Dele Alli is England's best young midfielder playing in Turkey

[WeePat]

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[KeanoMagicHat]

No point pretending that he never had talent, Alex Ferguson himself said he saw him and would have made him a priority to sign if he was still manager. He was clearly very gifted. I still can’t understand how he can’t get a game for that dreadful Everton team though. Why doesn’t Lampard give him a go, they’re shite, what’s the worst that could happen?

 

[Irrational.]

He had all the talent in the world, without the application or attitude to match. And he was a bit of a prick. Where have we seen that before?

 

[balaks]

He didn't have the talent though, he was one of many mindless runners that fans in England love so much.

Of course he had the talent, he was absolutely superb for those first few years when he broke through. Some re-writing of history going on here.

 

[Robbie Boy]

Of course he had the talent, he was absolutely superb for those first few years when he broke through. Some re-writing of history going on here.

Aye, he looked a genuinely special talent in his early years.

 

[TwoSheds]

No point pretending that he never had talent, Alex Ferguson himself said he saw him and would have made him a priority to sign if he was still manager. He was clearly very gifted. I still can’t understand how he can’t get a game for that dreadful Everton team though. Why doesn’t Lampard give him a go, they’re shite, what’s the worst that could happen?

Alli is shiter.

 

[SilentWitness]

No point pretending that he never had talent, Alex Ferguson himself said he saw him and would have made him a priority to sign if he was still manager. He was clearly very gifted. I still can’t understand how he can’t get a game for that dreadful Everton team though. Why doesn’t Lampard give him a go, they’re shite, what’s the worst that could happen?

He clearly has a poor attitude and application in training. I will thank him for changing the Palace game that saved us from relegation but aside from that it saves us a ton of money.

 

[Idxomer]

Was he ever a midfielder though?

 

[Bepi]

English talents peaking at 19-21 and then binned to make space for the next crop of shiny new 19-21yos? It is a societal thing… and players (like Alli) are often not mature enough to carry on after they are thrown under the bus.

 

[SilentWitness]

English talents peaking at 19-21 and then binned to make space for the next crop of shiny new 19-21yos? It is a societal thing… and players (like Alli) are often not mature enough to carry on after they are thrown under the bus.

That didn’t happen with Dele at all.

 

[HTG]

While talented to a degree, I never really saw where the hype came from. Always seemed to lack discipline.

 

[Red Indian Chief Torn Rubber]

He has lost all belief and confidence

 

[BerryBerryShrew]

His development under Poch didn't help either. Should never have been played as a battering ram, goalscoring deep forward. It's the classic mistake made with all British no.8s who can score goals. Gerrard was the same, pandered to by successive coaches and became a very good forward rather than a world class box to box CM. Houllier had the right idea with Gerrard but Benitez let it go to pot. Alli has never had a coach with the right idea I don't think. Maybe for MK Dons I don't know.

True. The pressure in the PL is such that you can't really afford to have a promising CM learn on the job so you have to force them into positions where they can lean on their strengths and ignore their weaknesses. You could make a similar argument for Foden- he's playing out wide but he could be brilliant in that KdB/Bernardo role if given the time and patience.

It goes to show that Bellingham made a wise decision to go abroad. He'll return to England a much more rounded CM than he would have been if he had moved directly to the PL from Birmingham.

 

[Drainy]

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Yeah Jose has a lot of insights into football, but how useful it is if you can't influence anyone because you are a prick

 

[fps]

I was never quite sure why he was doing so well, he had a lot of top moments but I couldn’t define why.

 

[Donaldo]

Little scrote wasn't half as good as everyone though he was and not even a 10th of what he thought of himself.

Lampards done him a favour keeping him around for so long.

 

[Skills]

He was very good but he massively benefited from playing next to peak Eriksen and Kane, with grafters in behind who would who would do the heavy lifting.

For an attacking player he had the ideal situation for him. Kane was the primary goal scorer, Eriksen was the primary creator and Alli had relatively low pressure on him in terms of his work load.

 

[SilentWitness]

I think the problem with Dele is he is a luxury player. It’s no surprise that his best seasons are when he was alongside Dembele/Dier/Eriksen/Kane who could lift responsibility off him in multiple ways and allow him to float around as the second striker picking up goals and assists by arriving late in the box or displaying his technical skills. When you don’t have that around you it’s going to be a struggle to perform at that level if you don’t then start putting in the extra work yourself.

 

[Relevated]

Yeah Jose has a lot of insights into football, but how useful it is if you can't influence anyone because you are a prick

He cant actually get into his body and do the work for him, unfortunately.

 

[Giggsy13]

Yeah Jose has a lot of insights into football, but how useful it is if you can't influence anyone because you are a prick

Winners tend to be pricks. I’m certain pep and Klopp wouldn’t be any different. Let’s focus on feelings Jose has hurt and not the trophies he’s won.

 

[Relevated]

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It was so good until the 'thank you mate' LOOL it really made the whole advice seem not genuine a bit

 

[Bepi]

That didn’t happen with Dele at all.

Didn’t he have his personal (and family) issues all tabloided for the masses in derogatory terms, for a year or two? That contributed to his demise, when added to him being not the nicest guy for sure. He had to run with a target on his back for a while, and that’s a societal issue imho.

 

[WeePat]

Yeah Jose has a lot of insights into football, but how useful it is if you can't influence anyone because you are a prick

I feel like people only viewed him like that (as a prick who loses dressing rooms quickly) in the last 7 years or so. Top players at Chelsea and Inter all say he was kind of a prick but it was exactly the kind of poking and provoking they needed to push their careers to crazy heights. Alli was talented for sure, but he seems like he fell away just as quickly as he rose to prominence.

