Dele Alli has not been playing well for Tottenham Hotspur this season.
Nicholas believes that Alli is not playing his natural game, and wants the England international to go back to doing what he does best.
Nicholas said about Alli on the Gillette Soccer Saturday show on Sky Sports News on Saturday afternoon (12:13pm, May 4, 2019): “Dele, at the moment, he looks as if he wants touches on the halfway line where it doesn’t matter at all in a game.
“Whatever happened to this running behind the striker, this diagonal ball he used to put in there? That’s gone completely from his game. He has to get back to the basics of what he was, which is a link-up player.”
Disappointing season
Alli is one of the best young midfielders in the Premier League, but the Tottenham star has not had a great season on a personal level.
The 23-year-old midfielder has made 21 starts and three substitute appearances in the league for Spurs this campaign, scoring five goals and providing three assists in the process, according to WhoScored.
The England international has played six matches in the Champions League for Spurs this campaign, providing one assist in the process, according to WhoScored.
Champions League progress
Meanwhile, former Chelsea striker Chris Sutton has backed Tottenham to progress to the final of the Champions League this season.
Spurs lost the first leg of the semi-final tie against Ajax 1-0 at White Hart Lane last week, with the second leg to be played in Amsterdam this week.
Son Heung-min was suspended for the first leg, but the 26-year-old South Korea international – who can play as a winger or as a forward – is available for the second leg.
Sutton said on the Saturday Morning Savage show on BT Sport 1 on Saturday morning (11:34am, May 4, 2019): “Yes, I think Spurs will go through. I think Son is such a big player for them.”
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