Sky Sports pundit Paul Merson has slammed Tottenham Hotspur star Dele Alli for his poor form this season, saying ‘he thinks he’s better than he is.’
The 21-year-old attacking midfielder has been widely criticised for his poor form this season, with his play for Spurs suffering a noticeable dip from last term.
Alli scored 18 Premier League goals last season to win the PFA Young Player of the Year award for the second time running, but has just six so far this campaign.
In a column for the Daily Star, Merson said: “I think he’s getting carried away with his own hype. When he joined Tottenham from MK Dons in 2015 he looked a great player. Then people started talking about him as the next big thing and when you start believing your own publicity, you can take your eye off the ball. Everybody gets a season where they explode on to the scene. You have to prove you’re not a one-season wonder, that you can do it year after year.
“[Gareth] Southgate is right to say he has work to do because he’s not starting for England at the World Cup playing like this. Alli should watch some videos of Mo Salah and study how he runs off the ball. That used to be his strength too. He was all about making those late runs into the box. But he’s lost that.
“It’s not laziness but maybe he thinks he’s better than he is. He keeps trying to come short and get involved in the play. That’s not his game.”
Tottenham meet Chelsea in a crucial Premier League clash in the race for the top four at Stamford Bridge on Sunday afternoon, with Mauricio Pochettino’s side sitting five points above the Blues in fourth.
OPINION
There is no doubt that Alli has failed to reach the heights of last season, but pundits are getting carried away with their criticism. He may not be scoring as many but he has already surpassed his assist tally from last term and is still a big part of Tottenham’s attacking play. It is also easy to forget that he is just 21 years old. For a player of that age, Alli is doing pretty well for himself, regardless of the criticism. Tottenham could however do with him stepping up on Sunday against Chelsea, as a win would make their top four place much more secure.