TOTTENHAM STAR DELE Alli said he is not fazed by public perception of his form, following a match-winning Boxing Day performance against Southampton.
Providing a goal and two assists in their 5-2 Premier League win on Tuesday, Alli was pivotal as Spurs kept pace for Champions League places.
Despite volatile showings against Burnley and Manchester City, though, the England midfielder insisted his form is not fluctuating.
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“We speak a lot, the manager and myself, and my form is not really something I think about too much,” Alli said. “But it’s always nice to prove people wrong.
“At 21 years of age when you set your standards as high as I did the last two years it’s not always the case that you’re going to reach them all the time.”
In three appearances in the Champions League this season, Alli has notched up two goals and three assists.
His goal against Southampton was the first in 10 matches. However Alli says goals and assists are not the sole indicators of performance.
Some people think if you’re not scoring or assisting, you’re playing badly, but I think I criticise myself all the time,” he said. “I think it’s just working on myself and my own game.
“As players we’re not too worried about what people are saying, as long as the people close to you, around you and your teammates are speaking highly and you’re doing what the team wants, that’s all you need to think about.”
Sitting a point off fourth-placed Liverpool, Spurs travel to lowly Swansea City next week.
The42 has just published its first book, Behind The Lines, a collection of some of the year’s best sports stories. Pick up your copy in Eason’s, or order it here today (€10):
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'My form is not really something I think about too much'
TOTTENHAM STAR DELE Alli said he is not fazed by public perception of his form, following a match-winning Boxing Day performance against Southampton.
Providing a goal and two assists in their 5-2 Premier League win on Tuesday, Alli was pivotal as Spurs kept pace for Champions League places.
Despite volatile showings against Burnley and Manchester City, though, the England midfielder insisted his form is not fluctuating.
“We speak a lot, the manager and myself, and my form is not really something I think about too much,” Alli said. “But it’s always nice to prove people wrong.
“At 21 years of age when you set your standards as high as I did the last two years it’s not always the case that you’re going to reach them all the time.”
In three appearances in the Champions League this season, Alli has notched up two goals and three assists.
His goal against Southampton was the first in 10 matches. However Alli says goals and assists are not the sole indicators of performance.
“As players we’re not too worried about what people are saying, as long as the people close to you, around you and your teammates are speaking highly and you’re doing what the team wants, that’s all you need to think about.”
Sitting a point off fourth-placed Liverpool, Spurs travel to lowly Swansea City next week.
The42 has just published its first book, Behind The Lines, a collection of some of the year’s best sports stories. Pick up your copy in Eason’s, or order it here today (€10):
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