Tottenham Hotspur limped past Bulgarian side Lokomotiv Plovdiv on Thursday night, with two late goals from Harry Kane and Tanguy Ndombele giving the side a 2-1 victory.
While the performance, similar to the defeat to Everton last Sunday, left lots to be desired, it was good to see the Frenchman score the winner.
Ndombele has been a divisive character since signing for Tottenham last summer for a big fee from Lyon, with it fair to say the midfielder has failed to live up to anywhere near expectations.
However, Spurs boss Jose Mourinho backed the Frenchman after the win on Thursday night, saying the record signing is working hard to have an impact.
“Last season he was stuck in a situation where I couldn’t see evolution,” Mourinho said, according to Reuters.
“In this moment he’s training very, very well.
“In this moment, I believe in Tanguy. I never doubted his quality. Never. I doubted in some moments his motivation and commitment and professional attitude. In this moment I think that Tanguy can do well for us.”
Mourinho’s words should provide solace to Tottenham fans.
Some supporters have already written off Ndombele and there’s no doubting that his performances last season, especially given the fee we paid for him and his current wages, were not up to scratch.
However, the midfielder’s issue last term seemed to be around his attitude and apparent failure to adapt to life at Tottenham and in the Premier League.
The fact that Mourinho has confirmed Ndombele is training well and looks more focused can only be a good thing for Spurs, because his talent and ability cannot be questioned.
Getting the France international fit and firing could well be the remedy the midfield issues have had since Mousa Dembele left Tottenham.