Dimitar Berbatov sends message to Jose Mourinho and Dele Alli

Former Tottenham Hotspur striker Dimitar Berbatov has urged Jose Mourinho and Dele Alli to reach a comprise as quickly as they can, as the midfielder appears to have fallen down the pecking order at Spurs.

Alli has started just two of Tottenham’s five matches so far this season, coming off at half-time in the season opener against Everton and lasting only an hour against Shkendija.

The midfielder has been left out of Spurs’ matchday squad on the other three occasions, including the game against Newcastle United on Sunday.

Berbatov believes that Alli is too good to be left out of the team and claims that it is in Mourinho’s best interest to get the midfielder back to top form.

Speaking to talkSPORT Breakfast, the Bulgarian said: “Mourinho told him face to face ‘you are lazy in training’, and this is something that maybe leads to a problem down the line – and it did obviously.

“Because when the coach is straight with you and if you don’t take it well, it can lead to confrontation. You can see it now; it is happening as he is not playing and not in the squad.

“He is so talented but something is not sitting right with Mourinho, and if you cannot find the middle ground – and there needs to be a compromise on both sides – then the player is going to suffer.

“But he is so talented – the goals he scores are unbelievable – and as soon as possible they need to resolve it. Something is going on behind the scenes and they need to resolve it otherwise I don’t think it’s going to be beneficial for anyone there.”

While Berbatov was a joy to watch when he was on song, like Alli, he was certainly not known for being a hard trainer.

However, the former Spurs striker insisted that he enjoyed working with honest managers like Mourinho.

The striker added: “I was never lucky enough to play under him but the players I spoke with everyone says great things about him: ‘he is a winner’, ‘he knows how to motivate his players’.

“His record speaks for itself; wherever he goes he wins trophies, which is probably one of the most important things you can do – if not THE most important.

“From what I’ve seen on the All or Nothing series, he was very straight with his players, telling them as it is. It is good to see this as I always thought if you give me a straight answer, it doesn’t matter if I like it or not, I prefer it like that – don’t lie to me.

“Now the expectation is high for Spurs, especially as Mourinho will have a full season and be prepared for it, buying the players he wants to buy, and people are going to expect a trophy out of him.”

I expect Alli to be handed a start against Chelsea tonight, given that we also have the all-important Europa League qualifier just 48 hours later. The midfielder usually plays well against the Blues and it will certainly be a golden opportunity for him to show Mourinho what he can do.