Noel Whelan has ripped into Tanguy Ndombele after a poor showing in the North London derby against Arsenal.
Speaking to Football Insider, Noel Whelan has attacked Tanguy Ndombele in the aftermath of Tottenham Hotspur’s embarrassing 3-1 defeat to Arsenal in the North London derby. The former Leeds United forward has criticised the midfielder’s performances and questioned his commitment to the team.
Ndombele was indeed one of Tottenham’s poor performances in the club’s demoralising 3-1 defeat that left them behind Arsenal in the Premier League table. The result came as a real shocker as the Lilywhites had begun the season with three back to back wins while their cross-town rivals had found themselves on the opposite end of the spectrum.
But at Emirates this afternoon, Nuno Espirito Santo’s men were ripped apart by the hosts, as three first-half goals from Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Bukayo Saka and Emile Smith Rowe were enough to seal valuable three points for Mikel Arteta and his men.
The performance has left Whelan fuming, particularly about Ndombele. During his interview, he has fiercely criticised the Frenchman over his performance before going on to question his commitment to the team.
“Ndombele’s such a frustrating player, he’s gifted but there’s something missing – heart, energy, desire,” Whelan told Football Insider.
“Some Tottenham fans are unhappy when he doesn’t play, but when he does, he doesn’t do enough. There is the odd great touch, great moment, but it’s not consistent. You don’t win football matches with flashes of quality.
“You look at the Pochettino team, the energy they had and this one is nowhere near that. Ndombele is nowhere near that level. Is he fit to wear that great shirt? You’d say not. They’ve been thrashed at Arsenal and that’s a disaster for Tottenham,” he added.
Ndombele is not one of the favoured players for Nuno Espirito Santo. He was even linked with a summer exit, but a move didn’t materialise. Tottenham are now being forced to play with the former Olympique Lyon starlet due to a lack of creative midfielder in the team, with Giovani Lo Celso still struggling with lack of fitness.
Fortunately for Spurs, the upcoming winter transfer window might give them an opportunity to offload Ndombele and sign someone new. The Lilywhites have already looked into the possibility of a potential swap deal involving him and Houssem Aouar, though it remains to be seen whether the Ligue 1 giants can afford Ndombele’s hefty wages.
