Dele Alli's performance in deeper role against Liverpool shows he's the complete midfielder

Aditya Devavrat 07:49 25/10/2017
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  • Dele Alli turned in a star performance against Liverpool.

    Dele Alli has been in the midst of experiencing the lesser-known third-season syndrome so far this campaign.

    The electric midfielder had yet to light up a game in his unique style through Tottenham’s opening eight Premier League games. While his England and Spurs colleague Harry Kane goes from strength to strength, inserting himself into conversations about “world-class” players and debates about his talents in comparison to Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, Alli, the player more naturally suited to such talk, was experiencing some rare time in the shadows rather than the limelight.

    It’s easy to compare Kane and Alli. The striker is the classic good boy turned success story, a no-nonsense player who doesn’t go out, retains boyish charm, and is generally a delight – apart from for opposing defenders. Alli, on the other hand, might be the more naturally gifted of the two, but he’s also petulant, more likely to get involved in an on-pitch controversy – as indeed he has been this season, on England duty for making an obscene gesture – and generally a wind-up merchant. Kane’s easy to love, Alli’s easy to hate.

    The truth is, of course, that Alli makes Kane better – as indeed Kane does for Alli – and for all the negatives surrounding the playmaker’s image, he is by all accounts a dedicated professional who works hard at honing his craft.

    It shows in the faith Mauricio Pochettino has in him despite his young years and youthful ways, and it shows in the way he’s learning his trade. On Sunday in Spurs’ 4-1 demolition of Liverpool, Alli was given an unfamiliar role, a deeper midfield position in Spurs’ 3-5-2. He had license to roam forward, as he always will, but he wasn’t playing in his usual free role behind Kane.

    Pochettino was rewarded for his selection gamble with one of Alli’s finest performances of the season. The youngster looked the complete midfielder, keying Spurs’ counterattacks while also holding his own against Liverpool’s midfield.

    Alli completed 83% of his passes and created two chances, both of which are marks he’s bettered only three times in the league this season. He also got his third league goal.

    The standout statistic, however, was that Alli won 100% of his tackles. Indeed, in a game full of outstanding moments from the Spurs attack, Alli provided one with a defensive intervention. Midway through the second-half, he actually looked like he was caught out too far forward, but as he retreated, he nonchalantly dispossessed Emre Can, and in the same movement spun full circle and began to carry the ball back towards Liverpool’s goal.

    It was yet another reminder of how good Alli can be, wherever he plays. His deployment in a deeper role was part of a specific tactical plan Pochettino cooked up for Liverpool, with Son Heung-min’s speed ahead of Alli part of Spurs’ counter-attacking strategy, and Alli’s power and guile maximised in that deeper role.

    He still seems more naturally suited to a No. 10 role, but his potential as a central midfielder adds a new wrinkle to Spurs’ game plan – and it could benefit his country as well as his club.

    Played in a deeper role, Dele Alli had a complete game against Liverpool.

    Played in a deeper role, Dele Alli had a complete game against Liverpool.

    England are searching for a good central midfielder (since forever, it seems, even though they were blessed with Paul Scholes, Steven Gerrard, and Frank Lampard not too long ago). The Jordan Henderson-Eric Dier axis has not worked, looking laboured and uninventive, and while Alli’s club colleague Harry Winks could push his case for a starting spot at next year’s World Cup, he’ll need a partner. If Jack Wilshere can play himself back into England contention, that would solve many of the national team’s worries, but Gareth Southgate should give serious consideration to playing Alli in a deeper role.

    England are blessed with plenty of attacking talent, with Kane, Marcus Rashford, and Raheem Sterling among those discovering their best form this season. The most glaring weakness in Southgate’s side is a lack of creativity in the middle of the park, and Alli possesses that in spades.

    For now, he’s likely to return to a more advanced role for club and country, and he needs to show a return to last season’s form. Alli scored 22 goals from that position last year, and he has four goals and two assists across all competitions so far this season.

    But yet again, Pochettino is bringing out the best out in his precocious midfielder.

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