Tottenham Hotspur’s Dele Alli accused.
Tottenham’s Dele Alli in action with Burnley’s Joey Barton
Garth Crooks has criticised Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Dele Alli, telling BBC Sport the England ace is ‘obsessed’ with going down too easily.
Alli helped Tottenham to a 2-0 win over Burnley at the weekend, with his positive contribution also highlighted.
Crooks selected Alli in his Team of the Weekend, alongside Tottenham teammate Eric Dier.
The former Spurs forward criticised Alli, commenting: “The only feature I don’t like about Alli’s game is his obsession with making contact with his opponent in the opposition’s penalty area and making out he’s been impeded.
“Penalties should be awarded, not prized out of referees. If he wants to be a Steven Gerrard or Frank Lampard, he must eradicate that from his game and promote the things that make people want to pay good money to see him.”
Tottenham’s Dele Alli misses a chance to score as Burnley’s Scott Arfield looks on
Crooks is not accusing Alli of purely diving, but instead conning the referee by seeking out an opportunity to be fouled and cheat his way to a penalty.
Alli has been a vital contributor for Tottenham this season, with the 20-year-old playing a key role in helping the team into second position in the Premier League.
He has netted 14 league goals this campaign already, with four assists also to his name, which included one against Burnley on Saturday.
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