Dele Alli showed his frustration with Jose Mourinho’s decision to substitute him during Tottenham’s 3-1 Carabao Cup win over Stoke.
The midfielder was given a rare start, just his fourth of the season, but was replaced on the hour mark and booted the water bottles by the touchline as he angrily took his seat in the stands.
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A Gareth Bale goal put Spurs in front and Alli was denied twice by Stoke goalkeeper Andy Lonergan in the first-half, but gave the ball away for Stoke’s 53rd-minute equaliser.
The 24-year-old was substituted in the 66th minute as Tottenham boss Mourinho accused him of ‘creating problems’ for his team as Tottenham then secured the win when Ben Davies and Harry Kane efforts saw Spurs progress to the semi-finals of the competition.
“Yes, for me a player that plays in that position is a player that has to link and create and not to create problems for his own team.
“In that situation, an objective counter-attack would probably end with a goal, and it ended with a counter-attack behind our defenders.
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“We were unbalanced because when you are in possession you have full-backs out wide and another midfielder in a different line and they caught us in a counter-attack and they transformed the result of the game that was totally in our hands, so yes I am upset.”
After the game, talkSPORT co-host Perry Groves told the Sports Bar it is time for Alli to secure a move away in January.
“He’s Mourinho’s kicking block, isn’t he? Dele Alli is a player who flicks and when he’s confident, that’s part of his game.
“He’s trying a bit too hard because when you know the manager is on your case and doesn’t fancy you, you tense up a bit. I’m looking at him now and, for all parties concerned, it’s better if he gets a loan move.”
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Meanwhile Bale, who opened the scoring for Tottenham in the 22nd minute, was forced off at half-time with a calf injury and Mourinho confirmed it was the player’s choice.
“Something he felt in the last part of the first-half and he didn’t want to come out before the second-half so he stayed.
“While he was walking to the dressing room he told me immediately that he couldn’t come for the second-half.
“Something I think with [his] calf. I’m not sure as at that time I just wanted to reorganise the team and make the change.”
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