2021/22 Dele Alli

[BigDuncTributeBand]

Hopefully he's benefitting from some intensive training during the international break.

I've tried to watch him when he's come off the bench and he looks a clever footballer. Touch and movement is there. Couple of smart passes that have either not been converted or not quite come off.

Maybe it's simply that he's not fit enough to start a full game. Maybe he's half arsed in training. Just get the feeling we won't see too much from him in little cameos off the bench.

You’re right, can see the touch is there, clever footballer.

I don’t think he’s ever really been the same since he had all those muscle injuries/issues. I wonder if he knows the body can’t do what he wants it to, used to do and probably what people expect him to.

Whatever the reason for the malaise, it’s gone on for too long and just having a nice touch/looking a clever talented player in fleeting moments isn’t enough. Not for the money he’s on.

 

[blueblue]

Probably not the ideal situation for a player of his type to join a club struggling for form and for points.
He is neither a battler or a leader and that is probably what we need most now.
If we survive this season and the manager can tweak his team for next season then Dele may have a bigger role to play.

 

[Carlito]

Old uncle Harry on Talksport:

"Before Frank took him, I texted Frank, and said: ‘Listen, Dele Alli, I think if you can get him going, he’s some player’," he admitted, "I’ve stuck up for him, I keep saying he’s a fantastic talent, but why’d you go and do that? Turning up in a Rolls Royce [on his first day] like that, it tells you everything about what’s gone wrong for him.”

Cheers Harry ??

Oh, God.

Another cook in the recruitment kitchen.

 

[Carlito]

He’s hands down the most talented player in our team. It’s not even close.

I laughed at first, but I suppose it's only him and Gray (and Gordon recently) that have any finesse to their games whatsoever.

What a sad indictment.

 

[cjuk87]

Deserves a chance, madness how people have turned on a lad that has hardly played.

Agreed. There's a quality player in there. Get his fitness up and play him. He'll fire us to greatness.

Edit: sorry, thought this was the Rondon thread.

 

[Zeitgeist]

Deserves a chance, madness how people have turned on a lad that has hardly played.

Crazy. He has literally not done a thing wrong and people are saying get rid and the media saying he should retire lol gtfo

 

[Toffeelover]

Crazy. He has literally not done a thing wrong and people are saying get rid and the media saying he should retire lol gtfo

What has he done right? I think a change of attitude is needed to be fair.

 

[Papa Shango]

What has he done right? I think a change of attitude is needed to be fair.

This "attitude" thing again.

He has not started one game nor came into a game where we were in a good position. The only thing I recall from him so far is running into an opponents keeper whilst chasing the ball after another crap pass was played in our final third.

 

[MikeH72]

This "attitude" thing again.

He has not started one game nor came into a game where we were in a good position. The only thing I recall from him so far is running into an opponents keeper whilst chasing the ball after another crap pass was played in our final third.

Why should he need to come on when we’re in a good position? Couldn’t he come off the bench to help us earn points from a losing or drawing position?

 

[bring back the catt]

You’re right, can see the touch is there, clever footballer.

I don’t think he’s ever really been the same since he had all those muscle injuries/issues. I wonder if he knows the body can’t do what he wants it to, used to do and probably what people expect him to.

Whatever the reason for the malaise, it’s gone on for too long and just having a nice touch/looking a clever talented player in fleeting moments isn’t enough. Not for the money he’s on.

A thought for you Big Dunc.
We lost (shhh, whisper it), Gylfi before a ball was kicked. Soon after the FSW jettisoned our only other decent passer of a ball, James, and we have really had no creativity since. Do you think Ali could be the one to sit tight and pick out the clever pass nobody else seems to be capable of.
Probably not a very popular choice, but I think he could play that role. It would also create more confusion in the opposition defence, and give them something to think other than kicking lumps out of Richy and Anthony.
It could also benefit the two new full backs, if ever played, to overlap more as Frank appears to favour.
Just a thought.

