Former Tottenham midfielder Glenn Hoddle has identified what he believes are the two key reasons behind Dele Alli's steadily declining form for the North London side.
The England international starred during the 2016/17 season with a return of 22 goals in 50 appearances across all competitions but that number dropped to 14 the following year.
Last term, Alli contributed just seven goals in 38 appearances and he has found the net twice in eight games this season, including the opening goal in Tottenham's 1-1 draw with Everton on Sunday.
That strike at Goodison Park has led to a rise in optimism that he could be back to his best but Hoddle believes there is still work to do, identifying two issues that need resolving.
“This season you can say he has had injuries but I think [Christian] Eriksen’s lack of form in recent months has affected Dele Alli in a big way,” he told BT Sport.
“He’s the playmaker, he picks him out, they’ve always had that bit of eye contact and that movement. That’s gone out of their game at Tottenham and it’s big for Dele Alli.
“For me, he’s a player who needs to be consistently getting the ball in the box. I think he’s going searching for the ball too deep and I don’t think he can cope. I’d have him playing three touches, get rid of it and shift it.
“Make sure you’re getting in and around that penalty area, this is where you want him, like he was against Everton. That’s the areas that you need him to get into. He reminds me of a modern David Platt.”
