Dele Alli enjoyed a terrific breakthrough season at Tottenham Hotspur during the 2015/16 league campaign in which his side ended the season in 3rd – their best ever Premier League finish.
The 20-year-old midfield dynamo earned himself both a spot in the PFA Team of the Year, as well as taking home the trophy of PFA Young Player of the Year, an award won by many prestigious names in the past including Eden Hazard, Gareth Bale and Cristiano Ronaldo to name a few.
Alli scored 10 goals in a total of 46 appearances throughout the season – including a should-have-been Puskas Award nominee against Crystal Palace – but it was his dominant, aggressive and creative play in behind the Tottenham front line that caught the eye of many.
The former MK Dons youngster played with a maturity and composure far beyond his years and experience considering it was his first at the highest level, having only joined Tottenham in the summer of 2015, and even earned himself an England call up and a place in the squad for Euro 2016.
Quite a year. However, after a poor Euro 2016 campaign – not just from himself it must be noted – and a relatively slow start to the Premier League from Spurs, signs are beginning to show that the undoubtedly talented youngster may struggle to recapture the form he showed last year.
We think Alli may not deliver this season as he did last, and here are three reasons why…
Pressure
Young Alli has gone from strength to strength throughout his days at MK Dons and now Tottenham and England. The youngster has set an extremely high bar for himself having had such a terrific campaign, with many calling him the ‘cornerstone’ of Tottenham’s most successful ever Premier League season.
Being told that the future of club’s fortunes rests on your shoulders at only 20-years-age is a huge responsibility, and not one many youngsters are fortunate/unfortunate enough to experience at such a young age.
The beady eyes of the Spurs fans, the Premier League and the world are now on Alli to perform as he did last season, and any dip in form will be greeted with a host of media and public outcry’s that he ‘is not the player we initially thought.
The pressure is definitely on, and Alli may just crumble underneath it.
Competition
Last season, it would be fair to say that Spurs lacked strength in depth which may have ultimately been their downfall come the end of the season.
While Alli barged his way into the side in impressive style, none of those around him did much to give any reason why he should leave – not that his form warranted it.
However, signing a striker and two midfielders this summer means competition for spaces in Tottenham’s midfield are hotting up. The signing of Victor Wanyama will allow Moussa Dembele to move further forward, and Moussa Sissoko will almost certainly want to occupy a similar position to Alli, too.
If Tottenham start two up front with new boy Vincent Janssen, that again takes a spot in the midfield away, and hence leaves eight players competing for four spots.
Having not had competition like it before, it will be learning curve for Alli as a fluctuation in form of any kind could see him quickly out of the team and warming the bench instead.
Confidence Shot
Alli’s season quickly went from dreamworld to nightmare after Euro 2016, where England crashed out in the last 16 to Iceland in what was described as the worst ever performance from an England side at a major competition.
The youngster was supposedly going to be the creative midfielder England had craved, and the backbone of Spurs boys himself, Eric Dier and Harry Kane were going to guide England to European Championship glory if they could reproduce the form they showed during the domestic season.
All three failed to deliver in calamitous circumstances, and Alli, unfortunately, became a scapegoat for England’s lack of success – especially considering he was caught partying in Ibiza only days after the country’s exit from the tournament.
It is no secret Alli has a temper, and the heavy criticism from the footballing world after such a poor showing the summer will do nothing for his confidence, and hence he is already beginning this season on the back foot.
If the opening three games are anything to go by, it already looks as if the 20-year-old has lost his magic touch.
