Many have felt the often harsh wrath of Jose Mourinho over the years; many perhaps undeservedly so. With each club seemingly comes a new target for the veteran manager; a new player to drop without giving an answer as to why.
The running trend has been that no matter the reputation of the player, Mourinho will not hesitate to turn a regular first-team star into nothing but a bench-warming afterthought.
It was Paul Pogba and Anthony Martial at Manchester United, Samuel Eto’o for a period at Chelsea and Iker Casillas at Real Madrid. And, now Dele Alli has become the latest man on the end of Mourinho’s unapologetic boot out of the Tottenham Hotspur squad.
The midfielder was once one of the main men under Mauricio Pochettino. With one swift Mourinho arrival, however, he has been left out in the cold, seemingly without any justification.
Has Dele Alli Been Unfairly Treated by Jose Mourinho?
From Star Man to Forgotten Man
Dele Alli should be at the peak of his powers right now. The 24-year-old ticks the box for Premier League experience whilst still having plenty of time to progress further. On paper, he is a manager’s dream. But Mourinho isn’t just any manager.
A player can be as talented as they like under Mourinho, but if they don’t put the hours in, that talent will soon become irrelevant in the eyes of the former Chelsea boss. Lucas Moura, to use an example, is not even close to the level of which Dele Alli is capable of performing too. Yet, it is the Brazilian, after scoring just one Premier League goal in 2020, who has become a constant feature in the Mourinho squad.
It is the Brazilian who, in the eyes of Mourinho, is better placed to start for Tottenham Hotspur. Mourinho is a man more impressed by hard work than pure talent; he prefers the players who run the extra yard to cover defensively to the players who have the ability to produce the perfectly timed flick to create a chance.
And in his eyes, Dele Alli’s position as perhaps one of the most talented players in the Spurs squad soon becomes voided by his seeming lack of hard in comparison to others. It is a harsh stance by Mourinho, who has seen first hand what Alli brings to his side. And, in the end, it is a stance that could cost Spurs at the worst possible time.
Spurs Need Dele Alli Now More Than Ever
For the most part, the toughest period of the season comes between December and January as fixtures begin to pile up in and around the festivities. Teams at least have the chance to ease themselves into the new season before preparing for such a congested period.
Spurs, however, have not been given that opportunity. Instead, they have been thrust from a season of inconsistency into the depths of games galore before the current campaign can even reach October.
First came the game against Everton then came the trip to Bulgaria before another, this time shorter, trip to Southampton just three days later. Then, four days later, a successful trip to Macedonia was had before a frustrating draw against Newcastle three days later on the 27th was followed by a Carabao Cup shootout win against Chelsea on the 29th.
The fixtures haven’t stopped there, either. Spurs still have to get past games against Maccabi Haifa on the 1st and Manchester United on the 4th. The Spurs squad is being stretched further than it ever has before with, by the October 1st, five games within 11 days.
If you are going to drop a star player to make a statement, the middle of potentially the busiest period of the season is not the time to do it. But Mourinho, as controversial as ever, will continue to be Mourinho at a time when Spurs need a player of Dele Alli’s ability more than ever.
Jose Mourinho to Give Alli Europa League Chance?
When asked whether Alli would be involved in Spurs’ Thursday night Europa League clash, Jose Mourinho remained coy on the situation, saying: “I cannot confirm Dele is playing but I cannot confirm Dele is not playing. He is being very professional. He has my respect, it is possible he plays tomorrow.”
Again, Mourinho failed to give a satisfactory answer to the situation. One would question, however, that if Alli can’t even make the Spurs squad for a Europa League qualifier, when can he make Jose Mourinho’s squad?
Tomorrow’s game may give us a telling indication of the midfielder’s future at Spurs after seemingly becoming the latest victim of Mourinho’s stubborn and often harsh ways despite being one of the most talented players in the Tottenham Hotspur ranks.
Main Photo
Embed from Getty Images
