I liked Erik Lamela before it was cool

[braineclipse]

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?

As has been stated repeatedly his first season was a mess for reasons beyond his control. At the very least the injuries, but there were also issues with AVB it seems.

You can state factually that we've waited a season and three-quarters, another just as factual context to that is that he still hasn't started 25 league matches.

Personally I would give him well into next season at the very least. He's talented, working very hard, young, adapting and rated by our head coach. If this isn't enough to warrant a bit more patience I don't know what is.

 

[thfcsteff]

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.

I have to take issue with this mate.

First off, he is a 'technical pass and move' player as much as he is anything else. He is constantly receiving, passing, moving. In essence, one of the chief complaints it appears people have of him is that he is not trying to beat his man on the outside every go around. That is because this is not the game he is involved in playing in our system. He checks inside, looks to thread passes or keep the ball moving along/around quickly, and looks for spaces to either get into or create with his own movement.

He has little in common with Dembele or Townsend at root for me, all are employed to play in a similar way right now and of the three I'd guess Lamela's positive contribution is the greatest (statistically-speaking as well as aesthetically)...

Just my view anyway...

 

[Bedfordspurs]

Lamella at the moment is a highlights reel player. Watch a whole game and you can find enough good things to see the positives. There are plenty who have rose tinted glasses for all the good things he does and ignore the bad

However you can also see the things that he has been poor at consistently, like dribbling (running into brick walls), quick passing, and to date scoring

The conundrum we have is we don't have a viable alternative on the right. We have to stick with him for now and hope he improves but at the moment he isn't on the level of erisken or chadli as a goal scoring threat and he really doesn't create enough without the lack of goals for a wide forward type player

He doesn't look like the player from Roma who looked the perfect Bale replacement

 

[Bedfordspurs]

I have to take issue with this mate.

First off, he is a 'technical pass and move' player as much as he is anything else. He is constantly receiving, passing, moving. In essence, one of the chief complaints it appears people have of him is that he is not trying to beat his man on the outside every go around. That is because this is not the game he is involved in playing in our system. He checks inside, looks to thread passes or keep the ball moving along/around quickly, and looks for spaces to either get into or create with his own movement.

He has little in common with Dembele or Townsend at root for me, all are employed to play in a similar way right now and of the three I'd guess Lamela's positive contribution is the greatest (statistically-speaking as well as aesthetically)...

Just my view anyway...

I disagree (my view) that he is a pass and move player. He can do that as shown with Kanes goal at Liverpool but generally he doesn't pass enough

 

[thfcsteff]

I disagree (my view) that he is a pass and move player. He can do that as shown with Kanes goal at Liverpool but generally he doesn't pass enough

I think the one element he needs to get better at is timing. He doesn't always release at the right time I agree, but the critical thing for me is that he has developed in this regard since the start of the season. In August/Sept he was repeatedly trying to beat three at a time and losing the ball/getting crowded out. Now he is far more inclined to release quickly. He is learning. I am hopeful that he will show he is both a 'technical' player and a special one who can do the 'special' (something we have seen a couple of glimpses of this season already). In short, I think he has the tools to be a very special player indeed, and I feel that if we persevere with him, we will see it happen. There is always the chance he will need to return to Serie A to shine, but I don't think so. He is tough and he seems to very much 'want it'...

 

[Gutter Boy]

Lamella at the moment is a highlights reel player. Watch a whole game and you can find enough good things to see the positives. There are plenty who have rose tinted glasses for all the good things he does and ignore the bad

However you can also see the things that he has been poor at consistently, like dribbling (running into brick walls), quick passing, and to date scoring

The conundrum we have is we don't have a viable alternative on the right. We have to stick with him for now and hope he improves but at the moment he isn't on the level of erisken or chadli as a goal scoring threat and he really doesn't create enough without the lack of goals for a wide forward type player

He doesn't look like the player from Roma who looked the perfect Bale replacement

Disagree. I think the way to appreciate Lamela is to sit high up in the stand and watch him for 90 mins from a bird's eye view.

His biggest contribution is off the ball. He is immense at pressing from the front (even better than Kane IMO). He also has terrific positioning. Highlights are more likely to pick up an odd duff pass or two, but will never show the general contribution he makes to the system. IMO his hardwork enable Eriksen to flit in and out of games and Chadli to get up closer to the CF.

 

[glasgowspur]

I agree with GB on the comparison with chadli. Chadli gets stick for not chasing back but scores goals. Lamella gets stick for not scoring goals but chases back. Can't be in two places at once, either of them. That whole right side needs work. With players of the calibre of Lamella, Townsend and walker we should be getting more from it.

 

[Mosquito_Coasting]

I have to take issue with this mate.

