Dele Alli at Everton

[JME-9]

In a 25 man squad, a young homegrown attacker with a proven ability to both score and make goals at this level has a place. He may not fit into our plan A system and he may have very frustrating flaws, but there’s a whole bunch of players we should sell before Dele.

Now if he wants to go because he’s not going to play enough, or we choose to raise squad strengthening funds by selling him, that’s another matter, but even at his worst he’s still a game changer and they don’t grow in trees.

I wouldn’t sell him due to his lack of quality or due to an opinion of he needs to go due to this! There is a bunch of players who should go before him without doubt! I’d sell him if we got a 60/80 mill bid to then improve the squad with more quality! More than likely wouldn’t get that bid anyway so he should stay! One of the problems he has had is since he broke into the team his position hasn’t really been challenged and he hasn’t kicked on

 

[wrd]

I problem with that is I don't think Dele gets into a Jose starting eleven and I don't think Dele would be happy to sit on the bench and we'd be better off cashing in on an asset if that's the case.

If he wants to leave and there's a really good offer on the table then that's understandable. What I don't understand is why our fans would want him to leave whilst we don't know what kind of money we'd get for him, I'd say he's lost value atm and in the covid transfer era I think his worth as a player outweighs the cash we'd get for him.

 

[JimmyG2]

As Danny Blanchflower said of Hoddle when asked if he was a luxury.
'''Its not the good players that are a luxury, it's the bad.''
I'm not comparing Dele to Ghod but the principle is the same.
Keep and let Jose work his 'magic'
When fit he is virtually irreplaceable and plays well with HK.

 

[bubble07]

I problem with that is I don't think Dele gets into a Jose starting eleven and I don't think Dele would be happy to sit on the bench and we'd be better off cashing in on an asset if that's the case.

If a player is happy to sit on the bench it means they are either a kid or a veteran or just shit

 

[wrd]

If a player is happy to sit on the bench it means they are either a kid or a veteran or just shit

It's important to remember the reason these footballers become the level they do is that they back themselves to start every week and believe they will do so. Just because we as a fanbase believe he'd be a decent squad option doesn't mean Dele will believe that.

 

[carpediem991]

If a player is happy to sit on the bench it means they are either a kid or a veteran or just shit

Or Gareth Bale and just happy with the contract

 

[Timberwolf]

Anyone suggesting Dele as a backup striker must've blacked out during the period prior to lockdown where he led the line and we looked Fucking. Shite.

His best position is without a doubt as a kind of shadow striker in a 4-4-2 or 4-4-1-1.

He can also do a job as a no.10 in a 4-2-3-1 or as a midfielder in a 4-3-3 but I think he's not great in these roles and we have better options.

I don't think it's a coincidence that our recent run of form, our best in the season, coincides with him being out of the team.

 

[BringBack_leGin]

The egg that will not boil

Amazing.

 

[Timberwolf]

I problem with that is I don't think Dele gets into a Jose starting eleven and I don't think Dele would be happy to sit on the bench and we'd be better off cashing in on an asset if that's the case.

I'm actually really curious to see what happens with Alli next season.

Jose clearly rates him but at the same time we've looked better without him and I don't think Jose will do a Poch and just play him regardless of form.

For the first time in his career, Dele might have to face being a backup option and have to fight to get back in the team. This is something I think Dele has needed for a while now. He has always had obvious problems in his game (holds onto the ball for too long, tries to be too clever) but I haven't really noticed much improvement at all, whereas some other players clearly work their balls off to iron out their weaknesses.

I think this could either make or break his future at Spurs. He either steps it up and becomes the player we hoped he would become, or he fades into the background and eventually gets sold.

To Everton presumably.

 

[Stamford]

Maybe he's just a squad player

 

[arunspurs]

Dele has got an easy ride for 5 years now. Time to either step up or look after himself and go another club.
Jose has his favourites but if things doesnt work out, he is sane enough to not play them. I am not sure Dele is his favourite-must play XI player yet.
Heard some rumours in past that he is doing too much partying. If so, time to focus and get his act tohgether.
I cant see him in the XI, unless he steps up

 

[Gardham90]

I think Dele should be played as a winger / forward in a 4-3-3 instead of as a centre midfielder. I know some on here are dead set on him being unable to play as a winger but I think he could be effective there. For me, Dele's at his best when he's able to make deep runs as well as combine with others in the box. He's also a strong header of the ball and could latch onto crosses. As others have mentioned, he’s struggled when he’s had to drop in and create from midfield as that is not his game. For that reason playing him as a CM is not ideal.

People think to play on the left / right in a 4-3-3 you need to be a tricky wide player... this is not true. Mourinho has primarily had our front 3 in a 4-3-3 playing quite narrow with width being provided from our full backs.

