Tottenham: Reasons to believe Conte can make Dele work again for Spurs

LONDON, ENGLAND - SEPTEMBER 30: Dele Alli of Tottenham Hotspur scores their side's first goal from the penalty spot during the UEFA Europa Conference League group G match between Tottenham Hotspur and NS Mura at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on September 30, 2021 in London, England. (Photo by Clive Rose/Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND - SEPTEMBER 30: Dele Alli of Tottenham Hotspur scores their side's first goal from the penalty spot during the UEFA Europa Conference League group G match between Tottenham Hotspur and NS Mura at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on September 30, 2021 in London, England. (Photo by Clive Rose/Getty Images) /
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Dele Alli of Tottenham Hotspur scores their side's first goal from the penalty spot during the UEFA Europa Conference League group G match between Tottenham Hotspur and NS Mura at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on September 30, 2021 in London, England. (Photo by Clive Rose/Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND – SEPTEMBER 30: Dele Alli of Tottenham Hotspur scores their side’s first goal from the penalty spot during the UEFA Europa Conference League group G match between Tottenham Hotspur and NS Mura at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on September 30, 2021, in London, England. (Photo by Clive Rose/Getty Images) /

Injuries and a sundry of other issues have limited Dele Alli and his impact on the pitch for Tottenham Hotspur for the better part of three seasons and as many coaches. Now, with Antonio Conte at the helm, time may be running out for Dele at Spurs.

While the odds are long that Alli is going to suddenly figure it all out under Conte, there are a few examples of similar players succeeding under the Italian tactician. These examples should leave those Dele faithful with some hope of an unlikely but still possible resurgence.

Dele Alli was once a feared attacker for Tottenham Hotspur and as a result, Spurs were almost unbeatable when the Englishman scored. Many fans point back to how Tottenham has never been the same since losing the Champions League Final in Madrid, which is true, for Dele the issues started well before that.

Like Harry Kane, Dele was injured and out or only limited for a long stretch of the season. Clearly playing a role in the miracle in Amsterdam, Dele was contributing but his goals and overall impact had already been waning, as he was learning to deal with his first real professional injury, which became injuries.

Related Story. Why Dele doesn't fit Conte's Tottenham plans. light

Fit-again several coaches later, it is difficult to see where Dele fits in the Conte set-up.

We fast-forward to today and given Conte’s approach and system, there were likely several really happy players when Conte arrived, not the least of which was Harry Kane.

Historically, centre-forwards have done very well under Conte. Conte can claim at least five centre-forwards who have hit for 20 or more goals with him as a coach. There is little doubt Romelu Lukaku‘s 64 goals in 95 matches under Conte was something that Kane was greatly aware of.

Likewise, Conte has been known for his work with the wing-back position helping grow players like Marcus Alonzo and most recently Achraf Hakimi. This should excite players like Matt Doherty, Emerson Royal, and Sergio Reguilon.

As you go on, Conte has had success with wings where attackers like Eden Hazard, provide evidence that players like Heung-Min Son and Steven Bergwijn have bright futures. Even seeing the success of players like Cesc Fabregas and Nicolo Barella makes you think Conte can unlock a passer like Giovani Lo Celso, so where does Dele fit?

Dele must be a second-striker for Tottenham and Conte

At his best for Tottenham, Dele was scoring goals and creating goals, mostly in the box. His sense of timing for getting on the end of passes, particularly from Christian Eriksen was impeccable. You can go back to Amsterdam and there was Dele playing the second-striker off of Fernando Llorente which created assisted Moura’s goal.

At his best, Dele really was a false-nine or second-striker and under Antonio Conte when appropriate he has played with a two-striker system. If he were trying to emulate Inter’s attack from last season, it would likely be Son playing the Lauraro Martinez Role with Kane as Lukaku.

Dele does have the ability to play a similar role. Beyond last year’s super pairing in Milan, three other players stand out as being successful in the kind of role Dele can play under Conte.

Three players that played similar roles under Conte to what Dele Alli can who thrived under the Italian were Carlos Tevez, Barreto, and Arturo Vidal. All there were different players at different points but all three played a tactical role very effectively similar to what Dele could do.

Both Tevez and Barreto played under Conte as true second strikers. They worked providing link-up play and made a living looking for food in the box. In just 48 matches together at Juventus, Tevez – who had already left Manchester City on the back-side of 30 – scored 21 goals and added a further 10 assists.

Those numbers may sound ridiculous in association with anything related to Dele but he did have 18 goals and 9 assists in 2016/17 in the Premier League.

Barreto was Conte’s Brazilian star at Bari as the Italian was cutting his teeth in Serie B. Barreto had an incredible season for Conte, managing 25 goals and 12 assists in 34 appearances. Barreto was a star under Conte but failed to hit his stride in other circumstances, never matching that season as a second-striker with Conte.

Barreto is a good example of a player who under the right circumstances with the right role, like Dele could have, succeeded.

Arturo Vidal did not necessarily play a second-striker role under Conte at Juventus, he was more of an attacking midfielder but very much one in the mold of Dele Alli.  In his best season under Conte, Vidal had 11 goals and six assists and totaled 36 goals and 21 assists across 141 matches with the Italian at Juventus.

Dele is a player very much in Vidal’s image, where he plays on instinct and emotion as much as anything. Like Dele, Vidal likes to play the little layoffs and short passes in tight spaces and like Dele, Vidal is a ready, willing, and able tackler.

As you look through the history of Conte, you see only two players, Leonardo Bonucci and Gianluigi Buffon have played more minutes than Vidal under Conte, none made more appearances.  Sometimes a coach just connects with players in that way to get their best and that was the case with Conte and Vidal.

This is not to say that Conte is going to turn Dele into Vidal or even back into Dele. However, Vidal was 24 when he started playing under Conte and his career did progress well from there and his rise can give us hope that maybe we can still see the best of Dele Alli under Antonio Conte.

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