Tim Sherwood has praised Tanguy Ndombele on Soccer Saturday on Sky Sports (24/10/20 at 2:40 pm) for turning his career around at Tottenham.
The former Spurs coach stated that Ndombele has ‘knuckled down’ and started to showcase his worth despite seemingly being ‘out of the picture’ under Jose Mourinho less than 12 months ago.
Whilst the Ndombele story is taking a positive turn, another midfielder is now finding himself in his position from many months ago – Dele Alli.
Sherwood suggested that Alli should take inspiration from Tottenham’s club-record signing in giving the very demanding Mourinho what he wants.
“The doors not shut [on Alli],” Sherwood told Sky Sports. “For someone like Dele Alli, if he’s willing to roll his sleeves up and say to the manager look ‘I’ll give you what you want. I just need the opportunity to play if I am training well enough and I am sticking to the plan’.
“At the moment, it looks like the door is shut for Dele. But he has shown, Ndombele, that he was out of it. He was out of the picture.
“Jose has brought him in because all of a sudden, he has knuckled down and started to give the manager what he wants in training.”
Given the ferocious nature in which Mourinho called Ndombele out many months ago, it was looking like he was going to head in one direction and that was out of the exit door.
It needs to be remembered that Ndombele wasn’t Mourinho’s signing, so it could have been even easier to turn his head the other way.
But clearly, behind the scenes, a lot has been worked on and Ndombele is now thriving in the middle of the park and a certain Alli should take notice.
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