Is Dele first 11 quality? | Vital Football

Is Dele first 11 quality?

Real Deal

Real Deal

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This is an interesting debate. We have a player that was a fantastic talent from 2015/18 but has gone off the boil over the last 2 and a half years.

Where does he fit in Jose's long term plans?

Before his injuries and IMO an attitude change he was excellent to watch. Playing the CAM position just behind Kane they would link up very well. Telepathic at times.

An example of his ability :

2015/16 season = Premiership : 33 apps, 10 goals, 9 assists.
2016/17 season = Premiership : 37 apps, 18 goals, 7 assists.
2017/18 season = Premiership : 36 apps, 9 goals, 10 assists.
2018/19 season = Premiership : 25 apps, 5 goals, 3 assists.
2019/20 season = Premiership : 24 apps, 8 goals, 4 assists.

You can see when the injuries started and where the decline appears.

Is he first 11 quality anymore? Where does he fit into Jose's system?

Jose likes to play counter attacking football. For me Dele struggles with quick thinking passing and dwindles on the ball for far to long. He loses possession often because of these weaknesses. If he could keep things simple and use his excellent movement to arrive in the box he can still be a real asset.

Jose does seem to rate him so I expect him to use Dele as much as he can next season.

Even though I am not convinced he has the ability to play in this system at the level required to help us win trophies I expect him to play in the AM position with Lucas, Son and Kane next season. With Bergy and Lamela being the back up options.

With limited funds available I think Jose will have to play with what he has in most areas. Dele being one of them.
 
Real Deal said:
This is an interesting debate. We have a player that was a fantastic talent from 2015/18 but has gone off the boil over the last 2 and a half years.

Where does he fit in Jose's long term plans?

Before his injuries and IMO an attitude change he was excellent to watch. Playing the CAM position just behind Kane they would link up very well. Telepathic at times.

An example of his ability :

2015/16 season = Premiership : 33 apps, 10 goals, 9 assists.
2016/17 season = Premiership : 37 apps, 18 goals, 7 assists.
2017/18 season = Premiership : 36 apps, 9 goals, 10 assists.
2018/19 season = Premiership : 25 apps, 5 goals, 3 assists.
2019/20 season = Premiership : 24 apps, 8 goals, 4 assists.

You can see when the injuries started and where the decline appears.

Is he first 11 quality anymore? Where does he fit into Jose's system?

Jose likes to play counter attacking football. For me Dele struggles with quick thinking passing and dwindles on the ball for far to long. He loses possession often because of these weaknesses. If he could keep things simple and use his excellent movement to arrive in the box he can still be a real asset.

Jose does seem to rate him so I expect him to use Dele as much as he can next season.

Even though I am not convinced he has the ability to play in this system at the level required to help us win trophies I expect him to play in the AM position with Lucas, Son and Kane next season. With Bergy and Lamela being the back up options.

With limited funds available I think Jose will have to play with what he has in most areas. Dele being one of them.
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Jose has shown he can improve players by using them in their best position and to their strengths. Even Aurier has improved mentality wise. I'm not going to list all the players Jose has improved but I suspect Dele may benefit from Jose's tutelage.
 
I think Dele needs a fitness plan and a tactical plan to work through. He cannot be slowing the play down and definitely can't be overplaying the ball in deep areas. However, to succeed for Spurs under Jose he will need to forget the number 10 role. He needs to form a partnership with Gio and work box to box slightly in front of a defensive midfielder in my opinion. When fit he is a marathon runner anyway.
 
Nick Real Deal said:
Jose has shown he can improve players by using them in their best position and to their strengths. Even Aurier has improved mentality wise. I'm not going to list all the players Jose has improved but I suspect Dele may benefit from Jose's tutelage.
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Dele benefited for all of two weeks when Jose arrived, since then he takes to the field with shirt number 20 on his back, and a sack load of shite as well. We haven't seen Jose's tutelage working on him for seven months.
 
muttley said:
I think Dele needs a fitness plan and a tactical plan to work through. He cannot be slowing the play down and definitely can't be overplaying the ball in deep areas. However, to succeed for Spurs under Jose he will need to forget the number 10 role. He needs to form a partnership with Gio and work box to box slightly in front of a defensive midfielder in my opinion. When fit he is a marathon runner anyway.
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If we can sign a DM then that could work. Would be a good balance in the middle. But Dele would have to keep things simple. Not any of his show boating tripe that rarely comes off.

DM = Hojbjerg
CM = Lo Celso
AM = Dele.

Could be a tasty trio. Would love Ndidi in there but that won't happen.
 
If we're unlucky he will become our Wilshere; he has been heavily played at a high standard at a young age on very fast hard surfaces and once again is another who is suffering from a catalog of soft tissue injuries.

I was told he needs 6 months off. I hope he gets it and then can rebuild his fitness and form and regain confidence in his body, of which I know it to be rock bottom.

Get him fit and back to his best and he will be an incredible asset, that said, it might be too late now to save him, he's put in too many hard yards in a very short period of time when his body was still developing.
 
Dele is obviously talented but let’s be fair, his first goal for the club was great, so was Lamelas but this club needs players that frighten the opposition, week-in, week-out. Dele is temperamental, not to mention sometimes explosive if challenged. His ability is great but how often does he change a game to a winning match.

I’m not suggesting that Mourinho is not working on his game and that he won’t improve a great deal but really how much could Dele improve? Pochettino was a great manager for getting the best out of a player but where did that take Dele? He’s hardly played lately.

