There are few more scathing critics of the modern-day footballer than Graeme Souness, and few more criticized modern-day footballers than Dele Alli.
MORE: Simon Jordan Puts Media To Shame Over Coverage Of Dele Burglary [Video]
You can see where I’m going with this, although Souness’ take on the Tottenham midfielder isn’t wholly negative.
The Scotsman wrote in The Times that the 24-year-old has had a “disappointing” dip after an outstanding start to his time at Spurs, and is at a “crossroads” in his career, suggesting that his next couple of seasons will determine whether Dele goes on to fulfil his potential to the full.
Souness wrote: “I went big on Alli when he burst on the scene, but he’s at a crossroads now and it will be interesting to see if he turns out to be a nearly man or the player I thought he was going to be after he scored 23 goals in 57 games for club and country in 2016-17.
“With his athleticism and technique, he’s at his best arriving late into the box and scoring, but his return since has been disappointing.
“As a former midfielder myself, what you don’t want is being run back towards your own goal by somebody who constantly gets in there.”
While I agree with Souness that Dele hasn’t since reached the heights of his 2016-17 campaign, I’m starting to see that as the Englishman’s equivalent of Mohamed Salah’s 32-goal Premier League season of 2017-18; an unknown commodity, playing in a high-functioning team, where everything went for him. Salah has settled at a more sustainable level and, after a definite slump in 2018-19, albeit hindered by injuries, Dele might be about to do the same.
On the law of averages, a return of eight goals and three assists in 22 league matches would have seen Dele tot up 14 goals and five assists over a full campaign. That would have been a very decent effort in a struggling Spurs unit and the sort of numbers which would make him undroppable again.
As he reaches the peak years of his career, the crossroads that Souness describes, Dele could yet prove he can be the world beater we thought he would be at 20. But even if he continues at this season’s level, he is good enough to be one of the important players to build the new team around.