England star details theory on Dele Alli decline after latest blow

England train ahead of World Cup

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England defender Kieran Trippier has suggested that Dele Alli’s spectacular fall from grace may have been influenced by Mauricio Pochettino’s exit from Tottenham back in 2019. Alli was not even considered for a place in the England squad for this year’s World Cup as a result of his dramatic decline, which saw him shipped out to Everton earlier this year after struggling to replicate his impressive form of old at Tottenham under three different managers in Jose Mourinho, Nuno Espirito Santo and Antonio Conte.

Alli’s woes continued at Goodison Park during the second half of last season before he was deemed surplus to requirements over the summer and sent on loan to Besiktas, where he has failed to prove his doubters wrong with just one goal in seven league appearances. Trippier has since credited Pochettino’s man-management skills as the main reason behind Alli’s success during his early years at Tottenham in an interview with Under The Cosh.

“Poch was brilliant with Dele to be fair and Dele was flying at Tottenham,” said Trippier. “It’s one of those where I left and went to Atletico Madrid and he was there for two years after. But even my last season there he was flying, he’s a great lad, but Poch was brilliant with him.”

The scale of Alli’s decline is likely to have been influenced by a combination of detrimental factors, with the sky-high confidence he possessed as a youngster having vanished into thin air over the last few years. It has also been widely suggested that he may have fallen out of love with football as a result of the lows that came after his rapid rise to prominence at Tottenham following his move from MK Dons back in 2015.

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It remains to be seen whether Alli will ever be able to recapture the form that saw him emerge as one of England’s finest young prospects at the time, with his career seemingly at a standstill at present. Besiktas manager Senol Gunes recently admitted that Alli has not lived up to expectations over the course of his loan spell to date in a scathing review of his performances since joining the Turkish heavyweights over the summer.

“I couldn’t affect the players,” said Gunes last month. “Now I can easily touch them, but we haven’t touched Dele Alli yet. Let’s not discuss Dele Alli as a player, but he is below expectations in terms of efficiency.”

Meanwhile, former Tottenham boss Tim Sherwood insisted earlier this year that he could not put his finger on why Alli has fallen so far off the radar since bursting onto the scene in north London, telling talkSPORT: “The demise has been so long, hasn’t it?

“It was after my time. Pochettino played him in his favourite position, he really affected the side. I don’t know the boy, but from the outside you almost think did he get too much too early? I’m not sure what he’s like as a professional. I’m not saying he’s good or bad.

“I haven’t got an opinion on him. All I know is he’s such a talent and unfortunately his career is wasting away and it’s a real shame. I can say and Ally [McCoist] will back me up, there’s nothing like playing the game, so just enjoy it while you can.

“Hopefully there’s still time for you to pick up your career and run with it until your legs can’t go anymore.”

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