Player Watch: Dele Alli

[Always Offside]

It's the old saying "don't let the facts get in the way of a good story". I've read 3 or 4 articles on Dele's performance against West Spam. 2 were saying how poor he was, one was relatively impressed and the other said he was in "career best form" ....

Here's another saying: "Opinions are like a**holes, everybody has one !"

 

[Ledley's Right Foot]

What is going on in here?

Dele is awesome. He takes risks in the final third to great effect, by definition it won't always come off because it's risky play. Same for Kane and Eriksen but that's their job. We wouldn't score at all if these players weren't encouraged to gamble with their attacking play. He's a great player for us. One of our best. This season his play has been at the centre of most of our goals.

Misplaced passes and moves breaking down are a fact of football for those three players and there will always be more mistakes in the final third than goals, for any team and any player, anywhere on the planet.

Focussing on what Goes wrong, over what he is getting so very right, well it's interesting chat but feels to me like it misses the point.

Second point. Yes, Son brings a lot to the game but, to my eyes, when teams park the bus, Dele is better at finding a way through than Son is, whose strength is running at teams when the game is more open.

The only thing missing from our play, compared to post-November last season, is that incredible intensity we can bring to a game. But no team can do that for a full season, it seems to me Poch and the fitness team have realised that and periodise our training so that we peak in the final 2/3rds of the season - when it really matters.

Dele out of form? Still one of the first names on the team sheet.

 

[dontcallme]

To be fair, there are very few posters genuinely criticising him.

There is a difference between saying he is a poor player and saying he is in poor form or needs to work on aspects of his game.

Players like Alli can be frustrating as he has to try different things in order to be creative. If he played it simply all the time he wouldn't be getting as many goals and assists as he does.

He is not playing well at the moment but he is getting goals, assists and is involved in a lot of our goals.

 

[spursfan77]

The position he is playing for us as a second striker he is still learning too and I think that he will grow into it even more if that were possible. I don't think he can be called a midfielder any longer. I suspect a look at his heat maps this season would show him cropping up in areas where strikers usually do for other teams.

 

[Trix]

He’s 21 now.

Makes no real difference. Numbers are still very good, for a young player.

 

[Hengy1]

Makes no real difference. Numbers are still very good, for a young player.

Not doubting that was just letting you know

 

[double0]

asensio? mbappe? o.dembele? g.jesus? pulisic?

I'd take Sane ahead of all those..and Alli ahead of Sane

 

[Hoddle_Ledge]

One match international ban for the finger.

 

[mark87]

One match international ban for the finger.

Could have been alot of worse.

Such a stupid thing to do, needs to cut this shit out.

 

[E17yid]

Are there 2 England games in this international break?

 

[BringBack_leGin]

What a load of bolloccks, if it wasn't a high profile England player this would've never even been a thing. Considering all the crowding refs, swearing at them, that goes unpunished this is ridiculous. In the premier league this weekend alone I imagine we will see at least 10 potentially leg breaking tackles go unpunished.

 

[mark87]

Are there 2 England games in this international break?

Yeah he'll miss the Slovenia game.

 

[Shadydan]

The whole things been a fucking circus.

 

[E17yid]

Yeah he'll miss the Slovenia game.

So I guess he'll still be with the squad. Would rather it was a 2 game ban then he could just stay at the lodge watching Bournemouth footage with Poch.

 

[WalkerboyUK]

What a load of bolloccks, if it wasn't a high profile England player this would've never even been a thing. Considering all the crowding refs, swearing at them, that goes unpunished this is ridiculous. In the premier league this weekend alone I imagine we will see at least 10 potentially leg breaking tackles go unpunished.

Exactly... A prime example was Rooney at the weekend. Usual f-ing and blinding at the ref, but as always, the refs don't have the backbone to book a player for it.
The claim was that Alli's gesture (albeit at a team-mate) was witnessed by kids and that's why it's an issue.
Take your kids to a game at any level and they'll hear foul language from players if they're close enough.

 

[bomberH]

Getting a ban for that is the most pathetic thing I've heard for a long time. They even admitted they couldn't determine if it was aimed at the ref and they still banned him. Would they have done the same to a Slovakian no one had heard of or is it cos FIFA still have issues with England.

England, Spurs and Dele should write to FIFA every single time someone swears or gestures or cheats etc and ask if they'll be banned too.

It was a dumb thing to do at most by Dele but no way deserved a ban. Idiots.

Can England appeal? I know they won't but can they and who to?

 

[spursfan77]

One match international ban for the finger.

Sensible from FIFA. Whatever next?!?!

Any swearing on the pitch to be treated the same???

 

[Trix]

Getting a ban for that is the most pathetic thing I've heard for a long time. They even admitted they couldn't determine if it was aimed at the ref and they still banned him. Would they have done the same to a Slovakian no one had heard of or is it cos FIFA still have issues with England.

England, Spurs and Dele should write to FIFA every single time someone swears or gestures or cheats etc and ask if they'll be banned too.

It was a dumb thing to do at most by Dele but no way deserved a ban. Idiots.

Can England appeal? I know they won't but can they and who to?

No point they have taken weeks to come to this conclusion, so it will never be overturned. What annoys me is even the most entry level lip reader can see players swearing at officials in every single televised match. Not sure why a gesture would be any different to those being captured on footage mouthing the words. That said it isn't the worst news for us that he will only be playing one game and not two.

 

[Nocando]

Irrespective of whether deserved or not, I do hope the ban helps mould him as a player on the pitch. There's a time and a place for fuckwitery. He still has lots of areas where he can improve or develop, so hopfully this will help that process. He needs to get his head down and stay out of the limelight for a bit and let his football do the talking. None of this will be doing his reputation any good, so he's going to have to learn how to deal with all the negativity.

 

[nightgoat]

Exactly... A prime example was Rooney at the weekend. Usual f-ing and blinding at the ref, but as always, the refs don't have the backbone to book a player for it.
The claim was that Alli's gesture (albeit at a team-mate) was witnessed by kids and that's why it's an issue.
Take your kids to a game at any level and they'll hear foul language from players if they're close enough.

This. Yet another case of authorities being dictated by how much an issue the media makes of something.