Tottenham boss Pochettino defends Alli in diving debate
Mauricio Pochettino has come out in defence of Tottenham starlet Dele Alli, saying: "Football is about trying to trick your opponent."
Alli has faced scrutiny after he received the third yellow card of his Premier League career for diving, the most cards received for this offence by anyone in the entire league. The latest of these cautions came during Tottenham's Sunday fixture against Liverpool, when Alli was perceived to be simulating in the opponents' penalty area.
However, Pochettino defended his player, saying that people are being too sensitive about the situation. He conceded that it was a yellow card, but argued: "It happens. During different games, a lot of situations like this happen. The problem now is we are so sensitive about the situation. And then we are so focused on Dele Alli. The referee was right and perfect. It was a yellow card and nothing [else]. It’s too much sometimes. There is such a focus on this type of situation. I think it’s a minimal issue.
“Dele is not perfect," he continued. "Nobody is perfect. He is a clever boy. He is a little bit nasty. Football is a creative sport in which you need the talent that grows in a very intelligent person, a very smart brain. But the problem today is that, more than this type of situation, I am worried we are going to change the game we know.
“We are so focused on minimal details. I am worried that in a few years, the sport we love and that people love to watch around the world, will be pushed into a very rigid, structured thing – with the VAR and with being focused too much on the small actions like this.”
He went on to tell the media to get off their high horse, saying “You believe that in England you were honest and always perfect... Football is about trying to trick your opponent. Yes or no? What does ‘tactic’ mean? When you do some tactics, it is to try to trick the opponent. You say: ‘Oh, I play on the right but I’m going to finish on the left.’ It’s a mix and I am worried that maybe we are going to kill the game.”
Pochettino was giving a press conference ahead of Tottenham's FA Cup fourth round replay against Newport County, a game in which he may rest Alli and other key players ahead of Saturday's north London derby.