The relationship between Tottenham Hotspur head coach Jose Mourinho and midfielder Dele Alli has hit a ‘new low’ after Alli conceded possession ahead of Stoke City’s equalizer during their Carabao Cup quarterfinal on Wednesday, according to The Times. The goal in question was scored by Jordan Thompson in the 53rd minute after Gareth Bale gave his team the lead in the first half. Spurs went on to win the match regardless, courtesy of goals from Ben Davies and Harry Kane, but Mourinho was obviously furious with Alli as he gave him a proper roasting from the touchline.
The Portuguese replaced Alli in the 66th minute, bringing on Moussa Sissoko in his place and prompting a furious reaction from the England international in turn.
Alli has been out of favour with Mourinho for a while now, and his future has been a subject of much speculation recently.
“Yes [I was angry]”, Mourinho said about the incident. “For me a player that plays in that position has to link and has to create and not to create problems to his own team. In that situation an objective counterattack could probably come with a goal or with an action [to score] and it ended with a counter-attack behind our defenders.”
Mourinho also said the game had previously been completely under the control of his team and the goal they unexpectedly conceded changed that.
It seems that after five and a half years, Dele Alli’s time at Tottenham Hotspur has come to an end indeed. The club were already reportedly set to allow him to leave in January, even though his contract runs until 2024, with Everton, Paris Saint-Germain and AS Monaco recently named among his potential suitors.
