Noel Whelan has claimed that Dele Alli should never wear the Tottenham shirt again after his role in the side’s poor showing in the Europa Conference League defeat to NS Mura.
Spurs’ campaign in the European third-tier competition took a huge dent on Thursday as Antonio Conte’s side lost 2-1 against the Slovenian outfit, who are bottom of Group G.
The defeat means Spurs can no longer advance to the knockout stage directly with Rennes claiming top spot, leaving a play-off as the club’s only option of progressing.
In what was a heavily rotated Spurs team, Alli was handed a chance to impress behind striker Harry Kane. However, the 25-year-old was hauled off after 54 minutes by Antonio Conte and replaced by Heung-min Son with the side 1-0 down and chasing an equaliser.
It was yet another difficult evening for the midfielder who will likely not have handed the Italian manager any reason to consider him for a starting berth for this weekend’s trip to Burnley.
Former West Ham striker Whelan admits he was livid with the level of Alli’s display against Mura and believes the time to impress has run out for the former England international at Spurs.
He told Football Insider: “It doesn’t matter who the manager is at Tottenham, it hasn’t worked and you can’t see that changing. Managers have come and gone and tried to bring out the Dele of old, it hasn’t worked.
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“You look at his performances and they’re miles off the level needed and where he was three or four years ago when he was one of the best young players in Europe.
“It’s time to let him go – in January if they can find a club for him – because he’s had a number of opportunities now.
“Even Conte coming in hasn’t flicked the switch. Something’s not right where a player who was that good, now, he’s not fit to wear the Spurs shirt ever again.”
Spurs Web Opinion
No Spurs player exactly showed their worth in that poor European display, but that was a chance for the fringe players to try and force their way into Conte’s plans.
With Alli, it seems like we’ve reached the maximum of what he can offer us and there is no more progress, so it does look like time is up for him.
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