I liked Erik Lamela before it was cool

[thfcsteff]

I watched him a fair bit for Roma and thought he'd end up as a good replacement for Bale, but the kid just can't seem to adapt to the pace of the PL, and I am losing faith that he'll ever kick on for us and show his potential. He's struggling with even the basics like passing at present, even his high workrate shouldn't be labelled as a positive really in a Pochettino team; it's expected of a player. I'm not seeing any signs of improvement in his game from the start of the season, I fear we've ended up with another young player with great potential that fails to develop, it's just this particular one cost £26m.

Understood mate, am going to use your post to make a few points - thus not necessarily a reply directly if you know what I mean.
He lost a year which was planned as development for him at the club before Bale went to Madrid. Once the Madrid deal was re-accelerated to a season sooner, Lamela was always going to need another level of support. He came into a club where AVB was already retreating into his bunker in annoyance at life, he saw no cohesion, he saw bigger fish such as Soldado wondering WTF was going on, and the dressing room was seriously ruffled as the cub tried to find root. Let's be fair, the last half of last season was a very low spot for us as a club. The caretaker manager took the tinkle out of him during a press conference. He carried an injury.

I see this as his first season with us. And given what he came into, I am absolutely prepared to give him time, as I think he has great talent.

I shudder to think how some here might have treated Gareth Bale had they had the chance early in his Spurs career...

 

[Nigeyman]

Sky and BT pundits are no harsher on him than they are on any other player in my opinion. They are just giving their honest assessment of him. Some may feel they are being harsh, I don't think they are personally. Price tag aside, he's been disappointing this season. I also don't agree that people are desperate for him to fail, why would this be the case? Besides our rivals and their fans, who does it benefit if he continues to not impress? Doesn't help Spurs as we will more than likely sell him in another season or two. We could do with the goals he could provide. Also, pundits do not have any vested interest in him, so why would they want to give it an entire season or two before offering their opinion of him?

I have some sympathy re AVB, I think it's clear he wasn't an AVB signing and he had no real intention of playing him, hence the start he gave him away to Emirates Marketing Project, superb man management there! But he has been in this country over a year now. He should be over any homesickness by now and be relatively acclimatised to life in England. I think you have to give South Americans at least a full year to adjust to the fact that it gets dark at 4pm in the winter for example, but after that, they should be somewhat adjusted.

Can you also tell me why you think he is a good dribbler? He can be at times, but I see him run down blind alleys and attempt to many stepovers more often than not.

Forgive me Jurgen, If I seem like one of those who is too protective of Lamela...... the reason, I believe in this player very much...perhaps to much but I believe in him massively all the same.

Please take my Sky, BT, people wanting him to fail comments as a bit of a rant, perhaps I did not react well to a post from Maltese Falcon...my fault not his.

I have said in other threads he needs to do more...see Wham ratings thread, I wont claim he is a regular 7-8 out of ten player every game, how do I explain this...I always think we look better when he plays in the three behind...hard to explain this.

In terms of what I see...superb control, quick feet, dribbling.....poor decision making.....I wont bang on about the Rabona but would any other member of our squad do that on instinct?

I am not going to upload clips but many times vs liverpool he dribbled past players only to be tackled by the third challenger due to hesitancy....in fact I see this so much from him...initial quick feet, close control....pulls away....hesitates then gets tackled.

My argument would be he is the most frustrating player in our squad....why does he frustrate???? because we expect more but very often he frustrates due to creating an opportunity for himself and the team and he does not capitalise on it.....no arguments from me there.

It is my belief with him that we will suffer......get frustrated but we will be rewarded in the end....patience.....not in fashion these days.....again I cant really explain why he will come good....its just something I feel in my heart......sad git that I am and of course I could be very wrong....but if I am right....I might just remember a few of you and give you a bit of a er rimming!!!

again apologies for sky/bt/fail comments....cold light of day was a bit silly.......no apologies for believing in the lad though!!!!

oh and if you dont believe in him and think he is el poo that doesnt mean I think I am a better fan than anyone else.

 

[Spur of the moment]

He was poor and struggled to get into the game playing from the left I thought. Much better after moving to the right and was good overall when the momentum swung.

As per usual I don't get the criticism and lack of patience with Lamela.

Not being funny but by the same token I seriously do not get the patience with Lamela. For me he did pretty well against WHAM but that's partly because I've given up hoping he will actually beat his man or make a non-suicide pass to a colleague and have instead learnt to be grateful when he manages not to mess up one of our promising attacks.

We have already waited a season and three-quarters, please tell us exactly much longer you think we should be prepared to give him?

 

[90291Spur]

Not being funny but by the same token I seriously do not get the patience with Lamela. For me he did pretty well against WHAM but that's partly because I've given up hoping he will actually beat his man or make a non-suicide pass to a colleague and have instead learnt to be grateful when he manages not to mess up one of our promising attacks.

We have already waited a season and three-quarters, please tell us exactly much longer you think we should be prepared to give him?

