• Dear Guest, Please note that adult content is not permitted on this forum. We have had our Google ads disabled at times due to some posts that were found from some time ago. Please do not post adult content and if you see any already on the forum, please report the post so that we can deal with it. Adult content is allowed in the glory hole - you will have to request permission to access it. Thanks, scara

Dele Alli

fernadez said:
With Alli's playing style if he's not popping up with goals. then he's always going to be questioned cause he doesn't excel at the other side of the game.
Click to expand...

Over the last year (incl WC) while not scoring goals I believe "the other side of the game" has been quite brilliant from him in a lot of ways.

I also believe, he is still young and developing, and these alleged underperforming years will be the education that takes him to new heights.

Hes a bit of a brick bag, but he is an excellent footballer with an incredibly high ceiling.
 
nayimfromthehalfwayline said:
Over the last year (incl WC) while not scoring goals I believe "the other side of the game" has been quite brilliant from him in a lot of ways.

I also believe, he is still young and developing, and these alleged underperforming years will be the education that takes him to new heights.

Hes a bit of a brick bag, but he is an excellent footballer with an incredibly high ceiling.
Click to expand...


Compared to other top class centre midfielders?
 
fernadez said:
He's a match winner, but not a controller of games. I don't see anything wrong with stating that.

I remember players saying that Inzaghi was the worst footballer they had ever seen, but in the box he was unstoppable.

With Alli's playing style if he's not popping up with goals. then he's always going to be questioned cause he doesn't excel at the other side of the game.

For example his place in the England team is massively under threat. Kane is captain, Sterling undroppable and Sancho bang in form. You're then asking does playing him further back give you anything more than you already have.
Click to expand...

Two words, Jordan Henderson
 
fernadez said:
He's a match winner, but not a controller of games. I don't see anything wrong with stating that.

I remember players saying that Inzaghi was the worst footballer they had ever seen, but in the box he was unstoppable.

With Alli's playing style if he's not popping up with goals. then he's always going to be questioned cause he doesn't excel at the other side of the game.

For example his place in the England team is massively under threat. Kane is captain, Sterling undroppable and Sancho bang in form. You're then asking does playing him further back give you anything more than you already have.
Click to expand...

Pretty much my thoughts also. I know many may disagree but personally I don’t believe he has been anywhere near his best for about 18 months. His overall play is decent but certainly nowhere near world class. Don’t think he’s effective enough in CM so really he has to play just off Kane.

Also agree about his England place. Hard to justify picking Alli when Sterling and Sanchez are scoring goals for fun for club and country. Whilst Alli has 3 in 37 for England.
 
billyiddo said:
Alli plays CM for England and has been playing CM for us the last 18 months - he isnt in competition for a starting place with Sterling or Sancho
Click to expand...

But he should be in competition with them he's not a CM. What are he's defining attributes in that position.

Numerous posters on this board have maintained that he was only playing there for us cause we were short of players. Also the last 18 months coincides with our downturn in form, expected goals scored, goals conceded etc.

I can' think of a single game where I left the stadium think, 'Alli ran the game today' but I can think of many where i left saying 'Alli won us that game with......'.
 
Last edited:
fernadez said:
But he should be in competition with them he's not a CM. What are he's defining attributes in that position.

Numerous posters on this board have maintained that he was only playing there for us cause we were short of players. Also the last 18 months coincides with our downturn in form, expected goals scored, goals conceded etc.

I can' think of a single game where I left the stadium think, 'Alli ran the game today' but I can think of many where i left saying 'Alli won us that game with......'.
Click to expand...

There's a dearth of talent in CM for both Spurs and England atm and Alli has been used to fill that gap for both this past year +, sacrificing the personal glamour of playing as the match-winning goalscorer to do what is asked of him from both teams - id imagine Pochettino and Southgate would both be full of praise for him.

I agree he's certainly a better second striker/acm than he is a CM but atm comparing his goal stats to forwards whilst he is playing a completely different role is pointless.
 
billyiddo said:
There's a dearth of talent in CM for both Spurs and England atm and Alli has been used to fill that gap for both this past year +, sacrificing the personal glamour of playing as the match-winning goalscorer to do what is asked of him from both teams - id imagine Pochettino and Southgate would both be full of praise for him.

I agree he's certainly a better second striker/acm than he is a CM but atm comparing his goal stats to forwards whilst he is playing a completely different role is pointless.
Click to expand...

I never compared his stats. I was just making the point as you have that he's a better second striker then he is a CM. And the reason for this is that he's skill set is suited more to the first position.
 
fernadez said:
But he should be in competition with them he's not a CM. What are he's defining attributes in that position.

Numerous posters on this board have maintained that he was only playing there for us cause we were short of players. Also the last 18 months coincides with our downturn in form, expected goals scored, goals conceded etc.

I can' think of a single game where I left the stadium think, 'Alli ran the game today' but I can think of many where i left saying 'Alli won us that game with......'.
Click to expand...
Because he's bog standard maybe even below average as a CM. Playing as a Cm for any other team he honestly wouldn't catch our eye. It's nice that he can play in other positions but he's not exceptional in CM far from it.

Sent from my ONEPLUS A6003 using Fapatalk
 
fernadez said:
I never compared his stats. I was just making the point as you have that he's a better second striker then he is a CM. And the reason for this is that he's skill set is suited more to the first position.
Click to expand...

I don't think anyone would disagree with that and to my knowledge i haven't seen anyone suggest he is a better CM than AM.

But he has been playing CM for a good while now which is why, as per my original post that you quoted, it's pointless comparing him to forwards like Sterling and Sancho
 
billyiddo said:
I don't think anyone would disagree with that and to my knowledge i haven't seen anyone suggest he is a better CM than AM.
Click to expand...
Some have though suggested that he's been a good or even an excellent CM which is where his response comes from.

Sent from my ONEPLUS A6003 using Fapatalk
 
billyiddo said:
I don't think anyone would disagree with that and to my knowledge i haven't seen anyone suggest he is a better CM than AM.

But he has been playing CM for a good while now which is why, as per my original post that you quoted, it's pointless comparing him to forwards like Sterling and Sancho
Click to expand...

I was only comparing him to them because it's his natural position to play higher up the pitch.
 
StephenH said:
Football fans are in the main are stupid, give them a drink and act like Gremlins left out in the rain overnight.
Click to expand...
That would mean they just multiply but they’d still be fluffy and cute.

what I never understood about that film is you should never feed them after midnight, but it’s always after midnight?
 
Although he caught my eye when he debuted for us in centre mid as he already had the ability to make time on the ball, it was as an AM he really stood out . His goal return was beyond Scholes and Lampard at the same age and I think had it continued we would be worried about losing him to a super club.

when england played Sterling and Kane together with Alli deeper I think it negated both Kane who had to drop in as a 10 as Sterling would never spot his runs or pass early enough and Alli who couldn’t influence the game in the box. Alli then played on with an injury ala Trippier which may have had a longer term impact last season for us, along with filling in at centre mid without a decent partner and not able to develop his natural partnership with a regressing / knackered Kane.

I still think he is a special talent as long as he maintains the drive, if he doesn’t I fear he’ll become like Jenas who always seemed to find the game easy, looked tidy but never really influenced the game.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back