Dele Alli‘s England performance in Euro 2016 opener was less confrontational than it was great
Tottenham midfielder has been known to cause trouble in the past but ensured he remained cool-headed against Russia
THERE are those who reckon Muhammad would have been a more appropriate Christian name for Dele Alli.
And such has been the Tottenham youngster’s penchant for a confrontation that at times it has been hard to disagree.
Indeed, it was that nose for trouble rather than goal which led to some believing he was simply too big a risk for Roy Hodgson’s Euro squad.
After all, those sneaky Johnny Foreigners would clearly set their stall out to wind him up, it was claimed.
Surely they would take the lid off their box of sneaky tricks to goad him into a reaction.
This was the 20-year-old, who missed the finale to Tottenham’s season thanks to a retrospective three-game ban for punching West Brom’s Claudio Yacob.
And all that after twice escaping red cards for stamping on Crystal Palace’s Yohan Cabaye and then Fiorentina’s Nenad Tomovic thanks to refereeing myopia.
So how could Hodgson possibly gamble his Euro hopes on a man who could leave us a man light at a crucial stage?
Well we did not have long to wait to see exactly why the manager had never held any doubts about Alli’s ability to handle the pressure cooker of a major tournament.
Barely ten minutes had gone when Georgi Schennikov sent him spinning with a challenge that was meaty, to put it mildly.
In a flash Alli was on his feet and barging into the midfielder. You could sense the mass ‘Here we go again’ all around the Stade Velodrome.
Only this was not a square-up, merely a determination to grab the ball, take a quick free-kick and get England on the front foot as swiftly as possible. Cue collective sighs of relief from team-mates to terraces. A sure sign the penny was dropping.
It was further proved minutes later, by a bone-shaking but totally legal challenge to rob Roman Neustadter and set up an England attack which merited more than the corner it brought.
But it was one magical instant when penned deep near the corner flag that really brought this place alive.
Surrounded by FOUR defenders, he produced feet so fast Michael Flatley would have applauded to tee up Wayne Rooney for a rocket that so nearly brought the breakthrough.
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How fitting then that his shrewd head won the free-kick for obstruction which saw Eric Dier raise the roof with that piledriving opener.
England had other stars — and they will need them if they are to go as far as the nation hopes.
Take a bow Adam Lallana, a man who has also been doubted.
This is a player who was derided at the start of the season that Liverpool fans even used to have a sweep on what minute he would be taken off.
There were times, in the early months of the last campaign, when Lallana simply did not look fit enough — or good enough.
So if even Kopites had concerns about whether he was up to the job for their club, how on earth could we expect him to be so for his country? Once again, though, Hodgson never harboured those fears. Not the first time, it must be said, he and Liverpool supporters found themselves on different pages.
For while Alli’s display went way beyond that of someone just two months out of their teens and after one season in the Premier League, Lallana’s was alongside him.
The Reds attacking midfielder may look a bag of bones who would struggle to tackle a good meal but he is also perfect proof about appearances being deceptive.
Lallana, operating chiefly down the right, was absolutely tireless. A world away from the man who struggled to see things through in those dark months on Merseyside.
Pressing, probing, penetrating.
If England created something, you could lay odds that Lallana had a hand — or a magical foot — in there along the way. One occasion saw him fizz a daisycutter just wide of the far post, while he also stung Russian keeper Igor Akinfeev’s hands with an effort.
Much of the debate going into the Euros centred around skipper Rooney’s role and where Hodgson could get the best from him.
Yet while the captain did not disappoint against Russia in his deeper role, it was the display of those two alongside him which really increased the pulse.
There were certainly enough moments from them to suggest it could yet be a tournament to remember for the right reasons — although England will be gutted they did not hold out for the win.