Do you REALLY count his first season, most of which he missed due to injury as a full season? I am getting frustrated with his dallying on the ball but I don't count time injured against him.

 

[Spur of the moment]

Do you REALLY count his first season, most of which he missed due to injury as a full season? I am getting frustrated with his dallying on the ball but I don't count time injured against him.

Okay take out the whole of last season, he's made thirty-odd appearances this yet he continues to make the same mistakes game after game, he just doesn't seem able to adapt.

The fact that Poch persists with him maybe a reflection of his faith in him or it might be more a reflection on his lack of faith in Townsend and, more recently, Chadli.

 

[Nigeyman]

Not being funny but by the same token I seriously do not get the patience with Lamela. For me he did pretty well against WHAM but that's partly because I've given up hoping he will actually beat his man or make a non-suicide pass to a colleague and have instead learnt to be grateful when he manages not to mess up one of our promising attacks.

We have already waited a season and three-quarters, please tell us exactly much longer you think we should be prepared to give him?

I think steff hit the tickle my balls with a feather with Bale.

with the same logic we would have bombed out Gareth as he did p**s all in his first two seasons.....kept getting injured, when he did play we couldnt win a game with him in the start 11.

So fair enough if you dont understand the patience....but is Bale not evidence enough that sometimes patience and a few years working with raw talent really pays off???

perhaps we should have bombed out Kane due to his lacklustre displays for Norwich/Leicester???

So I do not get THOSE that cant get the patience thing where there is irrefutable evidence of patience paying off in our very recent history!

 

[Nigeyman]

Okay take out the whole of last season, he's made thirty-odd appearances this yet he continues to make the same mistakes game after game, he just doesn't seem able to adapt.

The fact that Poch persists with him maybe a reflection of his faith in him or it might be more a reflection on his lack of faith in Townsend and, more recently, Chadli.

Modric was also indecisive and labelled as easy to nock off the ball in his first season, I think Poch believes in Lamela, I do wish we could see him play as a support striker off Kane and have someone else occupy the wide postion.....probably best to try this pre-season though now.

 

[Cochise]

On a seperate not, the lad can take a decent corner. Just re-watched the last 20 mins and he put in some real dangerouse inswingers from the right that should have got us goals. Problem was, no one was attacking the right area.

 

[thfcsteff]

I think steff hit the tickle my balls with a feather with Bale.

with the same logic we would have bombed out Gareth as he did p**s all in his first two seasons.....kept getting injured, when he did play we couldnt win a game with him in the start 11.

So fair enough if you dont understand the patience....but is Bale not evidence enough that sometimes patience and a few years working with raw talent really pays off???

perhaps we should have bombed out Kane due to his lacklustre displays for Norwich/Leicester???

So I do not get THOSE that cant get the patience thing where there is irrefutable evidence of patience paying off in our very recent history!

I was arguing as late as this summer that Kane had the potential to be a Teddyesque player for us, and that we needed to be patient with him. I had heard for some while within the club that he was really highly rated, and what I had seen had offered enough to prove the point.

 

[Bedfordspurs]

I think steff hit the tickle my balls with a feather with Bale.

with the same logic we would have bombed out Gareth as he did p**s all in his first two seasons.....kept getting injured, when he did play we couldnt win a game with him in the start 11.

So fair enough if you dont understand the patience....but is Bale not evidence enough that sometimes patience and a few years working with raw talent really pays off???

perhaps we should have bombed out Kane due to his lacklustre displays for Norwich/Leicester???

So I do not get THOSE that cant get the patience thing where there is irrefutable evidence of patience paying off in our very recent history!

You cannot begin to compare Bale to Lamella

Bale did more in one game away at Fulham than lamella has done in his whole career at Tottenham and he was playing left back!!!!

Lamella at the moment looks like a por mans Milner. A trier without currently the brain or skill to do much more. You don't play a winger to win tackles... Hell we may as well have kept Lennon there. Lamellas problem is he tried too hard IMO and therefore gets desperate to impact a game which he really has struggled with

On Sunday he was our worst player in that first half. He gave the ball away, offered nothing down his side and was caught plenty of times losing it centrally

When he moved to the right he actually became one of our better players and got into the game positively. He is currently our only option and therefore our best one for the right side but not anywhere else

He is an way upgrade at the moment IMO for next season. I fully expect Pricthard to take his place and if we were in the market to buy someone you could replace him with Victor Moses and have no really deficit

He really has to step up soon to the calibre and level of impact he had at Roma otherwise we need to replacing him. Were going places under Poch IMO whoever arguably in Bales career he had a new manager virtually every season so we had time for him. Plus of course the fact that Bale ended up costing £8m ish he was less of a gamble.

 

[Bedfordspurs]

I was arguing as late as this summer that Kane had the potential to be a Teddyesque player for us, and that we needed to be patient with him. I had heard for some while within the club that he was really highly rated, and what I had seen had offered enough to prove the point.

