Dele Alli sends message to Nuno Espirito Santo ahead of pre-season return

[longtimespur]

That's not funny.

I totally agree,




but I wonder where they'll be playing?

 

[Japhet]

Agree with the second part.

But not everyone has a clean slate. Some players need to go now, not after been given a chance to prove themselves in pre-season. We need to raise money and it needs to happen early.

Who said anything about not selling them til after pre-season? I'm fine with selling them but think they should be given the same chance as everyone else before the season starts. If they go, they go.

 

[Locotoro]

I would be happy if he will take that redemption arc and will regain his old form (like Lingard for example). Everything is possible. John Stones is another one. Had terrible form for couple of seasons and was on a verge of being sold

The thing that people forget is the human element to football. Both these players were going through difficult relationship problems at the time of their poor form. Whilst I can't say that the poor form lead to the relationship problems or the relationship problems influenced the poor form, it's something which should be considered with regards to these young men

 

[Who’s our next manager?]

Who said anything about not selling them til after pre-season? I'm fine with selling them but think they should be given the same chance as everyone else before the season starts. If they go, they go.

Performing in meaningless pre season friendlies has no bearing on how they play in competitive premiership games. Chances only come in league games, really need to sell a.s.a.p

 

[Who’s our next manager?]

Love the way you changed the subject as soon as your assertion that all Dele's goals are from headers was proven to be ... bullshit.

The major problem with Dele is the bit I have shown in bold in your post. That is a psychological issue and is rectifiable, with the right coaching and sports psychology input.

If he is training during his break, that implies that he means to take his career more seriously again. We will see.

But I have no problem with Dele's mistakes in attack, because they originate in exactly the same mercurial place in his brain as his brilliance - and his loss of focus. He plays on his instant reactions, his intuitions, and he improvises. It's the same broadly un-coachable approach to football as Ndombele - or Gascoigne. Unexpected things happen, moves and passes and shots that no one else would try.

When he gets it right, the result is an un-defendable goal. I don't give a damn if he gets it wrong six times each match, as long as he scores 20 goals and gets 10 assists in a season. Trying to turn him into a diligent central midfielder is a waste of his abilities.

Trouble is that Dele is a free spirit, needs to try different things not just fit into a pattern of play. Has it been coached out of him,I don’t know. Grealish is similar, he should be first team starter for England but others fit a team pattern better.

 

[Blake Griffin]

i know people talk about him losing focus as being the reason behind his drop off but i think it was the hamstring injuries that have done him in.

 

[dontcallme]

i know people talk about him losing focus as being the reason behind his drop off but i think it was the hamstring injuries that have done him in.

I don't think we'll ever really know. We just have to piece together from the outside info we have.

His injuries, losing Eriksen's assists, playing deeper and being a midfielder over the guy in the final third getting goals and assists and his attitude and focus are all possible reasons for his decline.

 

[Gassin's finest]

I don't think he's going to last 5 mins with Nuno tbh.

Jose made him his focus in that first season, pretty much built the attack around him, gave him his head. It worked for a few games, but eventually he ran out of patience with him. And I personally think Hugo's measures tirade about players not giving enough was aimed at Dele in particular.

Delighted to be proven wrong, but I think this is possibly Deles last season.

 

[UbeAstard]

I don't think he's going to last 5 mins with Nuno tbh.

Jose made him his focus in that first season, pretty much built the attack around him, gave him his head. It worked for a few games, but eventually he ran out of patience with him. And I personally think Hugo's measures tirade about players not giving enough was aimed at Dele in particular.

Delighted to be proven wrong, but I think this is possibly Deles last season.

I think your comments are heavily influenced by your feelings but I hope Dele has an impact on games and if he does no-one can run out of patience. I feel similar to how you feel but about Sanchez which means I have written him off new manager or not.

 

[Neon_Knight_]

Are you kidding. He scores headers. He cannot shoot. In fact he turns down shots constantly. You may be remembering with rose tinted spectacles. He needs to start shooting when the opportunity arises. He gets in enough good positions around the edge of the box.

Are you kidding? If @slartibartfast is remembering with rose-tinted spectacles, yours must be smeared with

Would someone who can't shoot and constantly turns down opportunities to shoot have scored these goals?

Dele took only 153 PL games to score 50 goals. That's fewer games than Hazard, Scholes, Gerrard or Lampard. It's only 4 more games than Ronaldo and only 2 more games than Son.

Of those 50 PL goals, 41 were scored with his feet (31 right foot & 10 left foot) and only 9 with his head.

 

[spursfan77]

If nuno wants to play his 343 system here then he and Ndombele just don’t fit.

 

[Romario]

Personally I think the message illustrated perfectly what has been Dele's problem for the past couple of seasons. He has concentrated far too much on his 'social media profile' rather than his professional footballer performances. I am sure that rather than see pictures and cryptic messages appearing on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram or whatever Nuno would be more impressed if the lad curtailed all that for a bit and concentrated more on the gym and training pitch.

It's not just a question of trying to send obscure messages to your new boss. Nuno will want to see true commitment and desire over the next couple of weeks (not just from Dele but all of the squad members) and that can only be done in person and certainly not via an online website.

I really hope the lad turns the situation around because I loved watching him play when he was at his very best but the tricks and flicks just aren't coming off anymore and it's time to get back to basics otherwise he could well be on his way.

 

[Gassin's finest]

I think your comments are heavily influenced by your feelings but I hope Dele has an impact on games and if he does no-one can run out of patience. I feel similar to how you feel but about Sanchez which means I have written him off new manager or not.

Actually no, I think my observations are pretty much what happened. My feelings would be that I want him to be utilised as a second striker again, so that he can be the player he was 3 seasons ago.

I dont think he's that lad anymore though.

The opposite of Sanchez in fact, who struggled with Jose's low block and will probably leave, but never failed to put a shift in. You "giving up on him" sounds like the more emotion driven opinion in all honesty.