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Player Watch: Dele Alli

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Shadydan

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Jul 7, 2012
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I have been quite disappointed with Dele this season both for Spurs and for England. Last season he gave the impression he would progress to the level of Kane and Erikssen, The fact that, if anything, he is not playing as well as last season is worrying as he was to be a king pin in our striving to become a genuine top European club. Like you, I am beginning to lose faith and unless there is significant improvement in his game by the January window, I would not be averse to selling him.

COYS :)

He literally had the same start this time last season.
 

charliemouse

Well-Known Member
Aug 16, 2011
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I don't think it would go down well with the player but I wouldn't be adverse to pushing him back into central midfield on occasions when Lamela comes back. Especially in games where we are chasing a goal.

Playing Lamela and Eriksen behind Kane with Alli and one of Dembele/Wanyama/Dier in central midfield would be good. It would be like getting 3 attacking midfielders on the pitch whilst letting us remain with 3 at the back. Plus Alli has the athleticism to play the position (think back to the 4 1 beating of Man City two years ago).

Dele was amazing alongside Dier at Arsenal back in 2015, I remember Cazorla having to come off at half-time due to sickness as he couldn't get close to Dele, who ran the midfield and was given MOTM.

It's a bit of a myth that Dele cant play in central midfield these days, as that's where he played for the MK Dons and also where he played for us when he first broke into the team.
 

JUSTINSIGNAL

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Jul 10, 2008
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Dele was amazing alongside Dier at Arsenal back in 2015, I remember Cazorla having to come off at half-time due to sickness as he couldn't get close to Dele, who ran the midfield and was given MOTM.

It's a bit of a myth that Dele cant play in central midfield these days, as that's where he played for the MK Dons and also where he played for us when he first broke into the team.

He can't play in central midfield. He has no discipline and doesn't look after the ball well enough. IIRC the last few times he played in there Poch ended up switching him with Dembele(who was playing higher up the pitch) as he was such a liability.
 

Everlasting Seconds

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Jan 9, 2014
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He can't play in central midfield. He has no discipline and doesn't look after the ball well enough. IIRC the last few times he played in there Poch ended up switching him with Dembele(who was playing higher up the pitch) as he was such a liability.
Exactly. I think this is very important. EVEN if he COULD play cm for SOME team, it wouldn't work out properly in a Pochettino team.
 

jamesinashby

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Jun 5, 2017
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He literally had the same start this time last season.

You are right, I had forgotten that. However, I think the point I failed to to clearly put over was that I hoped, if he was to fulfil his promise, I expected to see some noticeable improvement. For me, the fact that he isn't yet putting in consistent improved displays (if any at all) is a concern and raises questions regarding just how good will he become. My hope for him has always been he would develop into a top, top player and this years start for him has raised doubts in my mind. Hopefully, I am worrying unnecessarily and the high praise he has received by the press and TV pundits will prove to be correct.

COYS :)
 

Ghost Hardware

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Aug 31, 2012
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I don't think he was particularly bad today, but I don't think he was that great ether. I do think this was the first time his poor recent form seemed to bother him as he actually seem to really try this week. Starting to feel like it won't be long before he has that one game that will set him down the right path and kick start his season.
 

DJS

A hoonter must hoont
Dec 9, 2006
31,261
21,760
I have been quite disappointed with Dele this season both for Spurs and for England. Last season he gave the impression he would progress to the level of Kane and Erikssen, The fact that, if anything, he is not playing as well as last season is worrying as he was to be a king pin in our striving to become a genuine top European club. Like you, I am beginning to lose faith and unless there is significant improvement in his game by the January window, I would not be averse to selling him.

COYS :)

You would not be averse to selling him??

Fuck me...

As pointed out Dele started last season a bit out of sorts and he is only 21 still so will be prone to inconsistency...

Eriksen was also inconsistent for his first couple of seasons and look at him now.

Fickle, fickle, fickle, Dele then starts picking up and putting class appearances then you’ll be crying if he shows us no loyalty wanting to join another club.
 

glospur

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May 19, 2015
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Good game from Delboy today. He was the only one of our attacking players who had some intent and actually wanted to try to do something when they got on the ball. The others were far too safe and offered very little at all, and when they did they'd fuck it up with poor touches and passes.

He needs a goal though but this was a positive step in the right direction.
 

glospur

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May 19, 2015
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Of course I get this, which is why, in the same post, I also said:



But then went on to say, if he isn't producing then it becomes more an issue, as per the grumbles this season.

And also the goals/assists combined with lots of careless stuff could still be an issue for an uber club like Barca or RM, who if they are going to pay 150m would possibly (not definitely) expect a player with slightly less flaws to his game. Which, as I also said, could happen a little bit further down the line.
I didn't taker issue with that.

What was absolutely nonsensical was the 'if you took out his goals and assists and just watched him play football it wouldn't be impressive' comment.

If you take them out it's not fucking football, is it? If you take them out you get what we saw in the first half against Bournemouth; mind numblingly boring side to side passing, which may look good on a Squawka spreadsheet or a Whoscored heat map, but it makes for terrible entertainment and escapism; which is where sport operates best.

Goals and assists are the most important part of actually playing football and Dele is pretty fucking good at it.
 

Bus-Conductor

SC Supporter
Oct 19, 2004
39,837
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I didn't taker issue with that.

What was absolutely nonsensical was the 'if you took out his goals and assists and just watched him play football it wouldn't be impressive' comment.

If you take them out it's not fucking football, is it? If you take them out you get what we saw in the first half against Bournemouth; mind numblingly boring side to side passing, which may look good on a Squawka spreadsheet or a Whoscored heat map, but it makes for terrible entertainment and escapism; which is where sport operates best.

Goals and assists are the most important part of actually playing football and Dele is pretty fucking good at it.

You can’t have goals and assists without what happens the rest (you know 99% or something) of the time.

Which is why I qualified what I said. For the third time, i understand the importance of goals and assists, but when they are also not happening, then the poor play the rest of the time becomes even more of a compromise, because not only are you not producing “goals and assists” (like yesterday) you aren’t contributing to the rest of the team getting goals and assists either much. Is that really difficult as a concept to understand?
 

Trix

Well-Known Member
Jul 29, 2004
19,335
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You can’t have goals and assists without what happens the rest (you know 99% or something) of the time.

Which is why I qualified what I said. For the third time, i understand the importance of goals and assists, but when they are also not happening, then the poor play the rest of the time becomes even more of a compromise, because not only are you not producing “goals and assists” (like yesterday) you aren’t contributing to the rest of the team getting goals and assists either much. Is that really difficult as a concept to understand?

How do you think he did yesterday?

Personally I thought yesterday he was a bit better than of late and made some very good runs. Like you say sometimes his decision making lets him down but I thought his movement was very good yesterday and defenders have a hard time in following/dealing with him. I do think we need to learn how better to use the space Dele opens up with his movement.
 

Basil Brush

Well-Known Member
Aug 20, 2013
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Alli is still a kid, but i love his natural improvement.

He has more potential than Kane had at the same age.

It is scary that we have both of them.
 
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