Tottenham midfielder struggled in the Champions League final.
Dele Alli started the match he had dreamed of playing in at the weekend, lining up in the Champions League final.
It didn’t go to plan, with Alli struggling to make an impact.
He drew some criticism as a result, but pundit Tony Cascarino believes it is unfair.
Cascarino told The Times he felt Mauricio Pochettino’s tactical approach did Alli no favours.
He said: “Dele Alli got a lot of criticism on Saturday night for the way he played but I felt sorry for him — the way Pochettino set them up just did not suit Alli.
“He was being asked to try to work with scraps of possession that came from Spurs’ long balls.”
Tottenham went 1-0 down after just a minute, which threw their game plan out of the window.
Alli had a disjointed season and struggled for form after returning from the hamstring injury he suffered in January.
His final performance was not a one off, and Spurs need to figure out how to get the best out of him.
A full rest this summer will do him good, with the exertions of last summer’s World Cup perhaps catching up with the 23-year-old.
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