Dele Alli at Everton

[BringBack_leGin]

Dele’s numbers can’t be denied, but boy, I love watching Grealish playing this season.

Agree, Grealish I wonderful and I think the England team should be built around him. My point, as ever, is that Dele can’t be anywhere near as bad as people make out when his consistency is there to see.

I’d personally love to see Grealish partnering Winks in the middle, Dele ahead linking to Kane, and Sterling/ Sancho our wide. No plodders like Rice or Henderson.

 

[danielneeds]

Agree, Grealish I wonderful and I think the England team should be built around him. My point, as ever, is that Dele can’t be anywhere near as bad as people make out when his consistency is there to see.

I’d personally love to see Grealish partnering Winks in the middle, Dele ahead linking to Kane, and Sterling/ Sancho our wide. No plodders like Rice or Henderson.

I don’t really like him playing deeper, as we saw when they played at WHL when Lamela picked his pocket his free spirited play can be punished.

 

[IfiHadTheWings]

Dele will make the England squad for the euros, i’d bet my last pound...all this talk about he’s been dropped etc, he was injured for a period which he missed a couple of squads and then came back on poor form and missed out again...but whilst he’s back amongst the goals and making a difference Southgate will pick him because when push comes to shove the lad delivers.

 

[allatsea]

Are there any of our players that you actually rate?!

Excellent question.

 

[spursfan77]

Dele’s numbers can’t be denied, but boy, I love watching Grealish playing this season.

Shame it’s just not for us (it should be).

 

[JimmyG2]

Were we seriously
ever in
for Grealish?
Having a great season
and a joy to watch.
Taking responsibility too.
as captain.

Could we even
afford him?

 

[dagraham]

Were we seriously
ever in
for Grealish?
Having a great season
and a joy to watch.
Taking responsibility too.
as captain.

Could we even
afford him?

We could have afforded him before, but not now. Sums our transfer strategy up really.

Yes I know there were other circumstances involved here, but it’s always “someone else’s fault” or “circumstances beyond our control” etc.

 

[JUSTINSIGNAL]

Dele will make the England squad for the euros, i’d bet my last pound...all this talk about he’s been dropped etc, he was injured for a period which he missed a couple of squads and then came back on poor form and missed out again...but whilst he’s back amongst the goals and making a difference Southgate will pick him because when push comes to shove the lad delivers.

Hmmm...I'm not so sure.

Essentially the choices for the midfield three will be.

DM - Winks/Rice
Box-to-box - Henderson/Oxlade-Chamberlain
AM/No.10 - Barkley/Mount/Maddison/Alli/Grealish


Barkley probably won't get selected and Mount's form has dropped off, so that would mean he needs to show better form than Grealish and Maddison until the end of the season. I would also argue that they are both superior technicians than Alli, and in a possession based team this might swing the balance in their favour.

 

[Gassin's finest]

I hope he shouted "nuts!" as he did that!

Loves a nutmeg does our Dele...

 

[punkisback]

Hmmm...I'm not so sure.

Essentially the choices for the midfield three will be.

DM - Winks/Rice
Box-to-box - Henderson/Oxlade-Chamberlain
AM/No.10 - Barkley/Mount/Maddison/Alli/Grealish


Barkley probably won't get selected and Mount's form has dropped off, so that would mean he needs to show better form than Grealish and Maddison until the end of the season. I would also argue that they are both superior technicians than Alli, and in a possession based team this might swing the balance in their favour.

23 player squad, so basically 2 for each position and one spare 'keeper.

 

[JUSTINSIGNAL]

23 player squad, so basically 2 for each position and one spare 'keeper.

Exactly. So it will be two from Barkley/Mount/Maddison/Alli/Grealish - and I think Grealish and Maddison might get in ahead of Alli.

 

[DEFchenkOE]

Agree, Grealish I wonderful and I think the England team should be built around him. My point, as ever, is that Dele can’t be anywhere near as bad as people make out when his consistency is there to see.

I’d personally love to see Grealish partnering Winks in the middle, Dele ahead linking to Kane, and Sterling/ Sancho our wide. No plodders like Rice or Henderson.

Henderson has been superb the past 2-3 seasons, definitely not a plodder at all.

I think Dele will end up battling it out with Grealish and Maddison for the no10 role over the years with England. Dele scores more goals, the other 2 get on the ball more and help to control the game. Unless Southgate decides to play Grealish deeper but at the moment Henderson is prob the first midfielder on the team sheet and rightly so.

Edit - I forgot about Mount. England do have some very talented creative players at the moment.

 

[BringBack_leGin]

Henderson has been superb the past 2-3 seasons, definitely not a plodder at all.

I think Dele will end up battling it out with Grealish and Maddison for the no10 role over the years with England. Dele scores more goals, the other 2 get on the ball more and help to control the game. Unless Southgate decides to play Grealish deeper but at the moment Henderson is prob the first midfielder on the team sheet and rightly so.

Edit - I forgot about Mount. England do have some very talented creative players at the moment.

I’d rather have Henderson instead of Winks partnered with a flair player. I think that having a genuine playmaker dead centre is still vital to any team wanting to create.

 

[kmk]

Henderson has been superb the past 2-3 seasons, definitely not a plodder at all.

I think Dele will end up battling it out with Grealish and Maddison for the no10 role over the years with England. Dele scores more goals, the other 2 get on the ball more and help to control the game. Unless Southgate decides to play Grealish deeper but at the moment Henderson is prob the first midfielder on the team sheet and rightly so.

