What is up with Dele Alli?

[RD2910]

I assume the club knows more than we do how close he is. Probably reasonable to assume, too, that he isn’t blessed with offers from other Premier League clubs and, therefore, won’t be asking ridiculous wages.

If that is true, and if he overcomes his mental issues and gets back to even 60% the player he was, he would still be our best player. He’s still in his 20s and, physically, should be coming into his peak.

He said in his interview he has his eyes on the next international tournament with England and I still think someone could unearth a player, there.

That World Cup 2026 stuff was pie in the sky stuff. Absolutely mad. It reminded me of when Jack Rodwell said he reckoned he was an England player when he wasn't playing for Sunderland in the Championship.

 

[Tree13]

Ah, I get it now mate.

So I could say then, I find it astonishing that there are people out there who might have a different opinion to my own.

And that's reasonable.

OK.

What are you basing that opinion on though pal?

My opinion is based on Dele Ali's footballing achievements over the last 36 months. What are you looking at that gives you such cause for optimism?

 

[SJB]

Anyone who'd rather see Abdoulaye Docoure challenging N'Daiye for a starting spot at no 10 than Dele probably spends lots of time on the internet and not much time watching football.

 

[Blue_Berry]

What are you basing that opinion on though pal?

My opinion is based on Dele Ali's footballing achievements over the last 36 months. What are you looking at that gives you such cause for optimism?

Mate I haven't actually expressed an opinion on him yet, I was really just saying I personally have no issue with someone saying they think he's done, but I do have an issue with someone suggesting I'm weird for not thinking so!

I'm gonna say that the people at the club who are now seeing him day-in, day-out will have a far better current view on his prospects than anyone on here who is basing their view on the last 2-3 years.

He's had 12 months in an injury/rehab wilderness and at the end of the day that might just be too much. We're not going to get the 18yr old Dele back, but the 28 year old Dele is potentially a different player.

I'll let the professionals at the club decide if that's a good enough thing for us based on what they are seeing today (not 2 yrs ago).

 

[Damo_1878]

Mate I haven't actually expressed an opinion on him yet, I was really just saying I personally have no issue with someone saying they think he's done, but I do have an issue with someone suggesting I'm weird for not thinking so!

I'm gonna say that the people at the club who are now seeing him day-in, day-out will have a far better current view on his prospects than anyone on here who is basing their view on the last 2-3 years.

He's had 12 months in an injury/rehab wilderness and at the end of the day that might just be too much. We're not going to get the 18yr old Dele back, but the 28 year old Dele is potentially a different player.

I'll let the professionals at the club decide if that's a good enough thing for us based on what they are seeing today (not 2 yrs ago).

There's the crux though

He had lost pace in the what 11 appearances he made for Everton already. He's 28 and not 18 or 20 years old now

People on this forum cry out constantly for players with pace in this Everton side, yet people want to add a player who's lost his pace and has barely played in three years

It's baffling

 

[Blue_Berry]

There's the crux though

He had lost pace in the what 11 appearances he made for Everton already. He's 28 and not 18 or 20 years old now

People on this forum cry out constantly for players with pace in this Everton side, yet people want to add a player who's lost his pace and has barely played in three years

It's baffling

Did you even get past the first line of my post?

I'm not expecting an 18 year old Dele. I'm hoping that there's a game in the 28 year old Dele that will offer the current EFC something more than we presently have or can buy, in some respect. But that will be for the management to assess.

You, on the other hand, have simply closed your mind to anything other than 'he's not what he was, so reject'.

There in a nutshell are two viable opinions. So please don't infer that I'm a dunce for holding mine.

 

[Tree13]

Did you even get past the first line of my post?

I'm not expecting an 18 year old Dele. I'm hoping that there's a game in the 28 year old Dele that will offer the current EFC something more than we presently have or can buy, in some respect. But that will be for the management to assess.

You, on the other hand, have simply closed your mind to anything other than 'he's not what he was, so reject'.

There in a nutshell are two viable opinions. So please don't infer that I'm a dunce for holding mine.

One of those opinions is based on an assessment of what we have seen the player prove he can (or, more accurately, can't) do.

The other is blind hope.

It's a bit like those who insist the Earth is flat.

 

[Hinchcliffe's Corner]

One of those opinions is based on an assessment of what we have seen the player prove he can (or, more accurately, can't) do.

The other is blind hope.

It's a bit like those who insist the Earth is flat.

There's a slim chance Dele makes it as a footballer again, there's no chance the earth is flat.

 

[Damo_1878]

Did you even get past the first line of my post?

I'm not expecting an 18 year old Dele. I'm hoping that there's a game in the 28 year old Dele that will offer the current EFC something more than we presently have or can buy, in some respect. But that will be for the management to assess.

You, on the other hand, have simply closed your mind to anything other than 'he's not what he was, so reject'.

There in a nutshell are two viable opinions. So please don't infer that I'm a dunce for holding mine.

But he can't. He has no pace

 

[blueblue]

Anyone who'd rather see Abdoulaye Docoure challenging N'Daiye for a starting spot at no 10 than Dele probably spends lots of time on the internet and not much time watching football.

I think it may be the other way around.

At least Doucoure has been playing football for the last three years.

This is not to say Doucoure should play at 10, I think we all know that but to suggest Dele should play ahead of Doucoure is somebody who spends too much time on the Internet and not enough time watching football imo.

 

[Tree13]

There's a slim chance Dele makes it as a footballer again, there's no chance the earth is flat.

And how much of the club's very limited cash are you willing to lose by betting on Dele Ali making a useful comeback? £50k per week? £60k?

His original arrival at Goodison must be one of the five worst transfers errors the club's ever made. Bringing him back on another contract now.... Wow. It would cost over half a million a year to pay him £10k per week.

At some point you just have to stop throwing good money after bad.

 

[Walken]

Anyone who'd rather see Abdoulaye Docoure challenging N'Daiye for a starting spot at no 10 than Dele probably spends lots of time on the internet and not much time watching football.

We can all dream but unfortunately the real question isn't what we would rather see.

 

[Hinchcliffe's Corner]

And how much of the club's very limited cash are you willing to lose by betting on Dele Ali making a useful comeback? £50k per week? £60k?

His original arrival at Goodison must be one of the five worst transfers errors the club's ever made. Bringing him back on another contract now.... Wow. It would cost over half a million a year to pay him £10k per week.

At some point you just have to stop throwing good money after bad.

Zero. Because it wouldn't be betting on it if he was signed because he would have proven he was capable. At the moment he costs us nothing. I wouldn't worry, it's not going to happen.

 

[Tree13]

Zero. Because it wouldn't be betting on it if he was signed because he would have proven he was capable. At the moment he costs us nothing. I wouldn't worry, it's not going to happen.

LOL. Did he magically become capable when we signed him from Spurs?

We should be charging him for access to the facilities.

 

[Hinchcliffe's Corner]

LOL. Did he magically become capable when we signed him from Spurs?

We should be charging him for access to the facilities.

He played a few games, contributed versus Palace. I think it's a humane gesture from the club, I hope you never suffer like he has.