the times | Tuesday September 15 2020 2GM 63
Sport
Something is going
horribly wrong with
Alli and Mourinho
W
hen José Mourinho took
over at Tottenham Hotspur
last November, people were
quick to hail the rejuvenating effect
that he appeared to be having on an
out-of-form Dele Alli. That seems a
long time ago. Something has gone
horribly wrong between the two of
them and I believe that Alli is fighting
to save his Spurs career.
The 24-year-old suffered the
embarrassment of being taken off at
half-time during Tottenham’s woeful
defeat by Everton on Sunday.
Mourinho said the substitution was
“tactical” — I don`t believe that for a
moment.
Mourinho substituted Eric Dier
after 30 minutes of a Champions
League game against Olympiacos but
then went out of his way to almost
apologise to the player for the
humiliation. I don’t believe that’s
going to happen with Alli. The
manager took him off because he is
unhappy with him and Alli knows
that. He may even think that he is not
wanted by José.
Alli burst on to the scene as a
teenager when he joined Spurs from
MK Dons. In 2017 he was being
lauded so highly after his two-goal
display against Real Madrid in the
Champions League at Wembley that
knowledgeable people in the
game said he should leave
Spurs for the Spanish giants
— he was that good.
He’s still young but in
20 games this year Allihas scored only two goals. There has
been a massive decline in
performance and he is at the point
where he may almost have to start his
career all over again. He just does not
seem the same lean, agile, graceful
player. He runs differently and is
more filled out and robotic. The
hamstring injuries will have had an
effect because he will have spent
more time doing gym work, but it has
been detrimental.
He has also lost the faith of three
managers: Mauricio Pochettino had
been dropping him before he left
Spurs, he was omitted from the
England team by Gareth Southgate
and now he has lost favour with
Mourinho.
The Amazon Prime documentary
All or Nothing revealed that Alli was
called a “lazy trainer” by Mourinho
when he met the Spurs squad for the
first time and, after Sunday, I suspect
the relationship has soured further. If
the pair hadn’t had heated words
already, I’m sure Alli would have
spoken out in the dressing room,
having been taken off after 45
minutes. There is conflict there and
I’m sure Alli won’t take it lying down.
Tottenham’s troubles are not all
down to Alli, of course. It used to be
said that to be coached by José was a
huge thing for a player’s
developement. Not any more. He has
failed to make one player in that
squad better than they were under
Pochettino.
Mourinho accused his side of
not closing down quickly
enough against Everton but
they are too slow to be able to
do it. Ben Davies, Matt
Doherty, Dier, Toby
Alderweireld, Harry
Winks and Pierre-Emile
Hojbjerg are, for me, six
of the slowest players
in the Premier
League. If that is not
addressed soon, I see
this decline continuing.Newcastle hire lawyer who
cast doubt on Saudi takeover
A QC appointed by Newcastle United
in their fight with the Premier League
over the failed sale of the club to a Saudi
Arabian-funded consortium had previ-
ously raised doubts about the takeover.
Nick De Marco, QC, one of two law-
yers enlisted by the Newcastle owner
Mike Ashley, said in May that a World
Trade Organisation (WTO) ruling,
which found that the Saudi state had
facilitated the activities of the beoutQ
pirate broadcasting network and
blocked legal action against it, was a
potentially serious stumbling block.
De Marco told Al Jazeera at the time:
“The [Premier League’s] owners’ and
directors’ test is focused on convictions
in court for serious criminal offences or
offences of dishonesty but it also
includes the finding of a court that
somebody has breached copyright law
and been involved in piracy in some
way. It seems to me this is at least an
issue the Premier League can now look
at seriously.”
The takeover collapsed on July 30after the Saudi Arabia Public Invest-
ment Fund (PIF) pulled out of the deal.
The PIF would have been the majority
shareholder as part of a consortium
with Amanda Staveley’s PCP Capital
Partners and the Reuben Brothers.
Ashley believes he has a strong case
against the Premier League, claiming it
rejected the £305 million deal based on
its owners’ and directors’ test. However,
the league last week denied that there
had been a rejection of the takeover.
Yesterday, Shaheed Fatima, QC, and
De Marco were announced as the pair
who will act for Ashley and the club.
Sources claim that the Newcastle own-
er wants to revive the deal, rather than
seek compensation. Joel Leigh, a part-
ner at the law firmHoward Kennedy,
believes the action is proof of Ashley’s
desire to bring the deal back to life.
“This is about one thing only,
clearing a path to get the Saudis back to
the table,” he said.
“Though Mike Ashley and Newcas-
tle United are the ones bringing the
action, no doubt they have the tacit
backing of the Saudi bidders.”Martin Hardy
How they stand
P WD L FA GD Pts
Arsenal...................... 11003033
Leicester................... 11003033
Chelsea...................... 11003123
Newcastle................1 100 20 2 3
Wolves.......................1 100 20 2 3
Liverpool..................110043 1 3
Crystal Palace.......110010 1 3
Everton......................110010 1 3
Aston Villa.............000000 0 0
Burnley....................000000 0 0
Man City..................000000 0 0
Man United...........000000 0 0
Leeds..........................100 1 3 4 -1 0
Southampton........100101-1 0
Tottenham .............100101-1 0
Brighton....................100 1 1 3 -2 0
Sheffield Utd..........100 10 2 -2 0
West Ham................100 10 2 -2 0
Fulham......................100 10 3 -3 0
West Brom..............100 10 3 -3 0Tony Cascarino
Alli has lost the
faith of three
managersduo who cost a combined £117m
Werner touches
Direction of playspeed becomes even more effective
with his ability to read the game.
Chelsea’s opening goal came
courtesy of this combination of skills.
Before Jorginho had intercepted Steven
Alzate’s pass, Werner was already out of
the blocks and winning the race with
Mat Ryan, who hauled him down.
Managers who select a high defensive
line — like Graham Potter — are playing
a dangerous game with Werner around.
Last season, he scored 35 goals in
Germany and his form looks certain to
continue in England. He could have had
a hat-trick last night with better service.
Despite being only 24, Werner also
looked like a leader. He was happy
complaining about a lack of support in
pressing from the front. Werner looks
certain to be a big player for Chelsea.
Tom RoddyRICHARD PELHAM/NMC/POOL; DARREN WALSH/CHELSEA FC/GETTY IMAGESTimo Werner, 24, £45m
(from RB Leipzig)
After a season in which Tammy
Abraham and Olivier Giroud were
rotated in and out of Chelsea’s attack,
Timo Werner has given Frank Lampard
a new and effective option up front.
Where Giroud and Abraham hold the
ball up and offer a target to play off,
Werner varies his play. One minute the
German is lurking on the last defender,
ready to dart in behind or dash down
the channels, and the next he is
dropping deep to collect the ball and
launch an attack.
Werner’s greatest strength is his
pace. Watching him, at times, is
reminiscent of a young Michael Owen
— the way in which he would
accelerate past players. And Werner’s
31 yards
Distance77mph
SpeedReece lightning
Werner made an
instant impact on
his debut, above,
as he was
brought down by
Ryan, the
Brighton keeper,
to win a penalty
which was
converted by
Jorginho. The
home side drew
level before
James made it 2-1
with a stunning
strike from
distance, right,
and a deflected
effort from
Zouma, left,
sealed victory