Cascarino urges Pochettino to axe Tottenham star after Manchester City display
Former Republic of Ireland striker Tony Cascarino has said that Tottenham boss Mauricio Pochettino must axe Dele Alli from the starting XI after his performance against Manchester City.
The 21-year-old maestro was dominated by City’s midfielders at the Etihad Stadium on Saturday as Pep Guardiola’s men ran out 4-1 winners, with Spurs’ consolation goal coming in the third minute of added time.
He has been a regular among the starting XI for the Lilywhites this season, having appeared in all but one of the club’s 18 league games this season, 16 of which have come as starts, but Cascarino believes it is time to give the youngster a break after some sub-par performances.
He told talkSPORT’s Weekend Sports Breakfast programme (17/12, 07:00): “I think he’s played too much football.
“When managers are rotating and leaving people out – I felt he should have been taken out of the firing line.
“He’s a young man. I’ve been there myself where you just struggle and you’re not quite on it.
“I haven’t seen Dele Alli really make an impact in the last month since the Real Madrid victory, and especially yesterday, where he was certainly second best.”
Alli, who finished last season as the Premier League’s top scoring midfielder, has failed to show consistency in his displays this season, with seven goals and six assists from 22 appearances across all competitions.
Since joining from MK Dons in 2015, he has gone on to turn out 118 times for the Lilywhites, scoring 39 goals and chipping in with 30 assists for his team mates.
Saturday’s result against City has seen Spurs slip to seventh in the top flight, two points off north London rivals Arsenal in fourth after the Gunners defeated Newcastle United at the Emirates Stadium.
In other Tottenham news, the club are considering a £30million double swoop for these second tier teenagers.
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