Alli warned to be on best behaviour ahead of referee reunion
MAURICIO POCHETTINO will warn Dele Alli to be on his best behaviour and forget the hand signals as the Tottenham midfielder prepares for his first reunion with referee Clement Turpin. Alli was banned for one game for a middle-finger gesture in a World Cup qualifier against Slovakia in September which FIFA initially feared had been aimed at French official Turpin. England were able to mitigate the punishment by claiming the insult had been aimed at team-mate Kyle Walker. ‘It’s important to be aware,’ said Pochettino ahead of Spurs’ Champions League match at Borussia Dortmund tonight. ‘I will tell Dele to be careful if he plays. Always it’s important. The referee moves on and I’m sure there was nothing in his mind to ban him for that, but this is good to know and I will tell Dele.’ Tottenham are already safely into the knockout rounds after beating Real Madrid three weeks ago, with a double from Alli on his first European appearance after a ban following a red card last season. Victory in Dortmund will ensure they top Group H and are seeded in the last 16. ‘One year ago we lost in Monaco and we were out,’ said Pochettino, seeking to lift spirits after the 2-0 derby defeat at Arsenal on Saturday. ‘Today, we are in the next stage and it is so important the team have stepped up. I am happy with the pressure and criticism. It means people expect more of us, consider us at this level. ‘We are calm and we know very well we have improved a lot in every single aspect. We believed
we were going to the Emirates to win. ‘The game was even and the performance was good. We are very disappointed but we need to keep going. Our challenge is to finish top of the group.’ Spurs travelled to Germany with a strong squad. The only senior absentees are Toby Alderweireld, Victor Wanyama and Erik Lamela, all injured, although the manager will rotate his squad against Dortmund, who have won only one of their last eight games in all competitions. ‘We are going to play with our best team, fresh players, and never taking risks because their health is most important,’ said Pochettino. ‘But, of course, we are going to make some changes from Saturday’s game. We have a lot of games ahead. The most busy period is coming. You need all the squad fit to be able to compete at a good level.’ It could mean a recall for Danny Rose, who was omitted from the squad at Arsenal and sent to train instead, but the Spurs boss insisted there was no lingering problem with the wing-back, who is just back after a long-term knee injury. ‘There is no issue with him,’ said Pochettino. ‘He is doing well. The training session on Saturday was tough for him and he will train with the group and we will decide if he plays or not.’