EMMANUEL PETIT hit out at Tottenham’s £65million flop Tanguy Ndombele — accusing him of lacking fitness and focus.
The Arsenal and France World Cup-winning legend has been dismayed by the displays of his countryman since he arrived at Spurs from Lyon last summer.
Arsenal legend Emmanuel Petit has questioned Tanguy Ndombele’s professionalism
New Tottenham boss Jose Mourinho has publicly questioned the club-record buy’s physical shape and attitude.
Petit, 49, said: “He received the same criticisms at Lyon.
“We all know the potential of Ndombele. I like this type of player and I used to watch him in France.
“He was not regularly a top player. Sometimes he could play a beautiful game — then three days later be average.
“He is not consistent enough. He doesn’t play well with any regularity.
“He has quality but I agree with Mourinho in that Ndombele could do much more.
“When he is very motivated, fit and ready, with his mind and body, and when he has the ambition to perform well, he becomes a top player.”
Ndombele, 23, has failed to establish himself in the Spurs team, making just 12 top-flight starts this term.
Petit, who also played for Monaco, Barcelona and Chelsea, added: “This is a new country, a new culture and new football for him. A new way of playing with new physical and mental demands.
“He used to play with huge pressure at Lyon but he was protected. He has a lot of qualities right for French football but sometimes he used to rest on those types of things.
“You cannot do that in England. If he wants to be a top player he needs to perform well every game.
“Every player has the right to a bad game now and then. But you don’t have the right not to give 100 per cent.”
Petit reckons Ndombele needs to up his game off the pitch as well. He said: “When you move to a new country you must make an effort to adapt.
“You cannot be a foreign player not speaking the same language because communication in the dressing room and on the pitch is so important.
“When he wakes up every morning he needs to ask the same question, ‘Am I doing the best I can?’
“It is hard to be a top player and you have to sacrifice everything to get there. You cannot lie to yourself.”
Ndombele has looked heavy and sluggish.
Petit said: “Is he overweight? He looks a little bit. But his body language does not help him. He needs to improve physically.
“When I see him I think ‘Come on, you can do more than that’.”
Incredibly, given his poor start, Ndombele is a Barcelona target, according to Spanish media.
Petit said: “When I saw that I couldn’t believe it.”
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Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
