Dele Alli reacts to online video on controversy around his Everton arrival
Dele Alli has responded to a video posted online that mocks the controversy that has arisen since his arrival at Everton.
Before he had even featured for the club the former Tottenham man had been criticised for both his car and his clothes by ex-players in the media.
Alan Brazil and Ally McCoist on talkSPORT were unimpressed at the beginning of the month with the fact that the midfielder had arrived at training in a Rolls Royce, a stance subsequently backed up on the same station by Danny Murphy last week, with only Trevor Sinclair a dissenting voice.
And Glenn Hoddle attacked the January signing’s appearance while being paraded on the pitch at half-time of the FA Cup tie with Brentford alongside Donny van de Beek, saying he looked like he had been “dragged off the street” (Express) which prompted Frank Lampard to defend him in a press conference.
The player himself had kept quiet on the whole issue, but responded on his Twitter account with four crying laughter emojis to a video containing a supportive song saying “I wanna be like Dele Alli” to the tune of Pulp’s Common People.
Fuss about nothing
It is no surprise that Dele has not been vocal in his response to the non-issue since he would only have drawn unwarranted criticism for it.
If it was already being attacked for doing nothing any different from hundreds of other players it was not worth the risk for him.
But he is sure to have felt attacked by the whole situation as anybody would.
His performances in a Toffees shirt will be what concerns him and his manager, as well as most fans, above all.
A poor showing on debut in the loss at Newcastle was not the greatest of starts but encouraging involvement in the blistering 3-0 win over Leeds could be a platform to feel more comfortable at Goodison.
More performances like that by this team can help rescue something from a dismal season, while Dele will want to step out of van de Beek’s shadow to make an impact in his own right.
In other Everton news, another Toffees midfielder is in talks to switch international affiliation.