Dele Alli: Pundit claims Everton new boy ‘is not fit enough to play in the Premier League’
Dele Alli needs time to rediscover his best form after an underwhelming Everton debut.
That’s according to former West Ham hitman Frank McAvennie, speaking exclusively to Football Insider after he “messed up” against Newcastle.
Alli, 25, made his Everton debut on Tuesday (8 February) against Newcastle, replacing the injured Demarai Gray after 25 minutes.
The debutant was robbed by Joe Willock in the buildup to Newcastle’s second goal and struggled to create chances at the other end of the pitch.
McAvennie insists Alli will come good once he is fit enough to play Premier League football.
“Alli hasn’t played for so long,” McAvennie told Football Insider correspondent Ben Wild.
“I think we need to cut him some slack. I think getting caught out last night will give him a nudge in the right direction.
“It might end up benefitting him. Those mistakes bother you as a player and he will know he messed up.
“He’s not fit enough to play in the Premier League at the moment, that’s clear.
“But we know he’s a good player. He’s a brilliant player on his day. The best thing for him is to give him as much game time as possible.
“Once he gets up to speed I’m sure we will see a positive change there.
“He needed a pre-season, really. If he plays, he will come good.”
Alli, 25, joined Everton on deadline day after falling out of favour at Tottenham.
The same day, Sky Sports reported the midfielder could cost Everton up to £40million with the deal structured around performance-based add-ons.
In other news, pundit suggests Lampard has already “fixed” big “problem” at Everton after Abdoulaye Doucoure update.