Dele Alli at Everton

[Trix]

Yeh, I agree with that you are saying but there is something not right there as well if that makes sense?

When Mourinho first game in Alli looked like he would run through walls for him, it also looked like Dele had lost his relationship with Poch, which makes me think maybe Dele is the problem and maybe the environment is. Maybe, he finds gaming and modelling a lot less work for his money than football.

But, with all that said and done there is something else that really has struck me with Dele.

He reminds me a lot of me growing up, I didn't have the best childhood and I had to pretend to be the tough guy, also the guy that is always laughing and joking "putting on a brave face".

To me he looks like a young lad who has had a really tough upbringing throughout it he has played the rough and ready tough guy, on his way to the top he has cut ties with people and tried to focus himself this all comes at an emotional cost.

He then suffered the nasty hamstring injuries, this knocked his confidence and mental confidence more he was also a player that was consistently praised under Poch for training hard?

He, was known for being super fit and being able to run for days.

More recently in the last year or so I really cannot remember seeing Dele smiling joking or giving interviews or playing up for the cameras for the clubs social media etc, there is a battle going on with him and I personally think he has some inner demons that are really effecting him not just mentally but physically as well and the guy is burnt out.

Personally I think he is battling a form of depression or mental illness or addiction (gaming etc), he needs an arm around him and a change of scenery (personally, I would love to see him lose Harry Hickford who has made a life out of being Dele's adopted Step brother who also seems to love the highlife he needs some new advice in his year before its to late.)

The other thing I have noticed big time about him is he's gained a huge amount of muscle mass (those of you that know me you know I have a huge problem with this in sport see my posts re bale going years back). He has probably done this either through training really hard when he was out injured or per instruction to prevent injury but sadly strengthening the core on players to prevent hamstring injuries/back injuries does not always work.

The problem is when you do this it can cause a lot of issues within the body A) lactic acid B) oxygen levels the more muscle you own on your frame the more oxygen your body needs to get them all firing I think this has also cost Dele his athleticism he's carrying a heavier frame about the pitch and tiring a lot quicker (this may change as he gets used to this frame or when he loses it). But this also changes Dele's natural body that he was born with which he has used to play football all his life he may just find his body isn't the same anymore and he is struggling to do what he wants to do as he physically can't do it. (he even said himself in an interview not so long back he can't treat his body like he used to).

To fix that I think we have to let his body go back to its natural gait and let him see where it takes him.

Personally, yesterday I got so upset with him when he didn't put Bale through I was angry at him for the whole of last night and for his performance as a whole but then I took a step back and looked through some footage of Dele of old etc, and being someone who has recently struggled with his own mental health and is now coming back through the other side of it I kind of want him to turn it all around as to me its obvious there is more than just football going on here there is a young guys mental health on the line.

I think Dele of old has enough great moments in the bank to warrant us fans sticking by him and giving him some patience and support to try and find himself through this first major difficult part of his career.

We demand loyalty from our players but we are the first to throw them under the bus when they suddenly stop hitting the highs we are used to, Dele could have downed tools and gone wherever he wanted a few years back when he had the world at his feet but he stayed. Maybe it's just time for us fans just for once to back a player through a tough patch.

Football its a fickle old sport eyh?

Mourinho really wanted him while at United. He was delighted he was here when he came in.


Then he watched him train, which obviously has caused issues. Look at what he's been saying recently about N'dom. How he's been training really hard and forced Jose to change his mind.

So many excuses being posted for Dele, but perhaps it really is the case he just isn't putting the effort in. He certainly isn't trying hard enough when he's afforded match time.

 

[agrdavidsfan]

Mourinho really wanted him while at United. He was delighted he was here when he came in.


Then he watched him train, which obviously has caused issues. Look at what he's been saying recently about N'dom. How he's been training really hard and forced Jose to change his mind.

So many excuses being posted for Dele, but perhaps it really is the case he just isn't putting the effort in. He certainly isn't trying hard enough when he's afforded match time.

I know what you are saying, but I am thinking maybe its not Dele's fault he's not training as hard or playing as hard I know it can be seen an "excuse" but maybe mentally he really is not right and he's struggling to do what's required of him and he needs some help.

 

[slartibartfast]

I know what you are saying, but I am thinking maybe its not Dele's fault he's not training as hard or playing as hard I know it can be seen an "excuse" but maybe mentally he really is not right and he's struggling to do what's required of him and he needs some help.

We watched Hazard walking round the pitch after him and Jose fell out. Didn't make him a shit player.
Alli isnt the first creative player to fall foul of Jose and he wont be the last.

 

[rez9000]

I know what you are saying, but I am thinking maybe its not Dele's fault he's not training as hard or playing as hard I know it can be seen an "excuse" but maybe mentally he really is not right and he's struggling to do what's required of him and he needs some help.

It's rarely cut and dried.

Should he be being professional and, regardless of what's going around him, be earning his bread? Yes....

In an ideal world.

But, sometimes, and for some people, it's not as simple as that.

I'm not saying it isn't cut and dried. I'm saying the cut-and-dryness isn't cut-and-dried, if you take my meaning.

You might be spot on agr, but then again, @Trix might be on the money too. It might not be that he's suffering from any mental issues and that he's just an enormously arrogant young man (I'm not saying he's one or the other, although I do wonder what has led to such a dramatic downtick).

