Report details Mourinho’s plea to ‘lazy’ Spurs star in honest one-on-one meeting

A select group of journalists and media personalities were given the chance to watch the first three episodes of Amazon Prime’s ‘All or Nothing: Tottenham Hotspur’ this week ahead of its release on Monday.

The various juicy revelations that have come out since have only served to increase the anticipation ahead of the documentary’s release.

Among the most interesting things to have come out so far are the details of Jose Mourinho’s first meeting with Dele Alli after he arrived at the club.

The Sun reveals that the Spurs boss was quick to reprimand the 24-year-old for his laziness in training.

Mourinho reportedly says to the midfielder: “I understand already that you are a f***ing lazy guy in training.”

The report details the plea that Mourinho made to the England international to demand more out of himself.

The Spurs boss was reportedly filmed saying to Alli in his office: “What I want to tell you basically is this – I think you feel I like you. I like as a player and also as a kid. I think you are a nice kid.

“I don’t want to be your father because you have your father. I don’t want to be your uncle or old brother, I just want to be your coach but with a good connection so I have to always tell you what I think.

“Inside of you, maybe you tell me to f*** off but I have to tell you exactly what I think. And for me since the beginning, I have no doubts about your potential. I saw you do incredible matches and incredible things – but I always felt you had ups and downs.

“There is a huge difference between a player that keeps consistency and a player that has moments. And that is what makes the difference between a top, top player and a player with the top potential.

“It’s something you don’t have to share with me, I think it’s something just for you to analyse yourself and to realise why ‘My career has been MK Dons, Tottenham, international team, bang!’ And then you reach the top and then…

“Why you have in your career these little ups and downs, I don’t know?

“I don’t know if it has to be your lifestyle. I don’t know if you want periods when you are an amazing professional or if in other periods you are a party-boy? I don’t know. I have no idea. Only you can know that.

“I am 56 now and yesterday I was 20. Do you know what I mean? Time flies, time flies and I think one day you will regret it if you can’t reach what you can reach.

“I’m not expecting you to be the man of the match every game. I’m not expecting you to score goals every game. I just want to tell you I think you might regret.

“YOU should demand more from YOU, not me demanding more from you. Not me. Not me. Nobody. YOU. I think you should demand more from you.”

Spurs Web Opinion

Jose has shown over the course of his career that he knows how to push different players’ buttons and get the best out of them. Dele strikes me as the kind of player who would rise to being challenged rather than go into his own shell. The midfielder’s improved run of form after Jose arrived is perhaps proof that the Spurs boss’ meeting with him had the intended effect.

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