First off, he is a 'technical pass and move' player as much as he is anything else. He is constantly receiving, passing, moving. In essence, one of the chief complaints it appears people have of him is that he is not trying to beat his man on the outside every go around. That is because this is not the game he is involved in playing in our system. He checks inside, looks to thread passes or keep the ball moving along/around quickly, and looks for spaces to either get into or create with his own movement.

He has little in common with Dembele or Townsend at root for me, all are employed to play in a similar way right now and of the three I'd guess Lamela's positive contribution is the greatest (statistically-speaking as well as aesthetically)...

Just my view anyway...

I've seen many times him using runners to try and open up dribbling space and then gets tackled (rather than passing to the runners). It's one of the most frustrating things (especially when we have a great break on) and very egotistical when he's have done very little to prove he is a good dribbler. I haven't given up on him but I hope he can pass a bit more and quicker because he is creative and his technique is good. Mentally I just feel he isn't there yet and I worry when we have someone like Dembele in the team who has never learnt to release the ball quickly despite it being a glaring problem.

Not saying he can't be a pass and move player just that at the moment he's too in love with the ball to let go of it quickly and play that game. Just my outlook too of course, mate

 

[braineclipse]

I've seen many times him using runners to try and open up dribbling space and then gets tackled (rather than passing to the runners). It's one of the most frustrating things (especially when we have a great break on) and very egotistical when he's have done very little to prove he is a good dribbler. I haven't given up on him but I hope he can pass a bit more and quicker because he is creative and his technique is good. Mentally I just feel he isn't there yet and I worry when we have someone like Dembele in the team who has never learnt to release the ball quickly despite it being a glaring problem.

Not saying he can't be a pass and move player just that at the moment he's too in love with the ball to let go of it quickly and play that game. Just my outlook too of course, mate

Would you agree that he's improved significantly in this respect as this season has progressed though?

I really don't think a comparison with Dembele or Townsend is apt at this point. Lamela to me looks to release it much quicker than both those players I think.

 

[indianspur]

he needs to keep it simple. one or two touches then pass it on or shoot/cross......the longer he holds onto the ball the more often he is dispossessed. The game on Sun was a good example. First half he continuously lost the ball by dribbling into trouble, but in the second once he received the ball he looked to release it a lot quicker and he was more effective.

 

[stinkfoot]

Former Tottenham player and manager Ossie Ardiles has revealed how he’s attempted to help Erik Lamela adapt to English football, believing he will come good.

http://hotspurrelated.co.uk/2015/tottenham-argentine-legend-reveals-how-hes-helped-lamela/

“Of course, I always try and help him.” he told Press Association.

“Obviously Mauricio is his number one but I try to help him very, very much. Understanding English football is not easy, the pace is the biggest hurdle, not just for him but for many people.

“Carlos Tevez was a huge success in England with Emirates Marketing Project and Manchester United but when he and Javier Mascherano first joined West Ham they struggled.”

Ardiles, who had two spells at White Hart Lane both as a player and manager, believes Sunday’s Capital One Cup final versus London rivals Chelsea may be the perfect time for Lamela to showcase his true talent.

“Certainly this would be the right time to see the best of him. He has the right mentality to shine in this kind of game and to show what he can do. He had a very difficult time in his first year, this year he has shown a lot of signs of improvement.” he added.

“He is starting to understand the pace of English football and because of that he has been better – but he can do much better, he is hugely talented for his age and the best of him is yet to come.

“We have not seen the best of his so far but Sunday is a chance for him to really hit those sort of levels.”

 

[Spur of the moment]

Former Tottenham player and manager Ossie Ardiles has revealed how he’s attempted to help Erik Lamela adapt to English football, believing he will come good.

http://hotspurrelated.co.uk/2015/tottenham-argentine-legend-reveals-how-hes-helped-lamela/

No pressure then!

 

[braineclipse]

he needs to keep it simple. one or two touches then pass it on or shoot/cross......the longer he holds onto the ball the more often he is dispossessed. The game on Sun was a good example. First half he continuously lost the ball by dribbling into trouble, but in the second once he received the ball he looked to release it a lot quicker and he was more effective.

Agreed. And I think he's doing more of that now, definitely moving in the right direction.

I don't like him on the left and I think that played a part on Sunday. Apart from the first half against West Ham I think he's been fairly good in recent weeks, part of why I don't get all the sudden criticism.

 

[Bedfordspurs]

My season ticket is half way up the south lower and I also sit in a box in the west stand too

I also watch every away game on tv or online.

I have a pretty good view of lamella from all angles and yeah I agree he presses but so does Boyd at Burnley, who presses more than anyone

His effort is great and arguably he tries too hard

The problem is he doesn't appear to have much awareness of the game, hence my comment he is a show reel player

If I was fit enough I could Harrass and close down like he does but that is only part of his role

He has to learn to do the most basic passes better and he has improved on that but still has a way to go. He needs to impact games much more.

