MOURINHO TELLS ALLI TO EMBRACE NEW STRIKE ROLE

DELE ALLI’S regeneration continued with two clinical finishes and confirmation from Jose Mourinho that he wants to see him high up the pitch and threatening the goal rather than lost in midfield.

‘For me, Dele is not a midfield player,’ said Mourinho. ‘We want him to have the freedom to associate with the attacking players, ers, this is the best position for him.’

Alli’s double fired Tottenham to a twogoal lead against Bournemouth and they survived a late wobble to complete a 3-2 win.

He was often the most advanced Spurs player, offering Harry Kane the chance to drop p deeper and link up. All of f which hi h has given the team greater fluency.

‘He’s playing really, really well. I couldn’t ask any more of him,’ added Mourinho who clapped him off when he replaced him near the end of the game.

‘I didn’t know him. I’d only played against him a few times. I knew the qualities of the players and that’s the direction I went in. For a player of such quality it is not possible that he is not performing at a high level.

‘Sometimes they are not at their best level but then I find him a good guy in the group. A good guy. Not a selfish person that thinks only about himself. Not at all. He’s a Spurs boy, a group boy. The group is a good family. They have very good empathy between them.’ Moussa Mouss Sissoko scored Tottenham’s Totte third before two goals from Bournemouth B substitute s Harry Wilson W gave the scoreline a different complexion without changing the result. ‘I’m happy with many m things in the game,’ gam said Mourinho. ‘We have to improve other aspects, a which is normal. lW We didn’t start well and we didn’t finish well. ‘We played well for a long period. I’m pleased with the victory, the points, the flair, the quality of the goals. We are working with some principles of defending. ‘I’m happy with the effort. But the Premier League is the Premier League and games are never finished. ‘The score is strange. I could say we concede four goals in two games at home. I prefer to say we scored seven.’