- Mar 18, 2005
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Good post. I think the issue have with players is when they appear to not be prioritising the game.In a way he reminds me of Lennon - was a bit of a prodigy for his age when he was just hitting 20, then hit a bit of a plateau around 24 and didn't seem to improve for a few years. At one point we were ready to write him off and suddenly he finds a new level to his game just as we start on our European adventures.
Rose was similar and, if I really thought about it, I expect there's dozens of players who have over achieved for their age group as a teenager/early twenties, only to level out as they get a few years down the line and their peers start to catch up.
The big concern now is the fluid nature of players contracts - will Alli stick around long enough to ride out this flat spot if it lasts longer than expected or will another club come in and swipe him away with promises of a new start? It wasn't long ago that a player with three years on their contract would expect to stay for three years, so Lennon and Rose both stuck around long enough to push through it, but now contracts mean very little in that department.
Alli has been injured but appears more focused on off field activities.
I hope the perception is wrong.