Dele Alli’s return can’t save Tottenham by itself
The return of Dele Alli to Mauricio Pochettino’s starting XI can be a big boost for Spurs, but he can’t pull Tottenham out of the doldrums by himself.
After Sunday’s ugly 1-0 defeat at home to Newcastle it’s natural for Tottenham fans to be looking high and low for positive signs. The return of Dele Alli from injury is definitely a big positive for Spurs, but the club’s current problems run much deeper than the absence of the English midfielder.
According to The Telegraph, Dele should be passed fit in time to feature next weekend against Arsenal in the North London Derby. That’s certainly a massive lift for a Spurs squad that couldn’t find a way to break down Newcastle’s conservative defence last weekend. Of course, Arsenal won’t sit back and park 11 men behind the ball against their North London rivals.
The return of a creative force like Dele should still be an asset for Pochettino against Unai Emery’s squad. Dele excels at creating goals out of quick, counter attacking movements. That should be an integral part of his manager’s game plan next weekend.
Unfortunately for Spurs, Dele’s return to the pitch can’t fully negate the uncertainty swirling around Hotspur Way. No one knows whether or not Christian Eriksen will still be at Tottenham when the club kicks off their next match. The same can be said for Serge Aurier and Victor Wanyama. Eriksen is clearly the most influential member of that group, but it’s fair to assume that the Spurs dressing room is a tense place at the moment.
The apparent conflict between Pochettino and defender Jan Vertonghen is only adding to the dark clouds at Tottenham. The two men need to get on the same page this week if Spurs are going to dispatch their arch rivals next weekend. Davinson Sanchez is a talented player, but he’s struggled to fill the Belgian veteran’s shoes in the club’s opening three matches of the year. The sooner Vertonghen gets back into the starting XI the better for all involved.
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This might seem to point an overly negative picture of Tottenham at the moment, but these are dark times for Pochettino and company. Dele has a chance to significantly brighten the current mood around the club, but he’ll need more help to turn things completely around. Even a talent as substantial as Dele can’t cure the current emotional problems at Spurs.