The Curious Case of Dele Alli | Emotional Overlap interview (p 19)

The Light Was Yellow Sir said:
Kleberson, Babel, Joe Cole, Robinho, Walcott, Bentley, Bendtner and our own Mangala all flattered to deceive and all of them fell way short of what might have been predicted.
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Joe Cole had a very good career. Are we talking about the same guy?

Did very well with Chelsea and was one of national teams better performers around the mid 2000's

3 time premier legue winner and played over 50 times for England and scored double figures. He moved on from Chelsea at 29 or 30 but he had an excellent career there.

Apart from probably not having a glittering end to his career in his 30s, I'd say he pretty much maximised his ability.
 
Akira said:
Talented kid who let all go to waste. Probably the worst part of Dele's case is it wasn't about injuries, but more to do with his attitude. He will probably serve as a case study for the younger footballing generation of not losing your focus while at the top. Of course he is not the only example in football but probably one of the most significant in recent years.
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I'm sure most of us have seen the clip with his one to one meeting with Mourinho and Mourinho is basically telling him he's going to waste his career and talent and you can see Dele doesn't give a shit.

A link for those who haven't..

 
Someone mentioned Danny Rose playing for Watford, but he doesn't. Watford terminated his contract in September 2022, and he hasn't played for anyone since. That's half a year without a club for a 32-year ex-England international who used to play for Spurs for a dozen years.
 
Akira said:
Talented kid who let all go to waste. Probably the worst part of Dele's case is it wasn't about injuries, but more to do with his attitude. He will probably serve as a case study for the younger footballing generation of not losing your focus while at the top. Of course he is not the only example in football but probably one of the most significant in recent years.
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The crazy thing is, he has probably earned enough money already to live a comfortable life and even more bizarre will have tv/media companies chasing after him with bags of cash when he does finally hang up his boots.

It's crazy how a waste of talent can be so handsomely rewarded.
 
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There are at least 3 different categories with this. The first one being mentioned is careers cut short by injuries - not much anyone can do about these. The second one is that players just don't get any better and that can start at any age.
Then there is the third that Ali falls into. Just getting bored and falling out of love with the game or getting into other shit. Difficult to have any sympathy with the last category.
 
Keeper! said:
The crazy thing is, he has probably earned enough money already to live a comfortable life and even more bizarre will have tv/media companies chasing after him with bags of cash when he does finally hang up his boots.

It's crazy how a waste of talent can be so handsomely rewarded.
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He earned his way up to the top even if he didn't put in the hardwork to stay their for longer.

He scored 16 league goals in just his second full season, as a teenager and went straight from league one to a top PL club.

Lots of these lads have complex family backgrounds, an absent parent, adopted (Balotelli), poverty, substance issues in family and mental health.

It’s only natural that it catches up with them when football dictates their whole lifestyle.
 
Asa's left peg said:
Just getting bored and falling out of love with the game or getting into other shit.
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I've been thinking this for a long time.
In most professions you start at the bottom and try and work your way up. You keep your nose clean and just do your job and eventually you'll have your foot on the rung - up and away. You don't just start day one as managing director with no experience.
In my profession you started gigging in the local bars and working men's clubs and progressed from there. But then I see programmes like 'The X Factor' and I see some young girl win the competition and the next thing you know she's on the Royal Variety Performance, singing in front of millions and millions people. One minute she's stacking shelves in Tescos and the next she's recording an album and a TV show. More money in her bank than her dad could ever earn in a lifetime. Simon Cowell doesn't give two fucks though, he's raking it in regardless of what happens to his protegè.

But once you've played the big stages and enjoyed the adulation, the money, the status it affords you, then where? You can only go down. The next thing you know the poor girl is doing karaoke in the Rose and Crown.

Same with footballers today. One minute representing your country in a World Cup game, the next you're playing non-league football for Morecambe Rangers or whatever.
 
I never saw what the attraction was with Alli. He scored a wonder goal and that's about it?

