Rio Ferdinand has praised the physical attributes that Dele Alli possesses despite the midfielder’s lacklustre display against Crystal Palace.
Alli fell down the pecking order at Tottenham under Jose Mourinho last season and seemed as though he could be on the way out of the club over the summer.
However, the midfielder remained in North London and has had an important role to play under Nuno Espirito Santo, having started all four of Tottenham’s Premier League games so far.
While the former MK Dons man has shown some promising signs this season, he was one of several Tottenham players who struggled at Selhurst Park on Saturday as the Lilywhites fell to a damaging 3-0 loss.
Nuno admitted after the game that the lack of creativity going forward was an issue for his side.
With the likes of Bryan Gil and Tanguy Ndombele waiting on the wings, it remains to be seen whether the Portuguese coach will continue persisting with Alli.
Ferdinand believes that the 25-year-old’s athleticism and strength make him a valuable asset to the Spurs squad.
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The former Manchester United defender said on BT Sport 1 (11:51 am, September 11, 2021): “Physically he (Alli) can overpower, he can dominate, he can outrun most players around. Physically he is a machine, he is a specimen.”
Spurs Web Opinion
I believe that the main reason Alli has been preferred by Nuno so far is due to his ability to cover a lot of ground out of possession.
The 25-year-old is an excellent presser of the ball and most of our chances in our games so far have come from winning possession back in the opposition half.
While the likes of Ndombele, Lo Celso and Gil will arguably offer more on the ball than the England international, Alli is certainly a better player out of possession.
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