Former Tottenham midfielder Dele Alli has opened up on his time with Mauricio Pochettino at Hotspur Way and explained what makes the Argentine different to every manager he has worked with.
Looking back, Pochettino’s sacking by Tottenham in 2019 was not only a crossroads in the club’s trajectory but also in Dele Alli’s career.
The attacking midfielder has never been the same since he stopped working with the Argentine, with successive Spurs managers, Jose Mourinho, Nuno Espirito Santo and Antonio Conte, failing to get anywhere near the best out of him.
Dele has continued to struggle since exiting Tottenham, although a large part of that has been down to his injury woes.
Dele Alli makes an admission about working with Mauricio Pochettino at Tottenham
The former Tottenham Hotspur man is now trying to get his career back on track at Serie A side Como and has now reflected on his career so far in an interview with TuttoMercatoWeb.
In the interview, Dele Alli revealed why Pochettino was able to bring the best out of him at Tottenham. He explained that the Argentine allowed players to express themselves on the pitch instead of burdening them with tactical instructions like many modern-day managers.
The 29-year-old said about Pochettino: “He always told me to be myself. He didn’t correct me on superfluous things, while other coaches would have done it. It just let me express myself the way I wanted. Real freedom on the pitch is fundamental.
MORE SPURS STORIES
“As footballers, each of us has our own style, our own way of playing. Sometimes football can get too schematic. ‘You have to run here, pass there,’ and for me, this takes away the beauty of the game. We want to entertain, we want to make our own games, and every player is different, and brings something unique.
“Sometimes it happens that you think of a play on the spot and it works, without it being planned. I think moving away from the rigidity of tactics a bit and keeping your personality is important.”
Pochettino has admitted he has unfinished business at Spurs
Even though it has now been almost six years since Pochettino was sacked, Spurs fans continue to hold a special affection for the 53-year-old.
He is currently in charge of the US Men’s national side and is set to lead them into next year’s World Cup.