Speaking on BBC’s Match of the Day (20/09/2020 10:30pm), Danny Murphy has revealed that he thinks Dele Alli needs to change his position at Tottenham Hotspur.
The 37-capped England international has found things challenging of late under Jose Mourinho.
Alli was left out of the squad for wins against Lokomotiv Plovdiv and Southampton, with the BBC reporting that PSG are targeting his services.
Speaking on Match of the Day, Murphy said: ‘I think he’s got to change his position. He used to love playing that number ten role, but there’s not many teams in the Premier League now playing a number ten.
‘Playing as a ten, he’s not going to get in that team.’
Murphy may be right.
Under Mauricio Pochettino, Alli hit 18 Premier League goals while primarily operating as a central attacking midfielder in the 2016/17 season.
This was because the Argentine coach adopted a 4-2-3-1 system more often than not that season.
A solid midfield base of Mousa Dembele and Victor Wanyama, as well as there being an actual No.10 role, saw Alli flourish.
However, in Spurs’ last game against Southampton, WhoScored shows that Mourinho used a 4-3-3.
In this formation, there are three central midfielders and two wingers flanking a lone centre-forward.
Significantly, there is no role for a central attacking midfielder or a support-striker.
In that respect, Murphy is spot on.
Alli either needs to reinvent himself, potentially as someone who can come in off the flank as an inverted winger, or he risks a disappointing end to his time at Tottenham.
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