Tottenham midfielder visibly enraged after being subbed at Watford

Dele Alli, after being withdrawn in the 73rd minute, was visibly enraged by Jose Mourinho’s decision to pull him off in Tottenham’s scoreless draw with Watford. 

You want passion from your top players, so it was refreshing to see Dele lose it ever so briefly on the sidelines on Saturday. If you didn’t see it, Dele punched the Watford bench in a moment of uncontrollable rage. He’s not the first to take his indignation out on an inanimate object, and he certainly won’t be the last.

The question is whether he was angry at his own play or the gaffer’s decision to extract him. Or was it a bit of both?

Back to the start — Dele and Jose’s bromance

Jose Mourinho and Dele’s bromance bloomed almost immediately after the gaffer’s arrival at Hotspur Way. The wily, sly Portuguese manager cajoled and complimented Dele, showing the utmost adoration for the Englishman.

And his tactic worked, as Dele returned to vintage form. resurrected and full of verve, Dele executed an audacious flick-turned-through ball in Mourinho’s first game in charge, against West Ham no less, that led directly to Son Heung-Min’s goal.

Exuding confidence and scoring a brace against Bournemouth in the next match, Dele gained momentum like snow tumbling in an avalanche.

The vintage Alli had returned.

The extraordinary confidence he exuded, however, started to fizzle out after his Boxing Day winner. Almost coinciding Harry Kane‘s injury, Dele, like most of his teammates, has decidedly struggled since the turn of the new year.

Has the bromance fizzled out?

The million-pound question is whether the bromance with his boss has also fizzled out. While throngs of onlookers will speculate, nobody, outside of Dele’s close circle, truly knows the primary reason for his brief meltdown.

Let’s say, for argument’s sake, that his incandescent rage was in equal parts due to being withdrawn and underperforming. If Dele was influencing the match the way we all know he can, he wouldn’t have been substituted. So regardless of the root cause, he only has himself to blame.

I hate to drudge up the past, but Dele wasn’t nearly strong enough in the tackle against Jordan Henderson at the edge of the box less than two weeks ago. His lame attempted tackle lacked commitment and led to Liverpool’s only goal of the match. While you might have to grit your teeth to watch, reviewing evidence of Dele’s lacklustre tackle will only serve him, and the team, better in the long run.

In a guilty pleasure sort of way, it was refreshing to see Dele explode on the touch-line at Watford. Not only did potentially damage Watford property, but, as his anger billowed, he showed how much it means to him, and how deeply he cares.

It’s time he has a long, hard look in the mirror and reflects on his recent performances. He’ll find they haven’t been good enough, which, without the likes of Harry Kane and Moussa Sissoko, is unacceptable.

Jose can’t take the blame for this one, Dele. Now harness that anger and show us what you’re capable of on Wednesday evening under the bright lights.