Tottenham Shouldn’t Sweat Alli Suspension
By Ryan Wrenn
Dele Alli’s fifth yellow card of Tottenham’s Premier League campaign on Sunday means that he’s set to miss out on Cheslea’s visit to White Hart Lane, but that shouldn’t worry Mauricio Pochettino too much.
It’s strange to think that less than four months into his stay at Tottenham Alli would be inspiring such hand-wringing over his absence. Few expected him to be a regular in this team so soon, much less a lock for the starting XI.
Yet the 19-year-old has proven to be talented beyond his years, and has quickly established himself with Pochettino and the rest of the first team. That being said, the squad’s return to fitness and the general quality of those below Alli in the pecking order make his suspension a tad easier to deal with.
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The most obvious benefactor of Alli’s brief time away should, at first glance, be Ryan Mason. Prior to the injury he picked up in scoring Tottenham’s winning goal against Sunderland in September, Mason was well on his way to making a case for starting each and every week. His partnership with Eric Dier in the center of the pitch was better every week and while he still had a tendency to ignore his defensive duties, even that was improving slowly over last season.
With Mason out, however, Pochettino was compelled to give more minutes to Alli, specifically in that role next to Dier in midfield. The young Englishman actually bettered Mason’s contribution, especially in defense. He might be a slightly less persistent threat on goal than Mason, but he is by far the better player overall.
Pochettino might not fall back on Mason just yet, however. As improved as he might be from his less-than-stellar efforts last season, he is likely still not good enough to contribute meaningfully to a fully fit Tottenham squad. Instead, we might see Mousa Dembélé reprise his role in the center of the park, performing in much the same role as he did in the 4-1 win over West Ham.
Fielding Dembélé there is made all the easier by the return of Érik Lamela after his own suspension for accumulated yellow cards. If Tottenham are looking to exploit a lot of the vulnerabilities Chelsea have shown in defense, the Argentine winger might start alongside Christian Eriksen and Heung-min Son in the attacking midfield ban of three behind Harry Kane. Given Lamela’s tendency to drop back into midfield, this might not be as suicidally top-heavy as it initially sounds.
The wide breadth of talent now available to Pochettino, and the versatility of players like Dembélé and Lamela, suddenly makes Mason look obsolete. Only two months ago he was in the running for another season of regular appearances. Now he’s likely to be on the outside looking in.
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Some might argue that Mason deserves to be in that position. While he’s struggled to live up to his promise, other players have been brought in – Alli and Son – or have found new life in their own games – Dier, Dembélé and Lamela. Pochettino’s access to all of those players after injuries and suspensions, combined with his unwillingness to rotate, should push Mason closer and closer to the Tottenham exit as the season wears on.
That’s less a sign of Mason’s declining quality and more an indication of just how much Tottenham have improved since the summer. They are simply too good a team to have to rely on the likes of Mason, even when players like Alli are forced out of the lineup.