So I saw this genuine question on X, but being X, the responses were predictably shallow and some what aggressive.
What are your thoughts? There’s no doubt he went through a big trauma, and it’s completely understandable that he fell into such a dark place. But now that he seems to be doing better, for a while actually, why do you think he still hasn’t returned to a certain level?
And happy birthday, Dele. One of my favourite players all time.
by Worried_Dog_1310
18 Comments
Who knows. Former troubles came back to haunt him maybe?
Personally i think he started taking off field stuff more seriously than on field. I followed him on insta and it seemed to line up time wise where he was VERY active on insta and with sponsorships/teams ups etc and the sharp drop off in form.
His decline and inability to get back to a professional level shows just how hard it is to be a professional footballer. A combination of physical and mental injuries have made it, so far, impossible for him to regain the level required. It will only get harder as every day passes.
Shame that his level now seems to be a Delhi Alley
He did an interview during Covid before he even left us saying injuries have stopped him from being able to do the things he used to do. He was known as a poor trainer. Maybe he half-assed the initial rehab and once you do that it’s never coming back.
I’m probably blinded by nostalgia but there is a part of me that would love to give him a go if we drop to the Championship. I know it’s not realistic and he’s likely mostly done at a high level but there’s a part of me that just thinks what if…
The lad should try his best to get back in at MK Dons. Home. He needs to get the bug again if he wants to have a last hurrah.
God bless Dele.
No idea, but Dele will always be loved by us
I think there are other factors but, imo, he was a player who played on instinct to a very, very high degree. I think that relies on a high degree of confidence. My recollection is that he could be quite loose in possession at times because he just backed his instinctive ability so much. He relied heavily on that lack of fear that commentators so often talk about in young players. I think he just got inside his own head and started second guessing himself in his decision making. I think once that starts happening to you as that kind of player, it’s very hard. You need to try and adapt your game into something a bit more simple and pragmatic (eg like Adel Taarabt becoming a CM at Benfica for example). Dele just never really did that for whatever reason.
Dam, we should have had another 5 years of prime Dele.. such a shame man..
I think he was best arriving late in the box as a shadow striker, just behind Kane, and that position has slowly faded for one reason or another. Similar to Thomas Muller.
Not the sole reason but I remember it being a big talking point after Poch left
Pull your socks up mate, daarnt be a sorry sod /s
Time is merciless and the demands on the body of a professional athlete are extreme. The kids are always coming up, and the pressure is always high. Substance abuse also an obvious factor in his case.
Not a Spurs fan, but I always felt he was a bit positionless. Outrageous levels of talent, but wasnt really a 10, or a wide player or a midfielder. Reminds me a bit of Lingard
He suited playing in that Spurs side with Kane & Eriksen (both of whom at the time were either world class, or on the verge of).
Probably an unpopular opinion but I always thought Dele was the weakest technically out of our attacking players at their prime. He couldn’t pass like Eriksen. He couldn’t strike a ball like Son. And he was nowhere near Harry Kane. And I think as the game moved on, that part of his game just never evolved. Add in to the fact he’s been obliterated by injuries, his confidence is shot and all the issues in his personal life that came out, none of it is a surprise..
He could be delicate and could pull of a lovely bit of skill. But I just think he was always a bit loose with the ball. His ball striking ability for the most part wasn’t spectacular (Palace volley aside). Very rarely scored from distance and I can probably count on one hand the amount of passes be made that wowed me.
The best part of his game was his running in behind or just finding himself in the right position. He was ultimately a second striker in an era that didn’t really play second strikers.
Teams are just so much better tactically now than they were in Deles prime. When he lost peak Eriksen who had a telepathic understanding with him, his decline was rather rapid tbh.
The longer you spend out of the game, the quicker the game moves on.
Drug addict addicted to pain meds it’s common knowledge.
Just watched his compilation of Premiership goals. Man, alive for about 3 seasons he was unbelieveable, some of his finishes were total class. He was so, so good and seemed to score against big teams constantly.
I’m hoping that he can get back to playing at any level and get his mind sorted out.
Football is a brief career. With regard to Dele, that Blade Runner quote comes to mind
“The light that burns twice as bright burns half as long, and you have burned so very, very brightly”