muttley
Alert Team
It's a remarkable comparison between the two pairings. Bentancur and Kulu made an almost immediate impact, whereas Lo Celso and Ndombele, who at the time looked to be signings of high quality, were given plenty of chances without ever really looking like giving us what could reasonably have been expected when we signed them.
I can only assume that the big difference has been the former pairings past working relationship with Paratici and Conte, whereby they felt comfortable and had a sense of belonging at Spurs from day one, which has probably been further nurtured by the management. In contrast Lo Celso and Ndombele arrived as strangers, no doubt hoping to play for Pochettino, but remained as strangers with performances that matched that.
We probably shouldn't go there, but what would have happened if either had turned up at Spurs when it wasn't a complete mess?
Spurs fans can be guilty of blaming the players. You often hear "he can't be impressing on the training ground" and stuff like that.
Ultimately, our runway hasn't been the easiest to land in for quite a few years. You get the feeling it is now though with Conte and Fabio in control.