One could also be considered misfortune, two appears to be like like carelessness and so what of 4? It was March 2021 and Clément Lenglet had simply conceded one other penalty for Barcelona, this one in the Champions League last-16, second-leg exit towards Paris Saint-Germain, the crew that he supported as a boy.
The resolution was harsh, picked out by the VAR, Lenglet having caught Mauro Icardi, regardless that the PSG striker was getting nowhere close to to a low cross from the left. It appeared to sum up how Lenglet’s luck had turned, collectively with that of Barcelona. The central defender, who’s on a season-long mortgage at Tottenham, had been all about low-key reliability since his arrival at the Camp Nou from Sevilla in 2018 for €35m, a participant that you just didn’t at all times discover and for the proper causes.
Everybody was noticing him now and never in a great way. It was the fourth penalty that Lenglet had given away that season, following these towards Real Madrid and Cadiz in La Liga and Juventus in the Champions League group stage. All 4 had been transformed, these towards Real and Cadiz notably pricey. In the clásico, it was 1-1 when Lenglet pulled Sergio Ramos’s shirt; Real would run out 3-1 winners. Against Cadiz, Lenglet went in clumsily on Ruben Sobrino in the 89th minute to concede an equaliser.
No participant in any of Europe’s high 5 leagues gave away greater than 4 penalties that season and the Frenchman felt the stress mount, the scrutiny of his each mistake intense. It is stating the apparent to say that Barcelona just isn’t a straightforward membership to play for, regardless that Lenglet had credit score in the financial institution.
The 15-cap France worldwide had gained the league title in his first season and he had performed frequently, confidently; the clear approach that marked him out as the subsequent huge factor at Nancy and Sevilla to the fore. Lenglet had led Nancy to promotion from Ligue 2 as a 20-year-old, continuously carrying the captain’s armband. While at Sevilla, there was a coming-of-age efficiency in the Champions League last-16, second-leg win at Manchester United in 2018 when he stood tall in the bodily duel with Romelu Lukaku.
“When you are in this type of club [Barcelona], you know that every day you have a lot of pressure,” Lenglet says. “You have to accept it. Here at Tottenham, we put ourselves under pressure because we want to grow and the media is putting more pressure on because they see we can be a really good team. It’s not really different to Barcelona. Of course, in Barcelona, every day you have something different. But I didn’t go out of Barcelona for this reason.”
Lenglet left the Camp Nou due to what occurred final season or, extra exactly, what didn’t occur. The 27-year-old began solely seven league video games – an enormous drop on his earlier three seasons at the membership the place he had been in the first XI 29, 28 and 22 occasions respectively. Barcelona’s monetary difficulties have been well-documented and with the supervisor, Xavi, not relying on him, it’s doubtless that Lenglet’s reported €12m wage made him extra expendable. The Spanish press have mentioned that Spurs will contribute €7m to his annual wage.
The participant talks about how he needed to embrace a contemporary problem in a distinct nation. The language has been one in all the checks. “I didn’t speak English when I came … a few words,” he says. He has made spectacular strides on this regard. He talks about the attraction of working underneath Antonio Conte, plus the high quality of Spurs’ services. But, actually, what Lenglet sought when he got here to Spurs was the alternative to play, to reboot his profession.
Given his class and pedigree, it has been a shock that Lenglet has made solely six begins thus far – three in the Premier League, three in the Champions League. Conte has rotated him with Ben Davies on the left of his again three, though he has largely most well-liked the Welshman. But Lenglet hopes to function in Sunday’s dwelling recreation with Newcastle and he has actually performed little fallacious when he has performed.
Spurs had been nicely crushed at Manchester United on Wednesday, having been outplayed in defeat at Arsenal earlier this month. Conte additionally mentioned they had been “dominated” by Chelsea of their different huge league match of the season, though they did handle to draw 2-2 in that August recreation, and Lenglet’s evaluation chimes with that of lots of the followers.
“When you’re on the pitch you have to take risks, to increase your level with the ball,” he says. “Without the ball, we are the best team in terms of effort. We run a lot, we are aggressive, we help our teammates. But we have to improve [with the ball].
“It’s important to say we have made the best [Premier League] start in the history of Tottenham. But we dropped points against three big teams and we struggle against these type of teams. That’s the next step.”
Lenglet doesn’t need to look too far forward. A spot in the France squad for the World Cup could also be past him, his earlier begin having come towards Switzerland in the Euro 2020 last-16 penalty shootout exit. He was substituted at half-time, having been at fault for the opening objective and he has not been referred to as up since final November. He says he doesn’t know whether or not he’ll keep at Spurs past his mortgage.
“It was an amazing experience at Barcelona and it is not finished because I have a contract until 2026,” Lenglet says. “We don’t have an option [to extend at Spurs]. We have to wait before thinking about this. I have to be good on the pitch, to help the team. Maybe if everything is OK, we will speak but it’s too early.”
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