I think you see the best of a player when he hasnt got the ball, Foden is always thinking, always looking for the exploit or the opportunity. Alli, Rashford, so many others just play like they were kids, looking for the glory moment asnd only ever putting in the hard work when it means their glory.
 
Gorton_Tubster said:
I never saw what the attraction was with Alli. He scored a wonder goal and that's about it?

I think you see the best of a player when he hasnt got the ball, Foden is always thinking, always looking for the exploit or the opportunity. Alli, Rashford, so many others just play like they were kids, looking for the glory moment asnd only ever putting in the hard work when it means their glory.
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It is the case of being overhyped by the media and supporters above his overall ability (which isn't entirely awful). Fingers crossed Jude Bellingham will not turn out the same way and we can really help him develop even further and keep him more grounded.
 
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Gorton_Tubster said:
I never saw what the attraction was with Alli. He scored a wonder goal and that's about it?

I think you see the best of a player when he hasnt got the ball, Foden is always thinking, always looking for the exploit or the opportunity. Alli, Rashford, so many others just play like they were kids, looking for the glory moment asnd only ever putting in the hard work when it means their glory.
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Difference between a good player and a great player. The great player is doing what you say and knows what they want to do before they have the ball at their feet. The average to good player gets the ball then decides what they want to do with it.
 
Crooked_rain said:
Joe Cole had a very good career. Are we talking about the same guy?

Did very well with Chelsea and was one of national teams better performers around the mid 2000's

3 time premier legue winner and played over 50 times for England and scored double figures. He moved on from Chelsea at 29 or 30 but he had an excellent career there.

Apart from probably not having a glittering end to his career in his 30s, I'd say he pretty much maximised his ability.
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He did well but nothing like as well as he should have. From the age of 25, he played 10 seasons in the PL and played a total of 155 games and scored 28 goals. If you took his best PL season out (33 games for Chelsea and 10 goals) his record is pretty awful (9 seasons, 122 games, 18 goals).
Not as bad as many, I’ll grant you, but could have made much more of himself.
 
KentBlue said:
I've been thinking this for a long time.
In most professions you start at the bottom and try and work your way up. You keep your nose clean and just do your job and eventually you'll have your foot on the rung - up and away. You don't just start day one as managing director with no experience.
In my profession you started gigging in the local bars and working men's clubs and progressed from there. But then I see programmes like 'The X Factor' and I see some young girl win the competition and the next thing you know she's on the Royal Variety Performance, singing in front of millions and millions people. One minute she's stacking shelves in Tescos and the next she's recording an album and a TV show. More money in her bank than her dad could ever earn in a lifetime. Simon Cowell doesn't give two fucks though, he's raking it in regardless of what happens to his protegè.

But once you've played the big stages and enjoyed the adulation, the money, the status it affords you, then where? You can only go down. The next thing you know the poor girl is doing karaoke in the Rose and Crown.

Same with footballers today. One minute representing your country in a World Cup game, the next you're playing non-league football for Morecambe Rangers or whatever.
Click to expand...
Because of the internet and 100's of TV channels it is possible to become an overnight success (or that phrase I hate to use... "an internet sensation")
Today's aspiring pop stars don't want to deal with playing their first gig supporting another band in the back room of a pub in front of 8 people, 7 of whom are their mates.
They want to go "viral" NOW!!
None of this earning your dues bit, they want the fame now and as you say, then don't know how to deal with the pressures that brings had they gradually and organically grown and learnt how to deal with these things along the way.
When the pop idol / X Factor contestants first gigs are filling arenas rather than learning in front of an audience at Night & Day as you said there is only one way left to go.
Cowell doesn't care once the candle has burned out because he's already working on next year's fodder.

And we've seen players at City like Etuhu, Sturridge and Sancho, wanting to run before they could walk. Look how much the media laid into Pep about how he was holding Foden back and how they told Foden to look at Sancho and see how he is doing and follow him out of the club.
And yet Pep got it spot on 100%
 
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