Confidence, maturity or the right manager – what is behind Alli’s rise?

[steffenfreundlovesme]

Watch the last 5mins of the 4-4 v Arsenal - Jenas was brilliant, he almost single handedly got us the result that night. Love him for that.

 

[TottenhamMattSpur]

I really think Jenas was better than he was given credit for and I don't know why.

 

[davidmatzdorf]

Watch the last 5mins of the 4-4 v Arsenal - Jenas was brilliant, he almost single handedly got us the result that night. Love him for that.

And he was MotM by a mile in the 5-1 Carling Cup demolition of Arsenal.

 

[TottenhamMattSpur]

There was a 2-2 when he scored late and was our best player.
There were a lot of other times too.

 

[rupsmith]

There was a 2-2 when he scored late and was our best player.
There were a lot of other times too.

Thats the thing, Jenas was a top top player when he was "up for it". The issue was unfortunately he wasn't all the time. Probably needed a manager like Mourinho who can get players going even for a third round FA Cup game as if its the Champions League final.

 

[McFlash]

I really think Jenas was better than he was given credit for and I don't know why.

It was just down to frustration.
Watching him put in a world class performance one week, then not even be able to pass wind the next.
He had talent in spades and the physique to match but just never seemed to consistently hits the heights that he should have.

That never made him a bad player though, just the peaks and troughs in his performance levels were harsh.

 

[McFlash]

Thats the thing, Jenas was a top top player when he was "up for it". The issue was unfortunately he wasn't all the time. Probably needed a manager like Mourinho who can get players going even for a third round FA Cup game as if its the Champions League final.

Would like to have seen him under Poch.

 

[guiltyparty]

I instantly thought Alli was like Jenas, I've said it on here. Very similar player. People neg on Jenas but he was one of our best players for quite a while. Just didn't reach the heights many hoped. Who's to say Alli will either though. People are getting very carried away

Always had a soft spot for Jermaine. Real tryer, scored some cracking goals, and the story behind why it's Jenas but pronounced Geenus is amazing

 

[JimmyG2]

Always liked JJ. Would adopt him if he hadn't retired.
Classy player well liked by a series of managers at all levels.
But then my Gran used to put saucers of milk out
for stray cats and hedehogs
so it's in the JimmyG2 DNA
.Talks sense and played some great games for us.

 

[thelak]

People are missing the point completely, its not about Alli or Jenas it's about Pochottino has a process of bringing in the new young players, he doesn't just do it to cover absentees he does it as part of a production line renewing refreshing and rebuilding as we go along.
He has now started the process with Onomah and he won't be the last this season.

I think this is a great point. Not many managers do this in the upper parts of the league as the pressure of the job means results now matter and most of them a la Harry don't expect to be there in the future to see the benefits of blooding a raw youngster now. I guess Poch has a long term plan with us as well as seeing the potential of players in our academy right now to make a difference but as you say there seems to be a coherent plan to integrate a player into the first team and then it becomes merit based. Onomah under AvB or Harry would not be anywhere near the first team right now I suspect.

 

[thelak]

I thought Jenas was a scapegoat at times but I think the consensus when he played of him being 7 out of 10 in most departments holds. The hope with Alli is that he is an 8/10 in most departments and can keep showing year on year progression. He def seems to have potential to score more goals than 4-5 a season JJ would get

 

[garryparkerschest]

Possibly gave the greatest individual performance of any Tottenham player I can remember against Arsenal in the 5-1 victory.

And that was the thing, he just didn't do it enough when everyone knew he had the ability to do so.

I really liked him and hoped he'd be able to do it consistently but frustratingly that was never the case.

He never had a great season for us. There was moments and there was weeks that he was very good but sadly never longer.

 

[McFlash]

I instantly thought Alli was like Jenas, I've said it on here. Very similar player. People neg on Jenas but he was one of our best players for quite a while. Just didn't reach the heights many hoped. Who's to say Alli will either though. People are getting very carried away

Always had a soft spot for Jermaine. Real tryer, scored some cracking goals, and the story behind why it's Jenas but pronounced Geenus is amazing

Aw c'mon, you can't keep me hanging with that last sentence!

 

[diamondlight]

I instantly thought Alli was like Jenas, I've said it on here. Very similar player.

To an extent, but Alli has more subtlety about his play - clever turns, neat passes, quick feet - than Jenas. Jenas plus a little bit of Hoddle would be a closer match.

 

[guiltyparty]

To an extent, but Alli has more subtlety about his play - clever turns, neat passes, quick feet - than Jenas. Jenas plus a little bit of Hoddle would be a closer match.

Blimey Hoddle, really? I've heard everything now. Obviously praying you're right but still

 

[guiltyparty]

Aw c'mon, you can't keep me hanging with that last sentence!

Sorry, whole thing worth a read: http://www.standard.co.uk/sport/int...-hole-in-my-stomach-at-one-point-6525611.html

But about why he's the only member of his family to spell it with a G...

"It's true. My dad was called Dennis Genus but when he was younger he thought having the nickname DJ' sounded cool.

"It started at school when he thought he didn't want the G' any more and so he started signing his name with a J'. All his school papers were with a J' and when he got a bit older and he started applying for jobs he changed his name officially by deed poll.

"Then he had me and when my mum and him talked about names, they liked the idea of me being JJ'.

"So my name is now official but when my dad emigrated to America he had major problems with it as his details had two different spellings, so now he has changed it back to a G'.

"The rest of my family have been telling me to change it back ever since but my daughter is now the same as me, so we have started our own little group.

"When I first started playing at Nottingham Forest, Sky commentator Martin Tyler came up to me before one match and said, Look, how do I pronounce your name'? I just said Gee-nus, not Jen-nus, but it doesn't look like Gee-nus."

Martin 'Tactful' Tyler

 

[TheChosenOne]

Blimey Hoddle, really? I've heard everything now. Obviously praying you're right but still

Toby seems to be doing a lot of Hoddle style 'on a plate' 40 yard passes and doing them well.

 

[diamondlight]

Blimey Hoddle, really? I've heard everything now. Obviously praying you're right but still

Just a little bit of Hoddle. I think that's why Lineker called him a 'delightful footballer'. You'd hardly say that about Jenas.

 

[Hoops]

Ability...

 

[TottenhamMattSpur]

It was just down to frustration.
Watching him put in a world class performance one week, then not even be able to pass wind the next.
He had talent in spades and the physique to match but just never seemed to consistently hits the heights that he should have.

That never made him a bad player though, just the peaks and troughs in his performance levels were harsh.

Thing is, his one on one off form was more consistent than a lot of crap we've had over the years that got much more love.