Alli getting pally with boss Poch
DELE ALLI has had heartto-heart talks with Mauricio Pochettino about his form and disciplinary record.
Alli claims he is a victim of his own success as he occasionally struggles to maintain the high standards he and his boss Pochettino (below) set him.
The Tottenham midfielder, who ended a barren run of 10 games without a goal on Boxing Day, has been under the microscope after two X-rated tackles raised doubts about whether the frustration had got to him.
Alli was lucky not to be sent off for horror challenges on Manchester City’s Kevin De Bruyne and Burnley’s Charlie Taylor as his frustrations seemed to reach boiling point.
But after returning to form with a goal against Southampton, the England midfielder insists he is his own biggest critic.
He said: “We speak a lot, the manager and myself, and my form is not really something I think about too much. But it’s always nice to prove people wrong.
“At 21 years old when you set your standards as high as I did the last two years, it’s not always the case that you’re going to be able to reach them all the time.
“Some people think if you’re not scoring or assisting you’re playing badly, but I criticise myself all the time, even after Southampton I think I can do better, I can do more for the team so it’s just working on my own game.
“As players, we’re not too worried what people say, as long as those around you and your team-mates speak highly of you and you’re doing what the team wants – that’s all you think about.”