Dele will wind up being world class
REPORTS MAURICIO Pochettino believes Dele Alli can become one of the best players in the world – but the world must give the Tottenham midfielder time.
Pochettino also claims he is not worried about the flashes of temper that still blot Alli’s game, even though one of them is the reason why tonight’s clash with Real Madrid at Wembley is his first Champions League game of the season.
As Spurs lost 1-0 at Manchester United on Saturday, Alli was again involved in a row with an opponent, suggesting Ashley Young should “retire with a Zimmer frame” and he has also been criticised for diving this season. Alli missed the first three games of Spurs’ European campaign after being sent off for a reckless challenge against Gent in the Europa League last season.
But tonight at Wembley, with Tottenham reinforced by the return of their top scorer Harry Kane, Alli has another chance to build on a growing reputation on the biggest of stages at club level.
Pochettino said: “Can Dele be world class? Of course. He is still so young, only 21, and sometimes we expect too much.
“The expectation levels on him are massive, because he has already shown that he is capable of creating and doing something special.
“He is a special player but he has the capability to improve and get better.
“He needs time. This has been a short period of time in which he has been playing professionally and already he has achieved a lot.
“But with time, every day getting better and improving, being successful, not repeating his mistakes, then for sure he can become one of the best players in the world.”
And the Spurs manager, whose team drew 1-1 at the Bernabeu with a superb display just over a fortnight (3-4-2-1) (4-3-1-2) LLORIS CASILLA ALDERWEIRELD ACHRAF SANCHEZ NACHO VERTONGHEN RAMOS TRIPPIER MARCELO WINKS MODRIC DIER CASEMIRO DAVIES KROOS ERIKSEN ISCO ALLI BENZEMA KANE RONALDO REFEREE: C Cakir (Tur) KICK-OFF: 7.45pm TV: BT Sport 2 ago, believes Alli is aware, but relaxed that players try to wind him up.
“He needs to enjoy playing football,” said Pochettino. “He is a character and a winner and he will show his character and personality on the pitch, like he did against United. He is calm, he is relaxed. I was relaxed too after what happened at Old Trafford.
“When someone tries to wind him up, it’s normal. But his behaviour was good. When you are in the game, you want to win – it’s normal to argue with an opponent.
“But in the second half, he was relaxed, played football, was focused and was just trying to play. It was a strange pre-season for him for different reasons and then he was banned for Europe and that can affect your motivation. For the player that is not involved, you feel a bit down and alone.
“Maybe he was affected a little by that. But his internal motivation now to compete at his best level is higher.”
Pochettino, whose side go into the game on the back of successive defeats, is adamant Alli’s form is only going to improve.
“I’m not worried about him,” he said. “Maybe he’s disappointed with himself that he’s not at his best but it’s coming. Like the winter, it is coming.”
Pochettino believes that, after the result in Madrid, his team can play without fear tonight. The incentive for both teams is that they will be all but through to the last 16 if they win.
“This is a game that you have to be brave in,” he said. “When you are playing against the best team in the world, if you are not brave, you start losing.
“It is important that our mentality is right. We are going to play without fear, dominate the game and try to win with that mentality.
“You have to play every game with that feeling. And that is the game we like to play. If you have fear, it is difficult to show your real quality.
“We must do our job and believe that we can win and on the pitch show good quality and try to be better and perform better than Real.”