On the latest episode of The View from the Lane podcast, The Athletic’s Jack Pitt-Brooke, James Maw and Charlie Eccleshare have been discussing the latest on-goings at the north London club. This included a discussion of Dele Alli’s suspension by the FA.
It was confirmed earlier this month that the former MK Dons man would face a one-match suspension, after he recorded a Snapchat video in which he appeared to joke about the current viral outbreak and mock an Asian man (per BBC). This means Jose Mourinho will be without the midfielder for Spurs’ re-opening Premier League fixture against Manchester United on Friday evening.
Pitt-Brooke prompted a discussion on the 24-year-old and how his suspension might affect Mourinho’s starting 11, saying:
“Do you think that Dele’s suspension means there’s no point in playing 4-2-3-1? And [Mourinho] might as well go for a 4-3-3?
Eccleshare then suggests that:
“I did have that thought. Maybe it does simplify that in a way, as much of a blow as it is losing Dele, it could kind of make sense.”
However, it was Maw that really dug deep on the matter:
“Yeah, it’s definitely bad to lose him, to lose a goalscorer. I think Charlie’s right, it simplifies the decision, and it sort of means you’ll probably have round pegs in round holes rather than trying to jiggle things around to get him in the team. Quite what that means in the longer term, it actually feels like it could be quite a badly-timed suspension from his perspective, which is ironic given it’s taken about four months to come around.
“Mourinho must be quite annoyed that they waited so long to announce that because they’ve waited until they’re preparing for that game and then they’ve announced that he’s going to be suspended. I’m not saying the suspension is wrong or harsh, but it does seem a bit strange that it took them this long to determine that was going to be the case when I think we all kind of accepted and knew and believed that that should happen. To wait until they’re suddenly preparing for the match – I can see why Mourinho might be a bit frustrated by that.”
TIF Thoughts…
As Maw suggests, losing Alli is certainly a blow for Spurs, as the midfielder is the North London club’s third highest top-scorer in the Premier League so far this season behind Harry Kane and Heung-Min Son (per WhoScored).
The 24-year-old also scored in the 2-1 away defeat against United earlier in the season, when Marcus Rashford’s brace consigned Mourinho to his first defeat as Lilywhites boss (per BBC), so he could’ve perhaps proved to be a threat again in Friday’s fixture if it wasn’t for his suspension.
However, as the trio suggest, Mourinho can now perhaps line-up in a 4-3-3 formation without having to accommodate the former MK Dons man, so it will be interesting to see how the Lilywhites line up on Friday night, and whether or not Alli will be able to force his way back into the side should Spurs earn three points against Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side.