With most of our offensive output under Mourinho having come from counter attacking situations, Dele would be effective on the counter coming from the left or right and combining with our other forwards. This is how he has scored a lot of goals for us.

Of course if Dele is playing, we also don't have to utilize a 4-3-3 and he could play as a 10 in a 4-2-3-1 or similar formation. He could also play up top alongside Kane or Son in a 4-4-2. Mourinho is not tactically rigid and will not be sticking to one system all season.

Despite the criticism he's received, he's still our third top goal scorer this season and I think he’ll very much be in the manager’s plans next season.

In my opinion the most important attributes for a winger in Mourinho's counter attacking system are pace and dribbling ability (think Duff/Robben, Di Maria/Ronaldo, Eto'o). When we counter we need to do so at speed, much like the 2nd goal against Leicester. Son, Moura and Bergwijn are capable of this.

Simply put, Dele is not quick enough and his dribbling is average at best. He constantly slows the play down and by the time he decides what he wants to do the opposition have regrouped with enough people behind the ball to nullify our threat. I would not like to lose him and he is a great squad player but I struggle to see where he fits in our starting line up at present.

 

[DanNolan]

I’m very suprised by comments about how Dele doesn’t fit into the team because he’s slow or a poor dribbler. Since Mourinho arrived and certainly while playing with Kane, Dele was extremely good and his goals and assists stats went up. He’s very well liked by Jose and the strategy that Jose adopts very much has Alli involved.

Watch a compilation of Dele goals and you will notice they come as a result of :
1: Breakaway goals in which we used to win the ball high or counter attack
2: his brilliant movement ghosting in while other defenders are occupied by Kane

Both of the above are perfect for this system. He presses the ball very well, makes intelligent runs and scores goals on the break.

If anything he is more suited to the role that Lo celso played vs leicester with his ability on the counter to travel with the ball and then make clever runs into the box. Kane showed Sunday it’s not all about lightning pace it’s about intelligent movement.
Dele is at his worst when the other team has 11 behind the ball as he doesn’t have a burst of pace to dribble past defenders that are set and has no room to ghost into the box. The tactics we are deploying suit him perfectly.

 

[isaac94]

After the last 3 games, I fail to see where Alli can fit into this system, he hasn't got the pace to play on the break and usually slows down play

 

[danielneeds]

After the last 3 games, I fail to see where Alli can fit into this system, he hasn't got the pace to play on the break and usually slows down play

Bleurgh, playing on the break is about moving the ball back quickly and people making intelligent runs. If Dele doesn’t hold on to the ball too much he can be effective either starting attacks or being on the end of them, like his goal against Arse in the league cup where he chipped it over the keeper after Kane played him through.

 

[WiganSpur]

I'd sell if we got a solid offer for him, but I think he'd do well in the number 8 spot for us. It's a myth that he can't play CM, especially 8.

 

[carpediem991]

I'd sell if we got a solid offer for him, but I think he'd do well in the number 8 spot for us. It's a myth that he can't play CM, especially 8.

But why should we push him into an "8", where I think he lacks passing skills and several other attributes to an extent? We have 8s like Lo Celso, Tanguy (hopefully) and even Winks or Sissoko who can do a job there, so I am not sure that would be a good solution.

Maybe I am wrong, but I really struggle to see a good fit for him...

 

[WiganSpur]

But why should we push him into an "8", where I think he lacks passing skills and several other attributes to an extent? We have 8s like Lo Celso, Tanguy (hopefully) and even Winks or Sissoko who can do a job there, so I am not sure that would be a good solution.

Maybe I am wrong, but I really struggle to see a good fit for him...

Watch the 4-1 against Liverpool 2/3 years ago when Pochettino adopted a very Mourinho-esque approach. He works hard and can tackle. I actually think his passing is one of the better things about him, he can pick out runners ahead of him easily. Where he struggles is his speed of dribbling on the ball where he can slow things down, but playing deeper would mean he'd do this less imo.

If Mourinho can coach him to make late runs into the box from deep, he could be an asset for us there.

I'm not saying start him every game there, but surely he's got to be infinitely better than Sissoko, by default of actually being able to receive the ball on the half turn and play it up the pitch.

 

[Cochise]

I think we need to get around to thinking where he fits in a front 4, as it seems that Jose likes to seperate his team into two branches (the back four and 2 CMs and attacking quartet).

He most definitely can function as either one of the wide forwards or as the #10, but in games where we expect to have more possession he would have to be partnered with at least one creative player.

 

[Ledley's Right Foot]

He's been off his top form for a couple of years but he is still an incredible player. Once he is back to fitness I predict we will see the best of him next season. He is capable of 20 goals a season + assists, and I think he'd be perfect on the counter and at breaking down teams who put men behind the ball. Wouldn't be surprised if he is a key player next season. His game depends on intelligent running off him, we are starting to see more of that again in these last few games. We now have a strong squad for the final third of the pitch.