Graham Roberts has claimed that Nuno Espirito Santo is wasting Dele Alli’s attributes by playing him in a deeper role.
Alli thrived as a number ten behind Harry Kane in his first few years at Tottenham, taking the Premier League by storm after arriving from MK Dons.
The 25-year-old demonstrated a great knack for making late runs into the box, which enabled him to be prolific in front of goal.
However, the England international’s stock has fallen considerably over the last couple of years as he struggled to get game time under Jose Mourinho last season.
Alli is now back in favour under Nuno, who has started the midfielder in every single Premier League game so far.
However, the Portuguese coach has decided to deploy the former MK Dons man as part of a midfield three instead of in a more advanced role.
Nuno explained previously that the position enables the team to make the best use of Alli’s ability to cover a lot of ground during matches.
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However, speaking before the Arsenal game, Roberts claimed that Alli is much more effective when played as a number ten.
The legendry Spurs defender told FootballTrasferTavern: “Dele Alli is not a left-winger.
“You play him in his best position, which is behind the front person.”
Spurs Web Opinion
I can certainly see the logic behind why Nuno is playing Dele on the left of a midfield three. The team certainly benefits from Alli’s engine and his ability to win the ball back.
In this role, the midfielder also seems to have the licence to get beyond the striker but he is having to pick his movements to make those runs. I believe the 25-year-old needs some time to adjust to the demands of the role.
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