Dele Alli is not playing well for Tottenham Hotspur at the moment.
The former Rangers and Newcastle United midfielder believes that knives have been drawn out for the England international midfielder for a while.
Barton told talkSPORT about Alli: “He is a young player. I feel that the media have been out for him a little bit. I think the knives have been drawn on Alli for a while.”
Alli is one of the best young players in Europe, but the 21-year-old midfielder is not playing well at the moment.
There have been games when the former Milton Keynes Dons star has played well, but overall so far this campaign, the England international has not played to the level he is expected to.
However, one must remember that Alli is only 21 years of age, and inconsistencies and dip in form are common among such young footballers.
Tottenham are out of the running for the Premier League title this season, but the North London outfit are very much in the race for the top four.
Spurs have also progressed to the last-16 stage of the Champions League, so there is a lot to play for.
Alli remains an important player in Mauricio Pochettino’s side, and sooner the youngster gets back to his best, the better for Tottenham.
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