[ad_1]
Tottenham Hotspur defeated Stoke City 1-3 at the bet365 Stadium in Stoke-on-Trent to advance to the semi-finals of the Carabao Cup. That they did it with seven changes from the team that lost to Leicester City at the weekend is perhaps not entirely surprising: Stoke had a good run to reach the quarterfinals, but they are still a seventh-place club in the Championship. The Spurs were comfortable favorites before the game, and despite a few minutes after Jordan Thompson’s draw, the Spurs ended up winning quite comfortably.
Had you watched the game, you probably would have noticed the performance of Dele, who got off to an unusual start with José Mourinho after seemingly going off the Spurs coaches’ plans entirely. One wonders if his start was really due to merit (he’s played well in the short cameos he’s had recently) or more due to the fact that both Giovani Lo Celso and Tanguy Ndombele carried punches that kept them out of the match.
Still, Dele looked … good! He was bright and lively on the ball and was making good runs into space during his 66 minutes of action. He was frustrated at times, as many of his shots or attacking moves weren’t going well, but objectively it was the kind of encouraging performance you’d expect to see rewarded with additional time in the lineup.
But not if you are José Mourinho. The Spurs coach attacked Dele for an incident in the second half in which Dele fumbled the ball and, according to Mourinho, led to Stoke’s tying goal. Here’s how the Telegraph (£) described the incident as it happened:
Just after the home team tied Gareth Bale’s first goal in these quarterfinals, José Mourinho rushed to the touchline to unleash his fury at Alli for giving up possession in preparation with an extravagant move.
“Your move has cost us that goal,” the Spurs coach yelled. And Alli was replaced moments later.
– Jim White, The Telegraph
Naturally, Mourinho was asked about the incident, which was clearly audible as the match took place behind closed doors. Here’s what he had to say about Dele at the post-match press conference:
“For me a player who plays [in the hole] he is a player who has to bond and create and not create problems for his own team. In that situation, an objective counterattack would likely end with a goal, and it ended with a counterattack 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 “.
Really? That’s what happened? Let’s take a look at that work. Here’s a clip of the incident, from moments before Dele’s butt wad went through Thompson’s EQ.
So let’s start with the obvious: yes, Dele was trying something cool and it didn’t work out, and yes, that play (eventually) resulted in a Stoke goal. Yet looking back at that play, it seems extremely harsh to suggest that Dele’s film was the only thing that precipitated that goal. In fact, I would venture to say that Mourinho has blatantly made Dele a scapegoat for the failures of other players.
Mourinho has a decent (albeit small) point: If Dele had made a different decision, he could have had a more successful outcome. Dele chose the dramatic cue without looking at Son, who he knew was behind him, instead of moving into the open Lucas Moura. Hearing Mourinho say so, however, Dele’s draw resulted in an immediate counterattack from Stoke that took advantage of the Spurs defense being out of shape as they expect Tottenham to advance in attack.
But that is not at all what happens. Instead of holding the ball up and waiting for teammates to advance on a counter, the ball is deflected from a Stoke player into space and eventually played to Andy Lonergan in goal. Lonergan has enough time to hit a couple of touches before launching a long kick to the center of the field. Through a combination of good alert passes and a terrible Tottenham defense, Jacob Brown is able to shoot a long ball at Thompson, who finishes off Hugo Lloris at the back post.
Watching this play again, the goal that followed was far more the result of a Spurs baseline out at sea than anything Dele did. As soon as Lonergan throws the ball, the following happens: Ben Davies is sucked into midfield early on that play. Moments later, Eric Dier is caught off guard and absolutely roasted by Brown, who walks past him with acres of space to work. Davinson Sánchez is forced to open up to cover Brown’s run, and late defender Matt Doherty is watching the ball and not tracking Thompson, who touches the ball past Lloris, who could have done better, at the far post.
It’s obviously ugly. I’m still struggling to find out how Dele is guilty to the extent that he deserves a substitute for anger and a tongue from his manager to the media. There was more than enough time after Dele’s move for the Spurs defenders to come back and the defense to reboot. What happened may have started with a raffle, but it is absolutely not Dele’s fault.
Dele is a stylish player. It’s what we expect of him, and it’s one of the reasons it’s been so exciting to see him over the course of his Tottenham career. He obviously saw Son running after him and knew he wouldn’t have time to turn the ball around and make a pass to Sonny’s feet. So he tried a bold heeled pass. Maybe it was a wrong decision. It did not work. But what if he had?
Dele is one of the few attacking midfielders Spurs have who will come out and only try things. I’m possibly the only kid on the team who would think of trying a cue touch on a Son Heung-Min running in that situation, and I honestly have no problem with that. I certainly have more faith in Sonny with the ball at his feet than in Lucas Moura.
Mourinho obviously disagrees, and his reaction is probably the root of why he and Dele have had a fight this season. Many have argued that Dele is not the type of player to excel in Mourinho’s tactical system, but it is also true that Mourinho now seems to be looking for things to keep Dele out of the team for reasons beyond me.
Mourinho de Dele’s scapegoat and subsequent sub rage is bad enough, but what infuriates me most are his comments to the press. Dele was thrown completely under the bus for that play, in a way that is emblematic of Mourinho’s worst qualities as a manager. “Create trouble for your team”? Where was Mourinho’s public criticism of Eric Dier or Matt Doherty? Why not try Harry Winks for running backwards instead of dragging his butt to make a defensive play? Instead, it’s Dele who is criticized for a play that didn’t even start until 12 seconds after his “troubled” movie.
This is the kind of thing that made me hate Mourinho when he was managing other clubs, and what prevents me from fully accepting him as a coach at Spurs. Sometimes he feels like he’s not happy unless he has a player to serve as a vessel for his withering contempt. Last season it was Tanguy Ndombele. This year I think it’s Dele’s turn, and he’s not doing well.
Dele is very likely to leave Tottenham in January. As much as I like it, I hope it goes. This is not because he believes he is no longer good enough for Tottenham Hotspur, but rather because it is unfair for him to stay at a club where he does not have the trust and respect of his coach. Clearly, Dele has been working hard in practice and looking forward to his chance with the first team. If in the midst of a good performance in the League Cup you become the scapegoat for the mistakes of others, then you should go, because the club has failed you, not the other way around.
