Dele Alli hasn’t successfully crossed a ball since 05.01.2020 pic.twitter.com/mDjyT54n9m
— FootballingGenius ᵖᵃʳᵒᵈʸ (@BallingGenius) October 24, 2020
Dele Alli’s body language on Thursday night when the biy was on touchline waiting to come on, wasn’t great. The gimme 5 with Bale was perfunctory, quickly followed by a more animated slap down with Lamela. The acquisition of Bale after all was yet another contributing factor to Dele’s recent fall from grace. I got a sense that a stirring chorus of ‘We’ve got Deleee’ might have done the boy a world of good at that point.
This was Dele’s 32-minute cameo in which to show Mourinho he could be rehabilitated. The last one was 24-minutes against Manchester United in the 6-2 win on 04.10.2020.
Both of these appearances lacked the Dele spark. Whilst the 24-year-old hit 66% in total successful actions in both games, which is above his average of 58.7%, which perhaps shows greater concentration levels, he ultimately failed to impress. Looking at the sudden competition in the squad, Alli looks increasingly like a peripheral character.
Dele achieved just a 64% passing accuracy, and tried 3 crosses against LASK and none of them were successful. In fact, Dele hasn’t managed an accurate cross since we played Middlesbrough in the FA Cup, back in 05.01.2020.
Right now there are just far too many better options available to Mourinho.
He needs to regain whatever it was he had, and sharpish. Before the squad had this depth we had no choice but to wait on him to find his mojo.
As you say, better options than an out of form Dele can be called upon. However, the Dele of a couple of seasons ago still gets in this team for me, in behind Kane. If he really has been found out, if he doesn’t perform with being given a fair crack of the whip…
I may be going soft but I feel for him. In tight games he used to make the difference so often with cute short balls into Kane and he was a brilliant late-arriver into the box. I especially remember 2 great headers v Chelsea a while back. He needs game time.
The problem as I see it with Dele is that he bought into his own hype. He achieved a degree of recognition and success too early in his career, had his ego hugely inflated by the UK media and started to turn into a ‘trick pony’ rather than a serious footballer.
You began to see more of the little flicks and feints and pirouettes and less actual substance in his play. As he became more ineffectual, in addition to more film footage of him for opposing defenders to study and counteract his skill set, the petulance increased.
The additional problem he has now is that he is perceived as a luxury player, by a manager who doesn’t deal in ‘luxury’ players. He is not a DM, he is not a ‘box to box’ midfielder, as he lacks the energy and physical presence to fulfil that role and he is not going to be picked as a central midfielder ahead of Ndomby and Lo Celso.
So what role does that leave? Apart from a back-up CM, just a #10, for a manager who rarely deploys a #10 and even worse for Dele, who not only has Harry Kane capable of playing the position like a world beater, but now has another back-up option for that position, Vinicius, who might be a more disruptive threat than Dele.
Sadly for Dele, as the boy still has considerable skill and ability to read the game, it is going to be very hard to find meaningful minutes of playing time in a squad loaded with such an embarrassment of attacking options, as this one now is. All of which leaves a very uncertain future for such a mercurial talent.
I couldn’t believe it when I heard it.It is a familiar trait with certain players who are having average games,Sterling and Rashford come to mind.
Is it just me or is Dele always off balance when he receives the ball or when he looks to lay it off.He never seems properly set to me.
Jenas on BT thought he was having a good game! I was amazed because Dele did his usual by largely being ineffective. Dele is playing like Lingaard at Utd, in that he probably thinks he deserves more respect, but the lads around him have moved on and are playing at a higher level. Shame Dele hasn’t stepped up, but he probably isn’t capable of it.
I agree, but this type of comment has been doing the rounds for at least 2 seasons. I think he’s been found out.
I just don’t think he has the strength and speed to compete now.Those flashy flicks are not coming off either. The boy’s been found out and he just takes up a valuable place.
Classic case of being overhyped by all and sundry for what in reality was always a few bits of lucky dazzle amongst a mediocre performance. Add to that the obligatory too much too soon compensation and his relative youth the rune stones only pointed toward one ending.
He could have scored, then again so could have most of our forwards against such pance. These early Ropey group games are often such a formality that it’s hard to maintain interest in them beyond what you might have for pre-season.
Dele will really need to use these minutes to play his way in, I predict he might become more important as the season goes on. Injuries, suspensions and rotation plus the need for something different here and there will present chances for him to play.
I still feel he has quality to offer, much will be about his attitude and determination to prove it and the number of chances he’ll get to show that.