told to find a new club.
Postecoglou was asked about the reason why he didn’t pick them against Barcelona, even though he took a weaker squad and he pulled no punches.
“No, it’s just the decisions I’ve got to make,” said Postecoglou on Rodon and Ndombele’s absence. “They’re a little bit physically behind the rest as well, you know. The way we play there’s a bit that I need to be strong on and that is that you’ve got to be at a certain physical level to play this kind of football.
“If you’re not, it does no justice to the player themselves, but there’s no doubt that we’ve got a big squad at the moment and there will be outgoing and those decisions are going to be made by the club and the players themselves.
“Tonight was about getting minutes into the lads that I felt we needed to be ready come Sunday.”
Ndombele – all the talent, but it hasn’t worked
With the ball, he is pure magic and he can do stuff that would make the Tottenham faithful rise from their seats.
But, ever since he walked through the club’s doors after their Champions League final defeat to Liverpool, he has promised so much, but delivered very little.
Tottenham fans would have loved to have seen this work, even in an attacking Postecoglou system that would suit his style, but you also need to remember that, most of the time, you are without the ball, so there is that aspect you need to look after as well.
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