POCH: I’VE TAMED WILD HORSE DELE
MAURICIO Pochettino believes he has ‘domesticated’ Dele Alli, the ‘ wild horse’ of Tottenham’s midfield. It has been a distinct feature of Alli’s performances in this campaign that he seems to have curbed the tetchy outbursts of last season, when he picked up 11 yellow cards in the Premier League alone.
The fact he has been booked only once this season would suggest a significant step forward for a 20-year-old who has become one of the most effective attacking midfielders in England.
The balancing act for Pochettino has been taming the beast without stifling it, because a rampaging Alli is so deadly.
‘It is all a process with the younger lads to be more mature with more experience,’ said Pochettino. ‘It is like when you have a wild horse and you need to put it in a box and domesticate it. No? Dele is a big talent but he was a bit wild. Now he is more domesticated.
‘But you can never lose that wild side. That side might make him a special player.
‘No more whip now. He is special, a great guy. We have a very good relationship. He is a very emotional person and we all love him.’
The reassurance was timely given Alli’s headed miss at Bayer Leverkusen on Tuesday.
That kept a possible Champions League win as a goalless draw and Alli has been beating himself up about it ever since.
He admitted yesterday he needs to become more clinical to meet his target of bettering the 10 goals he scored last season. Alli has scored three times so far in this campaign and Pochettino declared: ‘I am more than happy with him.’