Dele Alli ‘created problems for his own team’ – Jose Mourinho

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Tottenham manager José Mourinho admitted he was angry at Dele Alli during the 3-1 Carabao Cup quarter-final victory at Stoke.

Spurs reserved their place in the last four thanks to goals from Gareth Bale, Ben Davies and Harry Kane against the Championship club and are now just two wins away from winning the competition.

They made life more difficult for them when Alli tried a quick move during a transition, gave up the ball and Stoke tied with his first shot of the game through Jordan Thompson.

Dele Alli, right, struggles into the stands after being substituted (Mike Egerton / PA)

The 24-year-old had a chance to prove himself against Mourinho, having found himself out in the cold in recent weeks, and that moment unraveled a promising first half.

He was substituted shortly after and Mourinho blamed him for the goal he conceded.

“Yes, for me a player who plays in that position is a player who has to link and create and not create problems for his own team,” said Mourinho.

“In that situation, an objective counter would probably end with a goal, and it ended with a counter behind our defenders.

“We were unbalanced because when you are in possession you have wide wings and another midfielder in a different line and they caught us in a counterattack and transformed the result of the match that was totally in our hands, so yes. I’m upset “.

The Spurs were able to bounce back from that when Davies and Kane scored in the final 10 minutes for the victory they deserved.

Gareth Bale was replaced at halftime (Mike Egerton / PA)

A header from Bale had put the Spurs in front midway through the first half, but the Welsh international did not appear after the break, as he asked to leave after a calf injury.

Mourinho said: “Yes, it was his decision.

“Something that he felt in the last part of the first part and did not want to leave before the second part, so he stayed. As I was walking to the dressing room, he immediately told me that he couldn’t come for the second half.

“Something that I think with (his) calf. I’m not sure, since at that point I just want to reorganize the team and make the change. “

Mourinho has won the League Cup every time they have reached the semi-finals, so it bodes well for Spurs in their fifth quarter-final appearance.

With a one-legged semi-final and a Wembley masterpiece, everything in between and cutlery, Mourinho knows this competition is his best chance to end his trophy drought.

“To win this trophy we need to win two games. But they are two very difficult games, “he added.

“To win other trophies you need to win more games. The FA Cup did not start for us. The Europa League we are in the round of 16.

“We are a long way from getting there. In the Premier League I already told you what we are.

“But they are two very difficult games. If the first wins, the second must win.

“The teams that are going to be there are very difficult teams. Man City are very difficult. Brentford, to me, the way he plays is not the Championship, it is the Premier League.

“And Everton or Manchester United are one of the best teams. But we are in the semifinals and we will be there to fight ”.

Michael O’Neill saw his Stoke side hit (Nick Potts / PA)

Despite having had a way back to the game, Stoke never looked like he was going to win against a strong XI from the Spurs.

However, being weak, Chief Michael O’Neill said his side did not fall from grace.

“We expected the Spurs to come with a strong team, maybe not as strong as they saw it, they have quality all over the field,” he said.

“I think we take a lot of credit for our performance in the second half, we tied with a good goal.

“In the first part we were calm and shy and it didn’t affect anything at all. The Spurs showed their class and quality with their finishes.

“We have not played against that quality in terms of their three forwards, we are playing against the highest quality in the Premier League. We gave a good account of ourselves. “



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