Form of Tottenham star Dele Alli is under the spotlight.
Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Dele Alli is under pressure after a poor end to the season.
The Telegraph ran a report focusing on Alli’s recent underwhelming displays.
The criticism from fans on social media, largely from rivals, has been scathing.
The rush to judgement over the 23-year-old is unfair, considering what he has achieved in the game already.
Alli has already racked up more than 280 club appearances, more than 180 for Tottenham.
He has 77 career goals, and 53 for Tottenham. He has become a victim of his own success.
He has no goals for Tottenham in 2019, while his England form has also been called into question, with no goal for his country since July.
More than anybody, Alli deserves a clean slate next season.
He is a prime candidate for a player suffering burnout, possibly linked to last summer’s World Cup, the second international tournament he has played in already.
He rushed back from a muscle injury suffered in January, which won’t have helped him.
There will be more pressure on Alli next season, but Christian Eriksen’s potential sale could help him if he moves into a more central attacking role.
Of course Alli’s form has been disappointing, especially considering the opportunities Spurs and England have just missed out on.
But the criticism lacks view of the bigger picture, and Alli deserves to come back next season, fresh and ready to show what he can do, without added focus on his poor 2019 to date.
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