The Sun Newspaper

TANGUY NDOMBELE is certain Jose Mourinho’s criticism created “a war” in his head.
But it is a war that Tottenham’s record signing appears to have won.

Tanguy Ndombele has opened up on his chats with Jose MourinhoCredit: PA:Press Association

Less than a year after Spurs manager Mourinho hooked Ndombele at half-time against Burnley and laid into him after the game, the French midfielder is a key part of the team.
At the time, though, Ndombele admits he was in turmoil.
The French have a phrase “qui j’aime bien chatie bien”, which is the rough equivalent of “spare the rod, spoil the child”, or plain old “tough love”.
Did it apply in that situation?

Ndombele smiled but said: “Well, yeah, that French expression stands — we do say that about the way people are with each other.
“But sometimes the words can be too hard or too harsh when you speak that way.
“When you speak that way it is obviously going to have an effect — and it created for me a war in my head. It was difficult to take.”
But over time, Ndombele, 24, found the right response to Mourinho’s straight-talking.

He said: “It was not enjoyable of course, but it was not unmerited criticism.
“It depends how you take the message, I would say.
“Obviously the coach can be quite hard on people but I think that’s understandable if you concede a sloppy goal or things don’t go your way.
“But it’s important that you take that message on board and try to find in it the positives and not be floored by the hardness of the message.
“You have to get up again. You can either try to blame others for any slips or errors, or try to laugh about it or brush it off.
“But you will always go on to reflect properly on what has been said and to take criticism on board.
“Now it’s safe to say that things are going very well, communication is open and we are all happy with that.
“It is all good, we can talk openly, have a laugh together, sit down for a meal, no problems.”

Ndombele has made big strides since he landed in North LondonCredit: AFP
Both former Spurs boss Mauricio Pochettino and Mourinho expressed concern about the injury problems that hampered the start of Ndombele’s Spurs career following his £60million move from Lyon in 2019.
Mourinho even had to apologise after taking the French international out for an impromptu training session during the first lockdown.
Ndombele’s Spurs future still seemed in doubt when he played just 64 minutes in the Premier League after the 2019-20 season resumed.
But on September 20, he made his first start since that March game at Burnley — and has not looked back.
Ndombele said: “I think the coach’s management of me was good — in the sense that he brought me back slowly with appearances for 60, 65, 70 minutes.
“That helped me get into a rhythm and now I’m in great shape. I think I am doing better this season on several fronts — primarily no injury.
“I’m also understanding my team-mates better.
“I’ve got a strong grasp of what the coach wants from me and that has contributed to this positive frame of mind.”
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My intention was to lob it in [vs Sheff Utd] and I was just lucky it came off better than I expected.
Tanguy Ndombele

The signing of Danish midfielder Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg seems to have given Ndombele in particular more freedom to play to his strengths.
After speaking through a translator, he even tried out a bit of English when asked what his preferred role was.
He said: “My best position? I dunno. Between a six and ten.”
Which sounds like a No 8, a box-to-box midfielder. But it is hard to pigeonhole Ndombele, so it is no surprise it has taken Spurs and Mourinho a while to get the best out of him.
In the outrageous goal he scored against Sheffield United last month, you could even see something of the audacity of his childhood hero, Ronaldinho.
Because it was no fluke — Ndombele meant it.

He said: “Yes I did, but my intention was to lob it in and I was just lucky it came off better than I expected.”
And that goal, the cherry on top of his strong performances so far this season, showed that Ndombele was in a good place.
He said: “I am certainly playing a very positive game and I have my confidence up.”
The war in Ndombele’s head is over — and now he is leading Spurs’ fight for a Champions League place.

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MANCHESTER UNITED have held talks with a new ‘happy’ Paul Pogba over his future at Old Trafford.
The Frenchman has 16 months left on his deal and United would need to sell this summer to get a decent price for their £89million record signing.

‘Happy’ Paul Pogba could now stay at Man UtdCredit: AP:Associated Press

Pogba and his agent Mino Raiola have talked publicly in the past about his desire to leave for a new challenge.
But manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is now getting the best out of the player, giving the club some optimism that they have turned a corner and the 27-year-old midfielder could commit his future to them.
Solskjaer said: “Speculation about Paul is always going to be there, we’ve got a good, open dialogue with Paul so what we talk about and how we see that situation remains between us.
“I’m just happy he’s focused and playing really well and he’s happy within himself and that’s important — you can see Paul enjoying football himself with a red shirt on.

