After such a frustrating couple of seasons in north London, transfer deadline day saw Dele Alli bid farewell to Tottenham after seven years with the club. A key component in Mauricio Pochettino's Spurs team in their pomp as they challenged for the Premier League, it appeared that the attacking midfielder would be a permanent fixture in their plans for years to come.
Hit by a number of hamstring injuries from 2018 onwards, as well as a huge drop in form in Pochettino's final few months in charge and then Jose Mourinho's tenure, it became clear for all to see that the 25-year-old needed a fresh challenge if he was to hit his previous heights once again. With time running out until the transfer deadline and Alli looking like he might remain at Tottenham for the remainder of the season, Everton eventually came calling and signed the ex-MK Dons man on a two-and-a-half year contract.
It was a move many believed would rejuvenate a player who had lost his way, especially with Alli able to learn from the experience of Frank Lampard and add to his game. However, the transfer has yet to take off and Everton more than ever need Alli to rediscover his mojo as they bid to keep their place in the top flight.
READ MORE: Tanguy Ndombele returns as forgotten Tottenham man's resurgence continues - Spurs loan latest
Making his Everton bow in the 3-1 defeat at Newcastle United after replacing the injured Demarai Gray on 25 minutes, the attacking midfielder is still waiting to start his first game for the Toffees. Alli has been introduced off the bench in Everton's five league games since the loss at St James' Park, including last Monday when he returned to Tottenham Hotspur Stadium for the first time since his departure.
The ex-Spurs man didn't have an impact on proceedings in his 21 minutes on the pitch, although that was always going to be extremely hard given his former team were five goals to the good and in total control. Asked about his player in his pre-match press conference ahead of Sunday's game against Wolves, Lampard did state that Alli was giving him something to think about in terms of his starting XI.
“He is fit and ready to start. Am I considering it? Yes," he explained. “When you come in fresh, you have to consider everybody. Everyone has to train to be able to play. It’s an area of the pitch where we have good competition, in attacking midfield and the wide areas. The players have to show they deserve to start. Dele came here having not played regular first-team football for a long time. That has to be taken into account but he’s fit and ready.”
Electing against starting Alli in Sunday's vital encounter against Wolves on Merseyside, the January signing was brought on for the final 31 minutes as the Toffees looked for a way back into the contest. However, his stats from his cameo appearance highlight just how much he struggled.
Winning one of his eight challenges and one header, the player was also caught offside three times when Everton looked to find a goal to give them a much-needed lift. He simply looked lost and there was no real urgency or fight to drag the Blues kicking and screaming to a precious victory.
Alli certainly wasn't on his own in failing to impress on a dire day for his new club, with the whole team second best across the park and deservedly on the losing side. Everton do need more from him, though, if they are going to avoid the drop to the Championship as on current form they are only heading in one direction.
What has so far proved problematic for Alli since his switch to Goodison Park is that there is just no position for him in Lampard's team at present. It was exactly the same under Antonio Conte and that ultimately led to his exit from the capital as he looked for a new challenge elsewhere.
The Everton boss is still trying to discover the setup that will get the very best out of his players, so far using 4-4-2, 4-3-3 and the 3-4-3 formation he went with against Wolves. Alli did take on his favoured No.10 role following a tweak in system after his introduction against the West Midlands outfit but failed to take his chance.
The January arrival of Manchester United's Donny van de Beek perhaps hasn't helped his cause as it does look to be a case of one or the other in the team and not both. Knowing how good a player he is having waxed lyrical about him in the past and going all out to get him in January, Lampard must find a way to see Alli flourish.
Always going to be hard for a player to come into a struggling side and rediscover their top form right away, things unfortunately haven't changed for him since his transfer nor does it look like it will on current form. It's now down to Alli to show everyone that the star who wowed in his first few years at Tottenham is still very much there as Everton and the player himself need that to happen before it's too late.
