Alli earns point for Spurs after Mourinho hauls off record signing Ndombele
Jose Mourinho had seen enough by half-time. The Tottenham manager hauled off Tanguy Ndombele, the club’s record signing, as he attempted to end a run of four consecutive defeats.
His reward was instant as Giovani Lo Celso and Lucas Moura played their part in the penalty that saw Dele Alli cancel out Chris Wood’s opener. But the fallout from Ndombele’s performance is likely to rumble on.
The France midfielder, a £53.8million arrival from Lyon in the summer, is in good company and joins the likes of Eden Hazard, Luke Shaw and Joe Cole in being given the tough love of Mourinho.
Ndombele was paired with Oliver Skipp, 19, in central midfield and both were taken off after 45 minutes.
“My thinking in the first half was we didn’t have midfield,” said Mourinho.
“I still think more important than the tactics is to have midfield players who want the ball, to connect the game, to have them to press and recover the ball. To have midfield players to win duels. We didn’t have it. Of course I am not speaking about Skipp, he is a kid of 19 who played two hours of football on Wednesday.
“I have to say Tanguy had enough time to come to a different level. I know the Premier League is very difficult, I know that some players, it takes a long time. But a player with his potential, his responsibility, he has to give us more. And especially when you see the way Lo Celso played. Every minute I was expecting more in the first half.
“I hope he uses every minute on the pitch and every minute knowing what the Premier League is to improve. Many fantastic players in their first season in a new country for different reasons they struggle. I cannot keep giving him opportunities to play because the team is much more important.”
While the players who Mourinho has criticised have outlasted him at clubs, it looks a long journey back for Ndombele. Mourinho had wanted to save his substitutions for players who needed rest ahead of their Champions League tie with RB Leipzig on Tuesday. Instead, after such a dismal first half he made his changes and kept on Steven Bergwijn, who picked up an injury and was hobbling at the end.
In many ways, this was a typical Mourinho-type match, getting a result when it looked like everything was going against him. Before making his half-time switch of players and formation, he was staring at a fifth straight defeat and the worst run for the club since the 2003/04 season.
It was also a positive response from Eric Dier three days after going into the crowd at Spurs’ stadium to confront a fan when he felt a family member was in danger.
“I love Eric Dier,” sang the travelling Spurs fans, offering support to the England international, while the home supporters were less complimentary about his family. “Your brother’s a t**t”, was the tasteless riposte.
The England international made important challenges when he shifted to midfield in the second half, one of the them denying Matej Vydra a goal.
“You could see that his performance was really solid again and he was completely in emotional control,” Mourinho said. “The abuse that came from the stands on some occasions is a world drama and on others nothing happens. He was completely in control. He played well at centre-back, and very well in midfield.”
Burnley’s goal came when Dwight McNeil raced down the left wing and got a second chance at a cross, with his first effort coming back off his arm.
When Dier headed out, Jay Rodriguez’s shot was saved by Hugo Lloris but he could not hold on to the ball, allowing Wood to slide in from close range.
It was Wood’s 11th of the season, putting him within sight of the strikers at the top of the Premier League scoring charts.
Gareth Southgate was in the stands and would have been impressed with McNeil ahead of England’s warm-up games for the European Championships this month.
He also saw Alli have an increasing influence on the game. His penalty came five minutes after Mourinho had taken drastic action to change the course of the match with his half-time changes and going to four at the back.
Both substitutes, Moura and Lo Celso, were involved in the build-up to the goal. Lo Celso eventually set Erik Lamela away and he was brought down by Ben Mee just inside the penalty area.
Alli converted the penalty for an equaliser that Spurs barely deserved, his 50th goal in the Premier League.
From looking like their season was unravelling, they now go into the Leipzig second leg with momentum, albeit with a depleted squad and tired legs.
Burnley felt they should have had a penalty when Wood received a robust challenge from Davinson Sanchez in the penalty area as they challenged for an aerial ball. “I think football has to be careful,” said Burnley manager Sean Dyche. “The lad clearly comes through the back of him. If he tumbles on the floor he can get something. Diving is bad enough but now if you do the right thing you get nothing.”