“Paul is a Man United player through and through.
“He’s been here in two spells, he came as a kid he’s learnt about the history of the club, the passion of the club, he wants to do the best for Man United when he’s here.
“I think we’ve seen that he really cares for his team and he’s trying to be as successful as everyone else.”
Injury wrecked last season for Pogba and he had a slow start to this one after catching Covid-19.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has rotated Paul PogbaCredit: Reuters

But his form of late saw him voted the club’s player of the month for January by the fans, helping to inspire a title tilt as they prepare to host Everton on Saturday.
Solskjaer added: “Paul has really knuckled down, he’s worked hard, he’s got his fitness.
“I have said this many a time that he had a bad season last season with injuries and he had Covid this season and an injury but he really works hard and is playing in a team that plays well and he’s a big inspiration for everyone.
“He always has a big smile… well not always a big smile because in training yesterday when his team lost you can see how that affects him and he wasn’t happy.
“But today is a new day and he is ready to go again tomorrow.”

I think it’s a sign of a Man United player that takes on the challenge of competition because if you can’t deal with competition and you want to be successful you’re at the wrong place
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer

Pogba is one of those whose form has improved as competition for places in the team has increased with new arrivals.
Solskjaer said: “I think it’s a sign of a Man United player that takes on the challenge of competition because if you can’t deal with competition and you want to be successful you’re at the wrong place.
“Nobody is guaranteed a place in the team like a season-ticket card.
“Here you’ve got to perform to be part of the success of Man United and I’ve been part of it myself with strikers coming in and you’ve just got to take the challenge head on.
“We’ve signed players that we believe in but that’s also kicked some of the other players up the backside to perform and make sure they keep performing.”
Pogba joined United’s youth academy in 2009 but left the club for Juventus after a contract dispute with then boss Sir Alex Ferguson in 2012.

Pogba is desperate to win at Old TraffordCredit: Getty Images – Getty
He won four Scudettos in Italy before returning to Old Trafford in a then world record £89m move in 2016.
He signed a five-year contract with the option of a further year which was triggered by the club and he earns £290,000 a week.
He has attracted strong interest from Real Madrid and his former club Juventus.
United’s £180m asking price in the summer of 2019 scuppered a potential move to Real’s Bernabeu.
Meanwhile, striker Edinson Cavani (ankle) is likely to be rested against the Toffees, with Anthony Martial returning to the starting line-up.
⚽ Read our Man United live blog for the latest news from Old Trafford

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JACK GREALISH has been warned he could lose the ‘aura of being the main man’ if he quit Aston Villa.
The talismanic midfielder has been in sensational form this season, as Dean Smith’s side push for European qualification.

Jack Grealish has been in red-hot form for his boyhood club this termCredit: Getty Images – Getty

Grealish — who will lead his side out against Arsenal on Saturday — is being watched by a number of top clubs including Manchester United.
But Villa legend Gareth Barry — who made a club record 385 Prem appearances in the claret and blue  — believes Grealish, 25, must be wary of leaving his boyhood club this summer.
The BT Sport pundit said: “The way he is playing and the confidence he’s got, there won’t just be one team in Europe wanting his signature, it will be a number of teams.
“The good point for Villa is the value of him is through the roof, you’re talking about big money if you want to buy him.

“Do Aston Villa need the money? I’m not sure they do. A lot about his future is going to be where Jack’s head is.
“He’s captain of the club he supports. If he leaves he’s probably going to lose that aura of being the main man.
“It’s big decisions ahead for Jack Grealish and Aston Villa. I’ve always said for him at the minute, just keep enjoying your football.
“He’s playing with a confidence I’ve not seen in him before. He’s got to enjoy it while it’s there because it can change quickly.”