Edit - I forgot about Mount. England do have some very talented creative players at the moment.

Mount seems to have been getting plenty of criticism from Chelsea fans recently. It has coincided with them dropping many points in the past 2 months.

 

[DEFchenkOE]

Mount seems to have been getting plenty of criticism from Chelsea fans recently. It has coincided with them dropping many points in the past 2 months.

His first season in the Premier league so was always gonna have a few dips in form

 

[BringBack_leGin]

England's squad of 23, for argument's sake, will include 3 goalies, 8 defenders (assuming a back 4), leave 12 spots for midfield and attack.

Assuming all regain fitness in time/ none get injured, the following players will be in barring a huge surprise from Southgate: Henderson, Rice, Winks, Rashford, Kane, Sterling, Sancho, Oxlade-Chamberlain. This leaves 4 spots, which I think we can safely assume will go to at least 1, probably 2 final third players out of Ings, Abraham, Wilson, Vardy (if he can be convinced), or maybe even a wildcard like Greenwood (don't be surprised, remember Walcott...). That could mean just two spots remaining, likely to be selected from the below table.

Player	Born (age)	Starts (Sub)	Goals	Assists
Dele Alli	11/4/1996 (23)	17(1)	7	3
Mason Mount	1/10/1999 (21)	22(3)	5	4
James Maddison	23/11/1996 (23)	23(1)	6	3
Jack Grealish	10/9/1995 (24)	23	7	5
Ross Barkley	2/5/1993 (26)	6 (4)	0	0

From these players, you have Dele who is by far the most attacking and probably the worst in terms of ball retention, but does offer both a ruthless mentality, a ready made cohesion with several of Englands best players (especially England's best player) and is the most experienced in international tournament football. You have Barkley, who is the next most experienced, probably the most obvious as a midfielder, and also offers a very physical presence to go with his skill. Then you have three less experienced players at the top level, both in terms of international football and club football, but who have all burst onto the scene big time this season.

If the season ended tomorrow, or for arguments sake the players above average out the same output that they have been by the end of the season with their form matching their current respective showings, I would think Southgate would take one of the more experienced players and one of the up and comers. Taking it further, I think choosing between Dele and Barkley, it would have to be Dele, who offers less solidity and "central midfield' service but offers far more likelyhood of winning a match, and who is enjoying a significantly better season. Then, the choice between the other three is made easier. Mount and Maddison are far more similar to Dele in terms of how they're players of moments who live in the final third primarily as opposed to game controlling midfielders, but neither has had much exposure to international or champions league football like Dele, whereas Grealish, amazingly the only one with a cap, offers what neither of them (nor Dele) does by being a true link between midfield and attack, someone who can transition play, create, but also be robust in the fact of pressure. The only other player in the squad who offers this, and who has the versatility to play midfield or attack, left right or centre, is Oxlade-Chamberlain, who is both an injury risk and not a guaranteed first choice at his club. Winks, Henderson and Rice are all going spend significantly more time in the middle third than the final, while the forwards and wingers are, well, forwards and wingers.

So there you have it, that is why I think Dele goes to the world cup. He goes as the anomaly, the positionless player who you're not quite sure how to use but in a squad of 23, you'd far rather have in it than not.

 

[DEFchenkOE]

A couple of months ago Dele looked out the picture in terms of England with the likes of Mount /Maddison seemingly flying, but he has put himself back in the picture for sure.

Final stretch of the season will be crucial for all of them as none of their places are guaranteed. Good options for Southgate to have though.

For our sake I hope Dele is in as that means he's been playing well and making the difference for us.

 

[double0]

It's an interesting point. Worth remembering Le Tissier starred for a team constantly battling relegation and didn't get a chance at international level. Getting goals and assists for a team at that level works as they can put workers around him to allow for his extra ability.

Alli has good numbers but to get more of a free role he would need to get better than what he currently offers. I always felt when we were pressing high successfully that Alli was a part of that. Since his return the work rate at times has not been at the same level.

The game has changed a lot, especially with fitness levels. I suspect Le Tiss would get marked better in the modern game.

I disagree on the questioning of Dele Alli work rate he is one of the most hard working players in the team.

People used to go on about the distances Eriksen covered during game but he didn't physically work as hard as Alli ( probably why he kept getting hamstring pulls)

Personally I think we've exposed him to far too much football in his young age and we ought to manage him better.

 

[dontcallme]

I disagree on the questioning of Dele Alli work rate he is one of the most hard working players in the team.

People used to go on about the distances Eriksen covered during game but he didn't physically work as hard as Alli ( probably why he kept getting hamstring pulls)

Personally I think we've exposed him to far too much football in his young age and we ought to manage him better.

I said at times he hasn't worked as hard as he used to.

Could be due to getting back to fitness or something but I never said he doesn't work hard and comparisons to Eriksen are irrelevant. Genuinely have no idea why you quoted me.

 

[double0]

I said at times he hasn't worked as hard as he used to.

Could be due to getting back to fitness or something but I never said he doesn't work hard and comparisons to Eriksen are irrelevant. Genuinely have no idea why you quoted me.

The way I read your post suggested Dele currently isn't working hard regardless that he is coming back from injury

Sorry it was naughty of me to throw Eriksen magical distance coverage it seemed many people used it as yard stick for working hard.