I know WHAT Dele can do but how often does he do it? We need to see his slick shots and smart goals but how often does he go on a tackling spree and take on players. I have to say the same of others like Ben Davies, and although I’d like to be complimentary of a fellow countryman, I don’t think non tacklers can put that sparkle into the game that wins leagues. I DO notice however that many of our first team players are good tacklers, Lo Celso, Lucas Moura, Winks, or at lest they will have a good go.

Dele is often a back passer as many of our non tacklers are. Pushing forward is a must if we are going to keep up pressure on teams. I’ve missed that after losing Pochettino. We’ve also not had so many late goals that won so many of our games under Pochettino.

The only thing that I can say to Dele is “Get yer finger out or move clubs. We know you have the talent, so let’s see it. Take some risks and get us goals”

Am I being fair?
 
With limited transfer funds available I'm sure that Spurs would happily move Alli on if the price was right. I reckon that that would be the best outcome for player and Club.
 
Real Deal said:
This is an interesting debate. We have a player that was a fantastic talent from 2015/18 but has gone off the boil over the last 2 and a half years.

Where does he fit in Jose's long term plans?

Before his injuries and IMO an attitude change he was excellent to watch. Playing the CAM position just behind Kane they would link up very well. Telepathic at times.

An example of his ability :

2015/16 season = Premiership : 33 apps, 10 goals, 9 assists.
2016/17 season = Premiership : 37 apps, 18 goals, 7 assists.
2017/18 season = Premiership : 36 apps, 9 goals, 10 assists.
2018/19 season = Premiership : 25 apps, 5 goals, 3 assists.
2019/20 season = Premiership : 24 apps, 8 goals, 4 assists.

You can see when the injuries started and where the decline appears.

Is he first 11 quality anymore? Where does he fit into Jose's system?

Jose likes to play counter attacking football. For me Dele struggles with quick thinking passing and dwindles on the ball for far to long. He loses possession often because of these weaknesses. If he could keep things simple and use his excellent movement to arrive in the box he can still be a real asset.

Jose does seem to rate him so I expect him to use Dele as much as he can next season.

Even though I am not convinced he has the ability to play in this system at the level required to help us win trophies I expect him to play in the AM position with Lucas, Son and Kane next season. With Bergy and Lamela being the back up options.

With limited funds available I think Jose will have to play with what he has in most areas. Dele being one of them.
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Great post and thread. Dele of the first 3 seasons walks into the team, and probably most top 4 sides. I think the injuries have had an effect, and like both you and Ex have detailed time and again, it could be the result of so many high level games at a young age.

What has nothing to do with injuries is how he is still making the same mistakes now as when he first broke into the team. We forgave him because he was young and learning his trade, and the joyous nature of his game, coupled with a fiery streak and some incredible end product had the vast majority of us willing to back him, even through his ridiculous diving spell.

A few years back, when Dele broke through, someone on the front page described him as Jason Dozzell with an end product. I ridiculed the comparison but thinking back now, maybe the guy was spot on.

For whatever reason, be it fitness or attitude, or both, he is a shadow of the player he even promised to become. Maybe he can only play one way and has a limited footballing IQ that will always hold him back. Or maybe he kicks on and fulfills his promise, which I hope he does but will not hold my breath waiting for.

So to answer your question. As of now, I would not have Dele in my starting 11.
 
I think it’s obvious that he has injury problems as EX has said....think back to the talent that he has displayed with exceptional goals against Chelsea and Crystal Palace, the probing passes from MF, even more recently saving a lost cause going for a throw in and creating a goal scoring pass while on his back....it would be worth taking the hit for 6 months if his body could recover almost completely because if the talent remains we wouldn’t be able to afford anyone of similar talent.

Having said that, at the moment, I don’t think he merits a place in the team.
 
Currently he is not first team quality any more...how Jose injects the desire and belief and return to form for the lad is a conundrum. A therapist needs to get inside Ali's head to see what has changed with his mindset from that player who had so much potential a few years ago.
 
Greavswasthegreatest said:
It must be a combination of both but accept your inside knowledge that the body is the main issue Ex.
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I know from personal experience that when your body keeps letting you down, it does get inside your head, it is depressing and it can become a vicious circle as you keep having to go through more doctors, perhaps another op or two and then more rehab, so it certainly does get inside your head, the circle has to be broken, but how/when it will be is a huge question - look what happened to Owen, incredible talent but was never the same once he couldn't get a long injury free period.
 
SheringhamNo10 said:
Im a big Dele fan. I dont see why we cant use him sparingly for the next 6 months. If we sign Hojbjerg we'll have Lo Celso, Hojbjerg, Sissoko, Winks, Ndombele (or his replacement) and Lamela for the centre midfield. Loads of cover. Let Dele try to get back to his best, it will be worth it.
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The issue with doing that is we would be relying on Lamela to stay fit. We have 7 years of evidence he can't be trusted.

All the others you mention are different positions IMO.

We still haven't replaced Eriksen either.

The more I think about it we need a new AM. We just don't have that type of player outside Dele and Lamela and neither are the level required IMO.

Possibly Ndombele could be used more of an AM but lets be honest Jose wants him gone and looks like he will be sold to help fund any signings this summer.

I would try and sign either Brooks or Cantwell. That would fill a hole that Eriksen has left and would help Dele recover physically and mentally.
 
The other issue is that if Jose in the main defends deep and counter attacks as we saw with significant effect against Leicester when we saw Kane Moura and Son break at speed as a unit....then that simply is not Deli's game...he has always been too slow for that style IMO
 
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