Wednesday is Michelangelo and Ndombele
Wednesday is Michelangelo and Ndombele
You see it in our anti-fans all the time, but you see it in players too.
Look at Tanguy Ndombele and his 'quiet' outburst, his sulking.
He has come through French football, worked hard to get accepted and at that level became a guaranteed selection.
Alas, agents and players then think that should guarantee them a place in any team, but that isn't how more competitive football works.
Ndombele doesn't appear to have developed the emotional skills to cope with the situation he has made fpr himself.
Mentally he does not want to be at Tottenham, except for the money.
That is all he is interested in.
He won't leave because he'll have to take a pay cut.
He won't work to fight for a place in the team.
He wants to amble about, avoid any defensive work and when he gets substituted for being lazy, simply walks off down the tunnel, demonstrating he isn't a part of the team, he isn't a part of the squad.
For those who take things literally, the anti crowd, that means he is not committed to the cause.
He'll go through the motions but his mind is always going to hold him back as it doesn't mean anything to him.
He is a danger to those around him, as he weakens us defensively and only really wants to play when he has the ball.
Even then he just wants to show off and look good himself, a typical trait of many young players who haven't developed mentally.
Raheem Sterling admitted it happened to him, it has happened to Dele Alli, Jessie Lingard and others.
Solving it is about changing your mental attitude and in 3 years Tanguy Ndombele hasn't, he still expects charity.
In a previous article I explained why it is difficult to shift him and how the finances worked around him.
A solution must be found as we are in this together and for me that has to be through a sports psychologist working on his mental state.
It's the only way I can see a solution unless someone is willing to pay him more than he is worth, PSG and Barcelona are two clubs currently being touted yet again.
I'm going to tell you a little story, no not a Max Bygrave one )lost on many of you I suspect).
It was excessively porous, absurdly hard and misshapen, the bloody Quasimodo of marble blocks.
Sculptor Agostino di Duccio chose it for a project but gave up 2 weeks later, before Antonio Rossellino tried it for another job 10 years later.
The marble black remained abandoned for 40 years, but in 1501, a 26-year-old was commissioned to build a statue for the roof of Florence Cathedral and he chose that piece.
he was the highest paid sculpter of his time.
The sculpture took him 2 years and was so magnificent that it was decided to display it on the ground so everyone could see and admire it.
That statue was Michelangelo's David.
What point am I trying to make?
Well, he was happy to work with something that was less than perfect and create something exceptional out of it.
Tanguy Ndombele is that block of marble and we need a Michelangelo to bring out the best in him.
What would be our first step to achieving this?
Listening properly.
We generally listen thinking how we are going to respond, rather than fully listening to what is said and fully grasping it.
The coach or club would need to listen to him properly, to imagine his life, to feel it, to visualize it, we must put ourselves in his shoes.
Someone must listen, watch his body language, his tone, his facial expressions, the whole communication gamut, not just his spoken words.
Conte doesn't have the time or training, but if Ndombele is to remain at the club then we must leave no stone unturned to change him into a top player.
For me, a psychologist is the only one qualified to listen fully and therefore start to understand and alter attitudes.
COYS
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COYS
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1 comment
It's a strange dichotomy that we tried desperately hard to ensure the younger generations never had the hardships we experienced - and now we largely regret the opportunities those missed hardships had to develop their character. Given the chance to go again though, I'd make the same choices.
Tanguy has so much talent. It can credibly be said that he's had too few challenges to date in order to learn how best to deal with challenging situations. I agree we need to do more to support these young people if we can - and we surely can. There are options, as yet poorly explored in football.
COYS!!