Yep the club have backed Kane for some time and low an behold he is delivering on a scale most of us can't believe

The only person I've heard at the club who has bigger up Lamella is Ardiles and he has no coaching role at spurs (cue a load of links of others)

 

[90291Spur]

You cannot begin to compare Bale to Lamella

Bale did more in one game away at Fulham than lamella has done in his whole career at Tottenham and he was playing left back!!!!

Lamella at the moment looks like a por mans Milner. A trier without currently the brain or skill to do much more. You don't play a winger to win tackles... Hell we may as well have kept Lennon there. Lamellas problem is he tried too hard IMO and therefore gets desperate to impact a game which he really has struggled with

On Sunday he was our worst player in that first half. He gave the ball away, offered nothing down his side and was caught plenty of times losing it centrally.

The honour of worst player goes to Dembele by a country mile. Whatever mistakes Lamela pale into invisibility compared to Dembele mis-controlling the ball then under-hitting a pass to Walker giving possession to Wet Spam leading to their first.

 

[Bedfordspurs]

The honour of worst player goes to Dembele by a country mile. Whatever mistakes Lamela pale into invisibility compared to Dembele mis-controlling the ball then under-hitting a pass to Walker giving possession to Wet Spam leading to their first.

Yep I agree the goal was Dembeles fault

Likewise where was Lamella for their second (which shouldn't have stood)?

Dembele was not good by any means but was better than Lamella in that first half. He was the worst player on the pitch and should have been subbed

 

[Spur of the moment]

I think steff hit the tickle my balls with a feather with Bale.

with the same logic we would have bombed out Gareth as he did p**s all in his first two seasons.....kept getting injured, when he did play we couldnt win a game with him in the start 11.

So fair enough if you dont understand the patience....but is Bale not evidence enough that sometimes patience and a few years working with raw talent really pays off???

perhaps we should have bombed out Kane due to his lacklustre displays for Norwich/Leicester???

So I do not get THOSE that cant get the patience thing where there is irrefutable evidence of patience paying off in our very recent history!

For every Bale there is a Bentley, Boateng, a Blondel, a Booth, a Bunjevcevic, for every Modric a Moores, a Mabizela.

We can but hope that for every Lineker there is'nt a La ...

 

[90291Spur]

For every Bale there is a Bentley, Boateng, a Blondel, a Booth, a Bunjevcevic, for every Modric a Moores, a Mabizela.

We can but hope that for every Lineker there is'nt a La ...

I see what you did there...

 

[Nigeyman]

[/QUOTE]You cannot begin to compare Bale to Lamella[/QUOTE]

I can and I did

[/QUOTE]Bale did more in one game away at Fulham than lamella has done in his whole career at Tottenham and he was playing left back!!!![/QUOTE]

Debatable...I remember early on last season cardiff away people raving about Lamela and Aunty Pauline.

[/QUOTE] Lamellas problem is he tried too hard IMO and therefore gets desperate to impact a game which he really has struggled with[/QUOTE]

I agree with this but then.....

[/QUOTE]On Sunday he was our worst player in that first half.[/QUOTE]

I think this is whiffle piffle...worse than moose or Townsend??? not for me

[/QUOTE]in Bales career he had a new manager virtually every season so we had time for him. Plus of course the fact that Bale ended up costing £8m ish he was less of a gamble.[/QUOTE]

Is eric not under is third manager in under 2 years?? oh and bale cost less money so we must make an instant decision and decide after 1 injury plagued first season and just over halfway through another season that we are due an upgrade...hmmmmmm I cant see the logic in that.

 

[Nigeyman]

For every Bale there is a Bentley, Boateng, a Blondel, a Booth, a Bunjevcevic, for every Modric a Moores, a Mabizela.

We can but hope that for every Lineker there is'nt a La ...

fair enough dude. I understand. I believe in him you dont....I am fine with that and respect your views.

 

[Nigeyman]

I may have guffed the multi quote thingy.....sorry.

 

[Mulletperm]

Yep I agree the goal was Dembeles fault

Likewise where was Lamella for their second (which shouldn't have stood)?

Dembele was not good by any means but was better than Lamella in that first half. He was the worst player on the pitch and should have been subbed

Blinkered much?

 

[Mosquito_Coasting]

Still have some patience for Lamela but he has been underwhelming. I really wish we should have got Pjanic instead, I think he would have been more useful. If Roma sold us one I think they would have sold us the other. I'd rather be collecting these technical pass and move players like Arsenal do than whatever Lamela is supposed to offer (power? directness? a dribbling ability that seems to hinder as much as help a team in most cases these days?). Reckon Eriksen and Pjanic would play off each other well. We need to be getting more of these guys to compliment Bentaleb and Mason who move the ball quickly.

Lamela does have some creativity, he still has a couple of great touches in most games but they are few and far between. He never seems to shoot well or threaten the goal and he rarely beats his man. If he could start passing quicker then he might develop but we all know how hard it is to change ball greedy players like him, Dembele, Townsend, etc. In fact I can't remember a player like that ever changing. I think it's a fundamental weakness in a top level player.