Kieran Trippier theory on what caused Dele Alli's downfall after Besiktas axe

17 March 2023 , 10:16

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Kieran Trippier played alongside Dele Alli at Tottenham (Image: Getty Images)

Dele Alli's career appears to have suffered another blow, as it is believed the England international has been axed from Besiktas' squad.

Alli, 26, joined Besiktas on a season-long loan from Everton last August in a bid to revitalise his stuttering career. Yet the former Tottenham midfielder has made just 13 league appearances in Turkey and is said to have been dropped by manager Senol Gunes.

Alli was once regarded as one of the best youngsters in European football - leaving fans wondering what has happened. His former team-mate Kieran Tripper believes Alli's downfall was triggered by Mauricio Pochettino's exit from Tottenham in November 2019.

Trippier, who played alongside Alli at Tottenham before joining Atletico Madrid in the summer of 2019, was asked about Alli's struggles during a recent appearance on the Undr The Cosh podcast. The defender was quick to highlight Pochettino's influence.

"Poch was brilliant with Dele to be fair and Dele was flying at Tottenham," explained Trippier. "It's one of those where I left and went to Atletico Madrid... but even during my last season there he was flying. He's a great lad, but Poch was brilliant with him."

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Alli enjoyed the best period of his career under Pochettino. The Englishman joined Tottenham from boyhood club MK Dons in the summer of 2015 and achieved immediate success - scoring 32 goals during his first two seasons at White Hart Lane.

Dele Alli has struggled for form since Mauricio Pochettino left Tottenham (Getty Images)

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Alli's sublime record under Pochettino saw him win back-to-back PFA Young Player of the Year awards, but his form dropped after the Argentinian coach was sacked in November 2019. His replacement Jose Mourinho tried to get the best out of him, but failed.

This was evident during Amazon's documentary series, Tottenham: All or Nothing. Mourinho told Alli, "I am 56 now, and yesterday, yesterday, I was 20. In no time. Time flies. One day, I think you will regret if you don't reach what you can reach.

"I'm not expecting you to be the man of the match every game, I'm not expecting you to score goals every game. I want to tell you that I think you will regret. You should demand more from you. Not me demanding more from you. Not me. Nobody. You. I think you should demand more from you."

Yet Mourinho's comments did not have the desired effect. Alli scored just one Premier League goal between August 2020 and January 2022 before Tottenham allowed him to join Everton on a free transfer. The deal included up to £40million in add-ons, with the first £10m owed after Alli made 20 appearances for the Toffees.

Alli failed to score in his first 13 outings for Everton before he was sent out on loan to Besiktas. To add insult to injury, Gunes is not planning on selecting him again. He is set to watch Besiktas' remaining games from the stands before returning to Goodison Park.

Everton manager Sean Dyche, who is yet to work with Alli, will have to make a big decision on the playmaker's future in the summer. It is unclear how this saga will unfold.

Tom Blow