Gareth Barry made a PL-record 385 appearances for the VillansCredit: News Group Newspapers Ltd

Barry reckons Villa boss Smith has to be in the running to be named Manager of the Season  after their astonishing turnaround.
They only stayed up on a dramatic final day of last season but now lie in ninth with two games in hand on their Premier League rivals.
The ex-Manchester City ace, 39, added: “It has been unbelievable. They are in a great position.
“The games they have lost at West Ham and Burnley away, they could have easily had another six points.
“It’s phenomenal really as a fan watching Villa this year. They’re a team you look forward to watching. They’re not just getting results, they are doing it playing well.”
And Barry has hailed Villa’s recruitment as a catalyst for their push for Europe after splashing out £87.5million this campaign on Ollie Watkins & Co.
He said: “It would have been easy for the owners to say ‘look, we just avoided relegation, it’s a bit risky giving Dean Smith this sort of money’.

Ollie Watkins has given Grealish more support upfrontCredit: AP:Associated Press

Ross Barkley has been rejuvenated at Villa ParkCredit: Reuters
“They’d all be on good wages but they have backed him and he’s done his job.
“He’s identified the right players and it’s all come together.
“They have produced the goods. That wasn’t guaranteed with the two Championship players coming in — it’s a difficult jump.
“And Ross Barkley’s had a big point to prove this year — not getting games at Chelsea — and he’s stepped it up.
“The goalkeeper Emi Martinez has been phenomenal, probably the best in the league this year.
“They have all got a point to prove. They are clever signings. A lot of credit must go to identifying what’s needed to turn that around.
“Watkins, Matty Cash, you can’t say these were guaranteed to be playing as well as they have and to have had the effect they’ve had.
“It’s been great recruitment and fair play to the lads for coming in and doing the job too.”  
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IT felt like Jurgen Klopp’s version of Rafa Benitez’s infamous ‘FACT!’ rant.
Yet, unlike Benitez, the Liverpool boss snapped with a whopping factual inaccuracy in the build-up to Manchester City’s visit to Anfield.

Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp has been in a sour mood of lateCredit: Times Newspapers Ltd

When Klopp claimed that City had enjoyed a ‘two-week break for Covid reasons,’ having insisted his own team were suffering from mental and physical fatigue, it was a very peculiar own goal by the German.
Needle between managers in a Premier League title race has been scarce in recent years —  so this little spat is a much-needed addition to the gaiety of the nation.
The golden age of Arsene Wenger exchanging grenades with Sir Alex Ferguson and Jose Mourinho, or Benitez and Kevin Keegan exploding at Fergie, are all long gone.
But Pep Guardiola reacted with incredulity — and no little hint of irritation — to Klopp’s jibe.

Like a teacher admonishing a naughty child, he claimed he ‘didn’t expect’ this behaviour from Klopp — and that he would be having a conversation with him at Anfield.
He didn’t think Klopp was the mind games type of guy.
Certainly not like old sparring partner Mourinho. City’s players actually had just two days off after Christmas — when their training ground was closed due to a severe Covid outbreak and their visit to Everton on December 28 was postponed.
The following weekend City travelled to Chelsea, minus five senior players in self-isolation, and proceeded to wipe the floor with Frank Lampard’s side. They led 3-0 at half-time after their best 45 minutes of the season.

Rafael Benitez embarked on a famous rant against Sir Alex FergusonCredit: AFP

So for Klopp to bring up City’s Covid outbreak as an excuse for the leaders’ apparent freshness during their 13-game winning run, only served as a reminder of how impressive Guardiola’s men had been, without many key players, at Stamford Bridge.
Klopp and Guardiola have gone head-to-head over seven of the past eight seasons — first with Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich in the Bundesliga — and then since 2016 with City and Liverpool.
The German has now replaced Mourinho as the defining managerial rival of Guardiola’s career.
Guardiola has never won at Anfield as City boss and has clearly been forced into an impressive reboot after conceding the title to Liverpool by 18 points last season.
City can certainly boast a reinforced defensive steel, having not conceded a meaningful goal in nine Premier League matches — eight clean sheets plus a 90th-minute Chelsea consolation goal.
Despite an intense professional rivalry, there has barely been a cross word between Guardiola and Klopp — until now.