Whichever it is, though, 100% it's a crying shame.

 

[Beni]

Counterpoint: what if, despite all the investment and massively talented squad assembled for him, Mourinho fails to get Top 4?

What if part of the reason for this was that he treated young talented assets so poorly that a) they never return to the output they achieved for multiple seasons prior to his arrival b) it offended other members of the squad on the "if it can happen to him" basis they also drop performance, and c) at the end of it all we lose Mourinho (sacked); Dele (no way he's playing for Spurs after this treatment) and perhaps Kane/Son/Lo Celso because grass simply must be greener...

Now I don't think this will happen. But I find this brinkmanship with young talent hazardous at best. I'd understand if Dele had an entourage like Ndombele who were briefing against the manager - but I can't see any evidence of that so I'm a bit bemused as to why Mourinho is being so cold. he's devaluing the asset more than if he simply didn't select him because he doesn't fit our structure now. A perfectly reasonable set of circumstances.

I don't mind Dele being left out of the team - I do worry about the apparent contempt. I don't understand it.

Maybe stuff is happening behind the scenes? Has there been ITK?

The only contempt, is that he is being asked every game about Dele, which prompts him to respond, which then is written about, which then implies he has deliberately gone out of his way to single him out.
Hence the constant ask, on pretty much every single press conference, to stop asking about Dele or individual performances.

 

[gibbospurs]

Best friends and family, aren't always what's best for you. (imagine your best friend/brother playing for spurs he's also funding your lifestyle but he's been rubbish for a while and the manager doesn't rate him thinks he's not working hard enough....would you risk telling him when he comes home the manager is right? No, you wouldn't you'd inflate his ego and tell him how great he is).

What you mean support your family member? Yeah. Weird that.

 

[chelmyid]

We watched Hazard walking round the pitch after him and Jose fell out. Didn't make him a shit player.
Alli isnt the first creative player to fall foul of Jose and he wont be the last.

Explain why he was great at the start of Jose tenure then? I really think you’re clutching if you want this to lay at Jose’s feet!

 

[rez9000]

What you mean support your family member? Yeah. Weird that.

I think maybe you're being a little simplistic there, gibbo - we all treat our family and friends differently according to different times. Support is not the same as telling someone what they want to hear. Rather the reverse, in fact - I'd suggest that support is telling someone what they need to hear. Is it otherwise?

 

[PLTuck]

What you mean support your family member? Yeah. Weird that.

Supporting someone doesnt always mean blowing smoke up their arse.

 

[BringBack_leGin]

Alli isnt the first creative player to fall foul of Jose and he wont be the last.

? this again. All managers fall out with players of all types. Ferguson fell out with Beckham and Van Nistelrooy while they were in their prime as two of the most potent attacking players in Europe, and they both went on to continued success. He also fell out with Yorke, Sharpe and Kanchelskis.

Mourinho has had enough successes with fabulously talented creative players to disprove the myth that he doesn’t gel well with those types. Maybe he just thinks Dele isn’t doing enough? Crazy I know.

 

[agrdavidsfan]

What you mean support your family member? Yeah. Weird that.

Yes support your family member but that doesn’t also mean blind faith, he needs some home truths not to be Molly coddled

 

[gibbospurs]

Yes support your family member but that doesn’t also mean blind faith, he needs some home truths not to be Molly coddled

How would you know what Harry is saying to Dele? Curious? Are you a family member?

 

[gibbospurs]

Supporting someone doesnt always mean blowing smoke up their arse.

And you know this how exactly?

 

[PLTuck]

And you know this how exactly?

Oh I dont know. 50 years of life experience and 30 years of parenting experience maybe.

If your little brother thought it'd be a great idea to jump into a fire, your idea of supporting him would be telling him to go ahead cos hes awesome.

 

[tiger666]

Some proper bollocks being spouted in here.

 

[mil1lion]

pulling off four players, not thinking of possible injuries. The subs were random and made little impact on the game. Telling everyone at the end to stop asking why some players were not playing but actually not giving players the chance to change things ... the game was not a must win one. This was not a cool calculated set of moves or tactical changes. This is the emotional outburst of a man who pokes people in the eye

We were much better after the subs came on. Played with a lot more urgency. Antwerp defended excellently otherwise we would have scored a few.

 

[gibbospurs]

Oh I dont know. 50 years of life experience and 30 years of parenting experience maybe.

If your little brother thought it'd be a great idea to jump into a fire, your idea of supporting him would be telling him to go ahead cos hes awesome.

You said Harry was blowing smoke up deles arse? I said how do you know? I didn’t ask if you was a parent. How do you know what’s been said. and I’m also a parent. Also Harry Hickford is part of my family. And I guess that means I know his dad too. So I know a fair bit more about the family than you.

 

[PLTuck]

You said Harry was blowing smoke up deles arse? I said how do you know? I didn’t ask if you was a parent. How do you know what’s been said. and I’m also a parent. Also Harry Hickford is part of my family. And I guess that means I know his dad too. So I know a fair bit more about the family than you.

No, I said supporting someone isn't always blowing smoke up their arse. You are making a strawman argument.

 

[gibbospurs]

No, I said supporting someone isn't always blowing smoke up their arse. You are making a strawman argument.

I think that’s probably you tbf.

 

[PLTuck]

I think that’s probably you tbf.

Ok, READ what I said, not what you want to argue.


/ignore