Tanguy Ndombele and Franck Haise were present at a press conference this Thursday at Nice, on the eve of the reception of Stade Rennais for the 16th day of Ligue 1.
Despite a flood of injuries, Nice (6th, 24 points) has managed, year after year, to hang on to the leading teams in Ligue 1, and, with Tanguy Ndombele as a symbol of resilience, the Aiglons intend to maintain the pace against in Rennes Friday evening.
To push Rennes back to 10 points, Franck Haise is expecting a new performance from his midfielder Tanguy Ndombele, facing the current 12th in the championship (17 points) who are preparing an XXL transfer window with the arrival of Seko Fofana and the soon-hoped-for arrival of from goalkeeper Brice Samba.
In Bastia, on December 21, during the qualification against Corte in the Cup, “Tanguy was the best on the team“, appreciated Haise, who assures: “He's getting better and better“. However, the international environment (7 selections in Blue) has been suffering from pubalgia for many weeks. “People don't know itexplains the player. But we are working on it with the staff. Little by little it's getting better, although I don't know the date when it will leave me completely alone.»
In the meantime, hegrit your teeth». «I played more than I should have, he indicates. But I always want to play and it's part of the job to give the maximum. I try to play with this pubalgia as much as I can.»
Ndombele has “not yet given everything”
Since the start of the season, Ndombele is even the 6th most used outfield player in Nice: 18 matches in all competitions, 1126 minutes spent on the field, for two goals and an assist. We are a long way from last season, at Galatasaray, where he was loaned by Tottenham. Although he participated in 26 matches, he only played 664 minutes. With Naples, the previous season, he took part in 40 matches (2 goals and an assist) but played only 1266 minutes.
«Due to injuries, I called on him a little more than expected, as soon as the championship resumedremembers Haise. He very quickly understood the way of playing and showed his qualities. At one point, he had a backlash. Being put more in the spotlight and having to play one match after another caused certain physical problems. But since December, he has picked up the pace.» Ndombele, «eternally dissatisfied“, believes that he has “not yet given everything». «I hope I can do it in the second part of the season, he said. There were a lot of doubts about me. It's normal. In football, when you haven't played for a long time, you are forgotten.»
Haise wants an “even more decisive” player
Now, Ndombele matters. Haise praises his involvement. “I knew the player, not the man, he indicates. When he is confident, comfortable in the environment, like in Nice, he is capable of giving a lot. It means playing, even when there are more difficult times.» «In any case, he was able to play with pain for the club, for the team, continues the coach. Above all, I hope that he will be completely free of his problems. It's getting there. Then he will go even higher.»
Haise expects more from him, that he wants “even more decisive. This does not mean scoring ten goals, making ten assistshe insists. That means: bringing more balls into the last 20 meters, more presence and highlighting your shooting quality. The better he is physically, the easier it will be for him.”
«When he can continue and regain physical fullness, we can see that he is a very, very high level player.Haise continues. When Tottenham buys a player for 60 million euros, that means his level. I hope the next five months will be very good, it will be a good sign for us and a good sign for him.