Guardiola and Klopp prepare to face off once again on SundayCredit: Getty Images – Getty

Man City battered Chelsea with only 14 fit playersCredit: AP:Associated Press
While their playing philosophies are poles apart, their mutual respect has been genuine.
Yet City and Liverpool have grown to loathe each other as clubs, especially since the attack on City’s team bus by Liverpool fans before the 2018 Champions League quarter-final at Anfield.
While Liverpool and supposedly bitter rivals Manchester United cosy up and collaborate over the Premier League’s ‘Project Big Picture’ and even a potential European Super League, the enmity between the league leaders and the champions is real.
So it is nice of Klopp and Guardiola to join the party before tomorrow’s clash.
Guardiola was quick to point out that, unlike Liverpool, City had not enjoyed a proper pre-season — due to their brief involvement in the latter stages of the Champions League in August, where they were defeated by Lyon in the quarter-finals.
Guardiola said: “Of course he forgot it. We didn’t forget it — but they did.
“It was a challenge — but we cannot complain when people are suffering much more than us all around the world. We are incredibly lucky and fortunate.
“When you have a lot of Covid cases in the beginning,  injuries —  and when we had Covid before the Everton game — we said, ‘It is what it is’.

Sixty days ago we were 12th and now we are first
Pep Guardiola

“We had 14 (fit senior) players, and we go there (to Chelsea).“It happened to us, Newcastle, to Atletico Madrid right now and, in the past, it happened to many clubs around the world.
“Don’t look back, just say, ‘What’s next, how many players do we have?’  Prepare the game and if we win, continue, if we lose, continue.”
Guardiola is adamant Liverpool will not be out of the title race even if they inflict a third straight home defeat on Klopp’s men — and open up a 10-point lead with a game in hand.
He added: “Sixty days ago we were 12th and now we are first.
“I’m very good —  but I can’t predict the future.”
We might, though, predict a curt exchange of words between the rival managers tomorrow.

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WITHOUT Virgil Van Dijk and Joe Gomez, Liverpool are missing their two quickest defenders.
Their absence has affected them scoring goals, not conceding them.

Virgil van Dijk has been out of action since the Merseyside derbyCredit: Getty – Pool

Joe Gomez is another defender unlikely to play again this seasonCredit: Getty Images – Getty

Since the game with Everton in October, they have not conceded more than ONE goal in a Premier League game.
But they have not recaptured that free scoring ability this season after failing to net in four of their last six.
The pace that both VVD and Gomez possess was central to Jurgen Klopp’s high intensity style.
Last season, their recovery of the ball was phenomenal.

They would be able to close down any threats on the half way line in an instant and turn it into an attack instantly.
Meaning opposition defenders would still be pulled out of position, giving the likes of Salah, Mane and Firmino more space.

Now with either Fabinho or Henderson slotting in not only are they missing their energy in midfield but also aggressive recoveries in defence.
Forcing them to dominate the ball without any clear conviction in their play.

Yet, that being said coming up against Man City could allow Liverpool to go back to old ways.
Not dominating the ball at Anfield could be a blessing in disguise as they can play to their strengths on the counter-attack.
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Which is exactly what we saw in their wins against West Ham and Spurs.
But make no mistake this is a must win game for Klopp and he may want to take notes.
Because Guardiola has mastered the balance between defence and attack by adapting City’s play.
While Klopp is still searching for it without his two defensive pillars.

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THERE is no lonelier place than a football pitch when you are on the receiving end of a proper thrashing.
And while I’ve never suffered a 9-0 hiding, I was watching through my fingers as Southampton were stuffed at Manchester United – and felt their pain.

Southampton were stunned by the 9-0 thrashing at the hands of Manchester UnitedCredit: AP:Associated Press

I’ve had quite a few fives and sixes against Manchester City and Liverpool and the feeling of humiliation and self-doubt can feel crushing.
There will have been senior players in that Saints team thinking to themselves ‘have I lost it?’ and ‘how can this be happening to me?’.
And there will have been young kids thinking ‘Good God, this is the big boys league, will I ever really belong here?’.
In my experience, players don’t chuck in the towel or hide.

You probably run even harder, like a maniac, to make sure no one thinks you are slacking.
You’ll have a fitness coach ready to tell you that you only ran 7km, instead of your usual 9km, and that is the last thing you want to hear after a thrashing.
And you will always feel you could have done more to stop them — even a team as good as Pep Guardiola’s City.
I doubt there were any rucks or rows in that away dressing room at Old Trafford.

