Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino has admitted that Dele Alli was not happy to have been benched for the club’s game against Brighton on Wednesday.
Spurs made four changes to the team that defeated Stoke City during the weekend with Serge Aurier and Danny Rose coming into the team for Kieran Trippier and Ben Davies respectively while Moussa Sissoko and Mousa Dembele started in the centre of the park.
Erik Lamela made his first start for the club in over a year and this resulted in Alli being benched. The youngster did come on with 15 minutes remaining and Pochettino has admitted that he was not happy to have been benched.
“How did Mousa Dembele react? How did a player at Manchester United or Arsenal react, or Liverpool when they are on the bench? Come on,” Pochettino told reporters when asked about Dele’s reaction in his post-match press conference.
“Tottenham is a special one to create problems. Dele Alli was on the bench and then played 20 minutes. He’s such an important player for us. How would another player react when they’re on the bench? Sure they’re not happy.
“No one is happy, the young ones or the senior players. The more experienced, the most important with the massive salary and the people who have a smaller salary, that is football, or not? Yes or no?
“Sure he’s not happy, but like another player like Trippier, Davies and everyone on the bench. They all wanted to play.”
