Tottenham boss Jose Mourinho suggests Dele Alli should follow Tanguy Ndombele example to emerge from his slump

Tottenham boss Jose Mourinho says Tanguy Ndombele deserves the credit for his turnaround and has suggested the Frenchman is a good example for Dele Alli.

Having been sidelined and publicly criticised by his manager last season, Ndombele this week started consecutive matches and completed 90 minutes for the first time this year in Tottenham's Europa League win over Shkendija on Thursday.

Mourinho had doubts about Ndombele's attitude, fitness and professionalism last season but says the penny has now dropped for the mercurial midfielder.

"I’m very happy [with him]," Mourinho said ahead of Sunday's visit of Newcastle.

"I say all the time, when a player improves it’s a player’s responsibility, it’s the player’s credit. It’s not the coach who makes the miracle. The player that does that by himself, to understand what he has to understand and go in the right direction that he has to go. Tanguy, step by step, is doing very well.

"I didn't talk to Tanguy," Mourinho continued. "I just think that he felt the direction which it was going was not the right one and it’s something that players with me, they feel all of the time that I don’t give positions for free.

"The players have to fight, they have to perform, I would never give him a place in the team because he was an expensive buy or because he’s an important player. He has to do that by himself, probably with the help of his colleagues, with the help of his teammates, he went in a good direction."

Ahead of Thursday's Europa League qualifier, Mourinho challenged Dele to perform after the 24-year-old was left out of the squad for the previous two matches.

Dele returned to the XI but was replaced after an hour with Tottenham in need of a goal, leaving his status at the club still uncertain.

Asked if Ndombele's reaction was what he wanted to see from Dele and his other fringe players, Mourinho said: "Yes, that’s what I want.

"I don’t want players to moan, I don’t want players to be feel frustrated, I don’t want players to feel that I have something against them when I don’t pick them up. I want players to fight for the minutes that they want to be on the pitch and when you play for Tottenham, you have to understand that Tottenham wants to be better and better and the rewards are going to be better and better and the players cannot have a comfortable position on the pitch. They have to be ready to fight for the minutes they want to be on the pitch."

Mourinho was unsure if Ndombele would be ready to start for a third consecutive match against Newcastle and admitted the club-record signing still needs to show he can cope with the rigours of the Premier League.

"Let’s wait and see, Premier League matches are much more difficult matches than this one [against Shkendija]," Mourinho said. "The intensity is completely different, the quality of the opponent is much better. But against Southampton, even for 45 minutes, he had positive things."

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