More Amazon Prime goodness and this time we ponder the curious case of Dele Alli.
One of the most interesting elements for me so far has been the focus upon Dele Alli. Now it is important to be quite specific as to why, because every time this place or any other mentions the lad, there’s this tinnitus like buzz that rises up of fans e x p l a i n i n g to the rest of us what the deal is with Dele, because what we see and hear with our own senses isn’t the truth. The truth is more aligned with those dreadful reality TV shows, where some dullard, seconds away from being booted from the studio, unconvincingly blurts out, “…but, you haven’t seen the best of me…”
The problem with Dele Alli is that we have seen the best of him and it was fascinating to watch the 24-year-old’s body language collapse as his one to one with José unfolded. Dele takes a seat and does this strange thing with his hands, whereby both arms hover over the arms of the office chair with his fingertips just touching the edge of the arms. Like a magician about to move invisible cups.
Within 60 seconds the arms are folded as José, who has already told him to his face that he is f**king lazy in training twice, needs to snap out of it and become consistent, or he’ll be left with nothing but regrets. The Portuguese tells him, “I am 56, and yesterday I was 20.”
Mourinho knows that screaming and shouting at the boy is unlikely to achieve anything, and instead opts to pitch the wake-up call – as being in the players’ own hands. This is the time to become the player that Sir Alex Ferguson took such a shine to.
For a moment, one feels that Mourinho has got to him, then shortly afterwards we are privileged to watch Dele discussing the burning complexities of when during the process of brushing one’s teeth, the exact moments that the brush should be introduced to the water.
I take a view with Dele that there isn’t anything sinister about the boy, he’s simply intellectually underdeveloped. Watching Jan Vertonghen and Toby Alderweireld talk, we see grown men, fathers who speak several languages and quite possibly own books.
With Dele Alli see a Peter Pan character, and like Peter, a man boy that cuts rather a tragic figure when not besting pirates in Neverland.
Yes, I felt like that for the first episode, second episode not so bad. The “Levy interacting with the staff” bits are super cringe.
TalkSport asked would Spurs fans sell Dele to get Grealish. Too bloody right I would. One looks as though he is improving and the other buys £150k watches!
Big up all the father’s. We know more than most🌚
Lol. A Roy Keane is exactly what our nice boys need.
Some people take time to mature , some never do, Dele came from nowhere to superstar status and thrust into the limelight . It has undoubtedly affected his game the past couple of seasons with performances not even close to that first outstanding season. He needs to listen and take in what Mourinho is telling him, or the lad will just fade away and never realise his full potential, it’s up to him to see that he needs to get his head right and show that maturity, I hope he does.
He is always trying to nutmeg someone, like a 15 year old. I’d love to know his success rate. It proper winds me up. I wonder if the other players tell him to pack it in? I am guessing Roy Keane wouldn’t have put up with it, but does Harry Kane?
I liked the bit where Jose pulls Dele up for playing a lazy pass. That is my bugbear with him; all too often he slows down the play. That and the flicks and tricks he tries when the game is in the balance.
I just watched the first episode of the Amazon series.My impression is that it is heavily cut and too many scenes appear to be staged particularly featuring Levy.Levy is cringemaking and for a billionaire he sure likes wearing his dark green polo shirt.He is at his most uncomfortable when trying to be casual.
I think Kane will give Jose one season for silverware,because they both know he has to go elsewhere to progress futher otherwise.
Dele showed his immaturity when Jose criticised him each time seemingly to think it was a big joke.
Unless he has changed his attitude once the season starts he will know Jose does only want winners.
Touch of OCD about some of that behaviour maybe. Hard work is what he needs. I heard someone on 5Live talking about Jack Grealish and he said there are days where Grealish is still at the training ground until seven pm working on his skills.
Ronaldo is supposed to be one of the hardest trainers ever. Even the much maligned George Best was known to stay after the other players left to work on his own.
Alli needs to grow up.
Every time you see him he is doing the jokey stuff.
Signs he is coming back though in the friendlies
Totally agree, the fact that Dele is a lazy trainer speaks volumes. He didn’t like being told. Well played Jose. When Jose first came in, Dele got his goal scoring boots back on but he struggled when Son and Kane were injured. It’ll be interesting to see how their relationship pans out in the next shows. The attitude is still there but it is centred on the wrong thing, that he is brilliant, when he isn’t and hasn’t looked the same player for 2 years. He better start working harder or he’ll find himself transferred to Everton in a year’s time!