Ian Wright thinks the ‘emergence’ of Heung-Min Son ‘negated’ Dele Alli at Tottenham, as he told Premier League Productions (03/02/21 at 12:05 pm).
The former striker thinks Son played ‘as that second striker’ where Alli would have wanted to play at Spurs and it played a part in him stagnating.
On transfer deadline day, Alli ended his seven-year association with the north London club by signing on the dotted line for Everton.
From Jose Mourinho to Antonio Conte, it just didn’t work out for Alli under many different managers and he will be well aware that he only has himself to blame.
Wright spoke about Alli’s fall during the past few years, and even though he built a strong partnership with his £22 million teammate (Mirror), he shared why Son being in that forward line was an issue.
“We saw Dele’s rise,” said Wright. “Then it kind of went stagnant for him. The problem Dele has is that, with the emergence of Son, who plays as that second striker. It kind of negates Dele.
“He’s not a ten. He’s not an out-and-out striker and he is in that place where Son is now taken and made his own.
“If we are going to be totally honest, he is better in that position. Dele has been trying to find his way back, in whatever system and whatever manager he has been under.
“But it’s not worked out. He maybe needs a move like this and under a manager like Frank.”
Years after being compared to Frank Lampard as a young fresh-faced teenager, the now more mature and currently struggling, Alli, gets a chance to work with the legendary midfielder.
It’s going to be interesting to see how this partnership works out and whether Lampard and his coaching staff can get the Alli of old to resurface on the Premier League stage.
If he can, then like Jesse Lingard last season, there will be cries of him possibly returning to the England set-up.
If not, then many will start to question whether Alli can ever rediscover his form and whether he was hyped up too much at an early age.
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