Looks alert for heavy objects being thrown.

 

[bring back the catt]

Why should he need to come on when we’re in a good position? Couldn’t he come off the bench to help us earn points from a losing or drawing position?

I think he could. A clever pass against a tiring team and a loss could turn into a draw, and a draw could turn into a victory. Lord knows we could do with those extra points.

 

[Papa Shango]

Why should he need to come on when we’re in a good position? Couldn’t he come off the bench to help us earn points from a losing or drawing position?

Well its obviously easier to integrate into a new team when things are a bit rosier. Expecting him to prove his worth whilst we are being humped 5-0 by Spurs wont work.

Whatever attacking player we play or bring on just stands on his own whilst we keep giving the ball away further downfield anyway.

It was not the signing we needed this January for me, if we can get this season out of the way without going down he may prove useful if we can start putting together some semblance of a functioning team.

 

[BigDuncTributeBand]

Oh, God.

Another cook in the recruitment kitchen.

Just waiting for us to sign Niko kranjcar in the summer!

 

[BigDuncTributeBand]

A thought for you Big Dunc.
We lost (shhh, whisper it), Gylfi before a ball was kicked. Soon after the FSW jettisoned our only other decent passer of a ball, James, and we have really had no creativity since. Do you think Ali could be the one to sit tight and pick out the clever pass nobody else seems to be capable of.
Probably not a very popular choice, but I think he could play that role. It would also create more confusion in the opposition defence, and give them something to think other than kicking lumps out of Richy and Anthony.
It could also benefit the two new full backs, if ever played, to overlap more as Frank appears to favour.
Just a thought.

Looks alert for heavy objects being thrown.

*throws heavy object…

Re first paragraph, massively agree. Posted a few times over the summer we were losing our two best creators/passers from a team that already struggled to create a lot of chances. We didn’t replace them, throw in selling Digne and we’re struggling to create, go figure.

We don’t really have any creative passers to play that advanced midfield/number 10 - he’s probably the most technically suited for that role. Couple things:

1) we’d have to change formation, Frank’s not really played a number 10/attacking midfielder behind the striker type role so far.

2) always thought he was more of player to get in the end of things rather than a creator. He let Erikson do the creating at Spurs and he popped up in the box to slot.

All a bit moot as ability is one thing but there’s something else holding him back to disappear for two and a half years.

 

[Zatara]

A thought for you Big Dunc.
We lost (shhh, whisper it), Gylfi before a ball was kicked. Soon after the FSW jettisoned our only other decent passer of a ball, James, and we have really had no creativity since. Do you think Ali could be the one to sit tight and pick out the clever pass nobody else seems to be capable of.
Probably not a very popular choice, but I think he could play that role. It would also create more confusion in the opposition defence, and give them something to think other than kicking lumps out of Richy and Anthony.
It could also benefit the two new full backs, if ever played, to overlap more as Frank appears to favour.
Just a thought.

Looks alert for heavy objects being thrown.

Lampard did say he was bought for the long term.

As with Patterson and Mykolenko, I think one eye was on the summer and having a full preseason with a recycling of players to build a new team.

*throws heavy object…

Re first paragraph, massively agree. Posted a few times over the summer we were losing our two best creators/passers from a team that already struggled to create a lot of chances. We didn’t replace them, throw in selling Digne and we’re struggling to create, go figure.

We don’t really have any creative passers to play that advanced midfield/number 10 - he’s probably the most technically suited for that role. Couple things:

1) we’d have to change formation, Frank’s not really played a number 10/attacking midfielder behind the striker type role so far.

2) always thought he was more of player to get in the end of things rather than a creator. He let Erikson do the creating at Spurs and he popped up in the box to slot.

All a bit moot as ability is one thing but there’s something else holding him back to disappear for two and a half years.

Youre right about Eriksen but with Lampards attacking style there 'should' be increased chance creation from the flanks and midfield once new signings are brought in.