 

[Skills]

I think the problem with Dele is he is a luxury player. It’s no surprise that his best seasons are when he was alongside Dembele/Dier/Eriksen/Kane who could lift responsibility off him in multiple ways and allow him to float around as the second striker picking up goals and assists by arriving late in the box or displaying his technical skills. When you don’t have that around you it’s going to be a struggle to perform at that level if you don’t then start putting in the extra work yourself.

This was precisely it. He had a very good thing going for him at Spurs with the players he was coupled with. Ideal situation for any attacking player to thrive in.

He fell off around the time Eriksen fell off and Kane started to get injured. Around that time a player like Son on the other hand thrived under the extra responsibility.

 

[GlasgowCeltic]

Was he ever a midfielder though?

“Raumdeuter”

 

[SilentWitness]

Didn’t he have his personal (and family) issues all tabloided for the masses in derogatory terms, for a year or two? That contributed to his demise, when added to him being not the nicest guy for sure. He had to run with a target on his back for a while, and that’s a societal issue imho.

I agree that there is a societal problem with non-white footballers being targeted by the media in derogatory ways that others aren’t but I disagree that it’s the reason why Dele has fell off.

I think it has everything to do with him as a player not having the right attitude and discipline in training and in games because he’s never needed to have the same discipline as a player as others. He was in an incredibly well set up side that allowed him to flourish with a low work rate but since that hasn’t been the case his low work rate is exposed and thus as a player he is too.

 

[NewYorkRed]

I remember he scored a goal I think maybe his first or second year at spurs. I saw that and said “wow, this kid’s the real deal” Can’t believe he has turned out to be a total dud. One of those where I have to put my hand up and say I didn’t see this coming at all.

 

[Bepi]

I agree that there is a societal problem with non-white footballers being targeted by the media in derogatory ways that others aren’t but I disagree that it’s the reason why Dele has fell off.

I think it has everything to do with him as a player not having the right attitude and discipline in training and in games because he’s never needed to have the same discipline as a player as others. He was in an incredibly well set up side that allowed him to flourish with a low work rate but since that hasn’t been the case his low work rate is exposed and thus as a player he is too.

Yeah, he was immature and pampered, yet he also lacked the structure to accommodate and sustain his success

this is the societal thing I was referring to… a bit of darwinism throwing young, not fully formed kids too early into the worst aspects of adult life (but I’m Italian, a mummy boy maybe)

 

[Champ]

He always had the talent, it wasn't knee jerking. It was the attitude that let him down nothing else.

I don't think he ever had the talent to make it anymore than what he has done.

A decent career, however no where near that too club level.

 

[Lay]

Thought his name would at least carry him to a better league than the Turkish league

 

[Brwned]

He didn't have the talent though, he was one of many mindless runners that fans in England love so much.

You must be thinking of a different player. Alli was the laziest, most lackadaisical player in their midfield and attack. He played on instinct and tried ridiculous things with real cockiness. He wasn’t a runner. He made good runs in behind but every other kind of running - compared to someone like Gerrard, for example - he wasn’t noted for that at all. That’s the laziest stereotype you could’ve imagined.

Whether he had talent or just a ridiculous purple period is hard to tell. But he pulled off some spectacular things over and over again. That’s what grabbed attention, not his running.

 

[OleGunnar20]

What a waste of talent, shame.

Wise words there from Jose too. Time really does fly, and no doubt he'll regret it one day.

 

[Glorio]

I was never quite sure why he was doing so well, he had a lot of top moments but I couldn’t define why.

This - you couldn't pick out identifiable skills he excelled at, but he was really effective in that period where he shone at Spurs

 

[lysglimt]

To people saying Dele Alli lacked talent - 37 league goals in 106 matches from 2015/16 to the 17/18 season - those are insane numbers for an attacking midfielder who was 22 years old when the 17/18 season ended.

 

[Oranges038]

He was good. But that's about 4/5 years ago now.

Turkey is about his level, but I have a feeling he'll be a free agent this time next year and very few clubs will be interested.

 

[Red Shorts]

To people saying Dele Alli lacked talent - 37 league goals in 106 matches from 2015/16 to the 17/18 season - those are insane numbers for an attacking midfielder who was 22 years old when the 17/18 season ended.

Agreed, don't get the untalented comments here. He just has a shite attitude

 

[Varun1]

I feel like people only viewed him like that (as a prick who loses dressing rooms quickly) in the last 7 years or so. Top players at Chelsea and Inter all say he was kind of a prick but it was exactly the kind of poking and provoking they needed to push their careers to crazy heights. Alli was talented for sure, but he seems like he fell away just as quickly as he rose to prominence.

You can't push the same buttons for everyone, and I feel that was one of SAF's greatest strength.
He knew who needed an arm around the shoulder and who would respond to a bollocking.

 

[Prodigal7]

He was a bit of a Keane rather than a Scholes (not positionally). His biggest strength when he was top of his game was his mentality and work ethic. Take that away and he doesn’t have the natural footballing ability to get by at the top level.

 

[Red the Bear]

The way United fans were creaming themselves over Greizmann was more shocking.

3rd best player in the world they said to an almost nobody.

To be fair he had a great 2016 for both club and country and played a pivotal role in them winning 2018.

 

[Hammondo]

You must be thinking of a different player. Alli was the laziest, most lackadaisical player in their midfield and attack. He played on instinct and tried ridiculous things with real cockiness. He wasn’t a runner. He made good runs in behind but every other kind of running - compared to someone like Gerrard, for example - he wasn’t noted for that at all. That’s the laziest stereotype you could’ve imagined.

Whether he had talent or just a ridiculous purple period is hard to tell. But he pulled off some spectacular things over and over again. That’s what grabbed attention, not his running.

His typical move is to dribble with the ball into a worse position than where he started or to just pass forward without looking on considering his teammates position.