Tan Guy Love

Where to begin with the enigma that is Tanguy Ndombele? The Frenchman who has just turned 24, has in the last couple of months been receiving his flowers for his performances in a Spurs shirt less than a year after he looked destined to be heading for the exit. I've recently heard him described as some form of love child between Moussa Dembele and Luka Modric which is to be taken as an odd form of flattery I believe, however it does give you an indication of just what fans think of him right now.

His performance against the reigning Champions in Thursday's 3-1 home loss was one of the few bright sparks in what was otherwise a predictably disappointing night for Mourinho's men. We won't go too deep into the issues with the performance here, instead focusing on how for 55/60 minutes of the game, until he began to tire, Ndombele was comfortably the best midfielder on the pitch; a pitch containing Thiago Alcantara, a player who has won league titles in 9 of his 10 seasons as a professional. This is by no means a dig at Thiago, far from it. He's a majestic footballer who for the last half an hour showed why he is one of the world's very best, even while carrying a possible concussion. This is simply to highlight just how impressive Ndombele was. There were two highlight reel roulettes, sending both Milner and Thiago for Hot Dogs (and a Diet Coke while they're at it). His ability to change pace and turn from absolutely anywhere is something that leaves opposition players on their heels, and his teammates are only beginning to catch up now. His stats from the game aren't really anything to write home about, an 85% pass completion and just one tackle throughout the 90 minutes may seem like a pretty poor game for a Centre Midfielder, but Ndombele is one of those players for whom it would be a disservice to judge simply on numbers, you have to conduct the eye test too. The quality of the dribbling, the audaciousness of the passing, the pocket-checking of midfielders around him. I say pocket-checking because Ndombele has this strange centre of gravity, somewhere between a squat and a bow, that seemingly allows him to bounce opposition off and turn and prance through the pitch, like he listened to all those late 00's Facebook posts about "dancing like nobody is watching".

Ndombele has begun to add goals for the first time at Spurs too. All recently have come inside the box, but again, the eye test is vital here. They all have that box office feel to them (excuse the pun). He netted three in his previous two games before Thursday Night. It all began with a frankly ludicrous lob against Sheffield United. For the remainder of the game I was certain he didn't mean it, but the more I watched the replays, the more I was convinced by the first glance before the ball came through and the second look up just before he hit's it with the outside of his right. He followed this up just over a week later against Wycombe. I of course understand that it's "only Wycombe" and they were tiring and downbeat at this stage. Still, it cannot take away from the first time finish with his side foot for Spurs' third, beautifully buried into the bottom corner. As the commentator so elegantly and almost certainly unknowingly put it, he "clarted it in to the back of the net". His second of the night came soon after. Started by a no look pass to Hojbjerg that honestly was one of the most unnecessary I have ever witnessed, but made me smile nonetheless. This was then finished after receiving the ball back from Hojbjerg before performing a rapid double chop and whipping it in the near post. I just cannot help but smile while watching this guy play with this level of self-confidence. I know I keep coming back to it, but he possesses a level of magic and intrigue that is so rare amongst today's modern day footballers. He's unpredictable, which can be a frustrating and damaging trait in certain players, the careers of Adel Taraabt and Hatem Ben Arfa come to mind. However Ndombele balances this with being a complete joy to watch for every second he's on the pitch. Tanguy is serious. Tanguy is Vibes.

Despite their lack of success over the past 50 years or so, Tottenham have been blessed with a number of players throughout the generations that have inspired a feeling of magic amongst not only their fans, but football fans in general. Although before my time, my childhood was filled with tales of Glenn Hoddle, Ossie Ardiles, Ricky Villa and Paul Gascoigne. How all of these men were able to change a game at the drop of a hat. How you always felt there was a chance of something special when they were in the team. Then in the late 90's Spurs got David Ginola, part model part magician by all accounts. A man who could weave his way through an entire team while looking straight down the camera into both your Mum's and Dad's eyes and giving them all sorts of immoral thoughts and feelings. Then came Dimitar Berbatov. Like Ginola, another man so effortlessly cool both on and off the pitch. He was a player that would leave you astounded game after game with some of the things he could do with a football. Much like the others, a real artist of the game. Then finally Spurs had the (first) final season of Bale. The Welshman was absolutely unstoppable. He would produce again and again without hesitation or regard for anyone else on the pitch. Unlike the others, Bale was aided in part by a huge amount of pace, but regardless he still gave you that feeling of excitement and that Spurs were never really out of a game while he was out there. Unfortunately it's a far cry from the Bale that audiences see today as fitness struggles may well have stripped him of the ability to take a game by the scruff of the neck, but the fanfare at the beginning of the season when he signed shows that spark that he ignites inside of Spurs fans, a full 7 years after his initial departure. Spurs have had plenty of other special players such as Lineker, Klinsmann, Modric, Kane and Son, but as wonderful as these players are, what sets the others apart is the level of fun and wonder that Hoddle et.al. oozed every time they laced up a pair of boots. But in Tanguy Ndombele, I believe they have finally found another.

I don't quite know how else to put it to any of you who are bored enough to read this. This season has been an absolute roller coaster so far, but with game after game being thrown at us from 4 different broadcasting Networks, it feels like this season has being going on forever, yet most teams are only just over half way through. With the big teams often coming together to produce a safe and dull stalemate and Big Sam back in the league, you could hardly blame even the most ardent football fan of feeling burnt out and a little bored. There is however one surefire way of putting a smile back on your face (even if it is not on his), and his name is Tanguy Ndombele.