There is plenty of blame to go around at Tottenham Hotspur this season, as a high number of players have under-achieved. Attacking midfielder Dele Alli certainly falls into this category, as the young Englishman was once regarded to be Spurs’ second most valuable player behind Harry Kane.
However, chronic hamstring problems have stunted his growth and development, and when fit he’s not producing. Ahead of tomorrow’s Premier League fixture at Everton, Spurs boss Mauricio Pochettino defended his talented, but slumping player.
“We know very well that Dele is going to be back,” he said.
“His mentality is good. Always you need time to recover the feelings and performance after a tough period. The most difficult thing is to know how long it will take to be again at your best. As long as you are consistent and working hard, you are going to arrive again, though, because the quality is there. The only thing is, the competition do not wait.”
Pochettino believes that Alli really needs to regain his killer instinct. He has a reputation of being a footballer who often plays within the gray areas of the rules, and his boss believes the best approach for him, well, to quote Alice Cooper: no more, Mr. nice guy, no more Mr. clean.”
“It’s still there inside of him,” Pochettino continued.
“If you go back, we all criticized him. But I said I liked this Dele Alli, because sometimes players being a bit naughty makes that difference. The devil is going to appear again. I don’t know when. But for sure it will.”
That said, let’s take a look at the team news/match fitness situation for both sides, starting with Spurs. Jan Vertonghen (hamstring) is a doubt while Erik Lamela (thigh) and team captain Hugo Lloris (elbow) are out injured. Danny Rose will miss this one due to suspension.
For Everton, Yerry Mina (knee) is a doubt while Jean-Phillipe Gbamin (thigh) and Bernard (knee) are out.
Tottenham Hotspur at Everton FC FYIs
Tottenham starting XI prediction: go to this link
Kickoff: Sunday Nov 3, 4:30 BST, Goodison Park
Odds: Everton win 9/5, Draw 17/10, Tottenham 13/8
Google Result Probability: Tottenham win 38%, Draw 27%, Everton 35%
Form Guide: Tottenham LDLWL Everton LWLLL
Referee: Martin Atkinson
Paul M. Banks runs The Sports Bank.net, which is partnered with News Now. Banks, the author of “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry,” regularly appears on WGN CLTV and co-hosts the “Let’s Get Weird, Sports” podcast on SB Nation.
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