Tottenham star Dele Alli knows what he needs to work on
Tottenham midfielder Dele Alli has developed a well-deserved reputation as a hot head on the pitch. Fortunately for Spurs, he’s promised manager Mauricio Pochettino that he’ll work on his biggest weakness.
That means Alli will need to learn to keep his composure on the pitch. That task will only be made more difficult by Premier League opponents who will undoubtedly try to goad him into physical confrontations this season. He’s not exactly Diego Costa, but he’s certainly a target for the opposition.
Evidently, Pochettino and his young talisman had extensive talks on the subject this summer. The precocious midfielder told his boss that he understood the bad position he could put his team in. As such, he’d do his best to keep his temper in check moving forward.
As a Tottenham fan, I only want to see Alli reign in his petulance a little bit. Part of what makes him such a dynamic player is his willingness to play on the fringes of the rules. I don’t want to see him picking up red cards for violent conduct or lashing out at opponents. I do, however, want to see him trying to subtly get into the heads of opposing players.
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That’s when he plays his best football. He really elevates the quality of his play when he gets into mild skirmishes with the opponent. It’s almost as if he comes alive when there’s a little bit of conflict in the match.
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Ultimately, he should find the ability to motivate himself without that conflict as he gets older. He’s still just 20 years of age and has plenty of time to refine and mature his game. It’s easy to forget that in the real world, he’s still just a kid.
The most important fact of this story is that Alli admits he has a problem. As the old adage goes, the first step towards recovery is admitting that you have a problem. Spurs are fortune Alli isn’t in denial about the need to clean up his act.
Tottenham also have the advantage of employing a strong manager who commands respect from his players. His rapport with Alli is obvious to anyone who watches the club play or train on a regular basis. That should ease Alli’s maturation process at White Hart Lane. It’ll certainly be a storyline to watch all season long for Spurs.
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