You will be more likely to have a slanging match with a team-mate after a narrow defeat.
This will have left them in shock, like a car crash.
And there will have been the mother of all awkward silences on the long journey home.
Everyone will want to talk about what happened, to say ‘I was bad today’, but at the same time nobody will want to bring it up.
Weirdly, the fact Southampton also lost 9-0 last season, at home to Leicester, and recovered so well, might make it easier to deal with.
This one felt more freakish than the Leicester game. Back then the Saints were in a relegation battle, with boss Ralph Hasenhuttl under serious pressure.
This time, against United, everything just went wrong.
Teenager Alex Jankewitz is sent off in a matter of seconds, Che Adams has a goal disallowed for offside, then a second controversial red card for Jan Bednarek at 7-0.

Those Southampton players are still going to have needed some lifting before facing Newcastle on Saturday.

The senior pros will have had a few words with Jankewitz to make sure he is aware of the consequences when you are sent off early, especially against one of the Big Six clubs.
But they will not have wanted to destroy his confidence, just to ensure the same thing does not happen again.
Those Southampton players are still going to have needed some lifting before facing Newcastle on Saturday.
The next game cannot come soon enough after a thrashing and that is why our 6-0 defeat to City in the FA Cup final was as bad as it gets because we spent all summer dwelling on it.
You couldn’t even post a holiday snap on Instagram for fear of a battering.
There will have been an inquest at Southampton’s training ground but it might not be as harsh as you’d imagine.
When you’ve been hammered like that, the last thing a player needs is another hammering.
You want a high-energy training session. As a striker, I’ve probably just had 90 minutes without a shot, so you want to do a lot of shooting.

Troy Deeney was called in to a team meeting after Watford’s 8-0 loss to Manchester City, despite missing the gameCredit: Getty Images – Getty

The striker says players want another game as soon as possible after a big lossCredit: AFP – Getty
When Watford were beaten 8-0 by City early last season, manager Quique Sanchez Flores showed us a highlights reel of all the things the team had got right in previous games.
I was only just off crutches after an injury but Quique texted me on their way home from Manchester and told me to make sure I, as captain, was in the team meeting to address the players, whereas usually those doing injury rehab would come in at a different time.
In somes ways it is even more awkward to address the team when you haven’t been involved yourself, because you don’t want to feel you are patronising your team-mates.
No one wants to be patronised after a humiliation.
There is a flipside to all this and that is the amazing feeling of handing out a proper thrashing — and nothing can do more for your ego than that.
The one that sticks out to me was when Watford were 2-0 down at half-time against Blackpool and we scored seven goals in the second half.
It feels like you are three stone lighter and it is as if you’re playing Fifa on your Xbox.
Everything feels automatic, you don’t feel you can misplace a pass or do anything wrong. Oh to experience that elusive feeling again!
TACKLING RACISM – WRIGHT ‘N WRONGS
The fight against racial abuse on social media can feel unremitting and never- ending at times like these.
It feels as if BAME players are being abused on a daily basis — and that we are all expecting it.

While watching Saints’ loss at Manchester United, when teenager Alex Jankewitz was sent off in the second minute, one of my pals in a WhatsApp group messaged to say, ‘how long before he gets racially abused online — ten minutes?’
In fact it was even sooner than that.
We have to keep putting pressure on social media platforms to act, we have to keep taking a knee and highlighting racism and — on the various committees I’m involved in — we have to keep devising ways to fight this evil.
But what was so depressing for me this week was the court case involving the racial abuse of Ian Wright by an Irish teenager on social media.

It is thoroughly depressing for all of us who suffer racist abuse.

Wrighty has gone down the legal route and done everything by the book but still his abuser is not even given a criminal conviction, with the judge merely talking about his ‘naivety’ and ‘immaturity’.
This belittles the problem, offers no deterrent, giving the offender his five minutes of infamy without genuine punishment. It is thoroughly depressing for all of us who suffer racist abuse.
I’ve also read that Twitter are claiming that the monkey emoji does not violate their rules.
Sure, that emoji can be used in a non-racist manner but, when it is directed at a black footballer, anyone with two brain cells knows the context is racist.
So we will keep fighting — even if sometimes it feels as if we are banging our head against a wall.

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