People are comparing him to chadli but chadli is impacting games with goals even if he isn't getting assists. And he also plays on the other side where arguably he covers less I'd agree but his goals win games.

What has lamella done to won us key games? Chadli was outstanding against the best team in th league and I was one of his biggest critics last season but credit where it is due. I'd love to see lamella improve like chaldi has

I stand by my comment he was the worse player on the pitch for the first half against the spammers. I also stand by my comment that when moved to the right he improved significantly

 

[Mumorn]

Lamela had a big hand in us defeating Arsenal.

 

[ringo]

People suggest that Lamela is going to be/may turn out to be a special player. But what exactly are his special attributes? Usually you can identify certain attributes that make a player potentially special. Eriksen has an eye for a quick decisive pass forward, can score goals from open play around the edge of the box, takes very good free kicks. Kane has turned out to be very powerful moving forwards with the ball, has a knack for goal scoring, has excellent feet in tight spaces for his size. Bale was a phenomenal athlete, could run box to box with the ball in the 90th minute, had a great shot, great fee kicks, and crossed the ball well etc. Lloris is particularly agile, and quick off of his line. And so on.

So what are Lamela's attributes that will make him a special player? Judging on his performances so far in the Pemiership, I don't think it can be his dribbling or his passing, he is not that quick, and he is not that great at keeping the ball under pressure. His tackling is a bit hit and miss -and personally I think he is prone to giving away stupid free kicks, because of the way he jumps in.. So far everyone is agreed he works hard and covers a lot of ground. But I'm not sure these qualities will make Lamela a special player, more likely an average squad member.

There is also the question of where Lamela is to play. I would argue that Eriksen is better in the middle, and also Dembele better at #10, even Soldado -although that is not what we bought him for. Lamela is not really wide player in the sense of going past his man and getting a cross in. Which leaves a wide player that comes inside - so right side midfield, only. And really I'd prefer a traditional attacking wide player on at least one side, so maybe not even that.

 

[sc25]

There is also the question of where Lamela is to play. I would argue that Eriksen is better in the middle, and also Dembele better at #10, even Soldado -although that is not what we bought him for. Lamela is not really wide player in the sense of going past his man and getting a cross in. Which leaves a wide player that comes inside - so right side midfield, only. And really I'd prefer a traditional attacking wide player on at least one side, so maybe not even that.

Yep, and as Bedford said above, he really doesn't create enough without the lack of goals for a wide forward type player.

I agree he had dramas to deal with his first year (as did other players, young and older). In his case I think they are overstated to an extent, but they didn't help his cause or preparation. And, he was injured too. This is however, the 'big leagues'. Apart from the manager (AVB) at the top, there is also a whole coaching hierarchy structure in place at big PL clubs that must have helped and assisted him (and other young players) and kept a close eye (especially with what we paid). If a manager doesn't rate or select you at the outset, it can serve as added motivation to show yourself. Even if a manager does rate you at the start it doesn't mean you will produce. Also not sure whether he would have been better served by being thrown in there right at the outset in the PL anyway rather than being brought along more slowly which in effect has been the case. But anyway, again, I agree he didn't have an ideal start at the club for one reason or another. However none of those issues or turmoils (which can happen at clubs) are present now. His performances will of course continue to be evaluated and rated after each game, as are the other players. If the club then sees fit to retain him next season then I'm ok with that and I think most others are too (?), thus 'showing patience'. If he can finish the season strong (assuming he is selected) it will be a big boost going in to next season.

 

[scaramanga]

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.

Are you honestly saying that there's no bias against a foreigner who styles his hair and wears gloves in the winter in the British press?

 

[Jordinho]

My season ticket is half way up the south lower and I also sit in a box in the west stand too

I also watch every away game on tv or online.

I have a pretty good view of lamella from all angles and yeah I agree he presses but so does Boyd at Burnley, who presses more than anyone

His effort is great and arguably he tries too hard

The problem is he doesn't appear to have much awareness of the game, hence my comment he is a show reel player

If I was fit enough I could Harrass and close down like he does but that is only part of his role

He has to learn to do the most basic passes better and he has improved on that but still has a way to go. He needs to impact games much more.

People are comparing him to chadli but chadli is impacting games with goals even if he isn't getting assists. And he also plays on the other side where arguably he covers less I'd agree but his goals win games.

What has lamella done to won us key games? Chadli was outstanding against the best team in th league and I was one of his biggest critics last season but credit where it is due. I'd love to see lamella improve like chaldi has

I stand by my comment he was the worse player on the pitch for the first half against the spammers. I also stand by my comment that when moved to the right he improved significantly

He wins back the ball several times each game to set up counter attacks and we have scored from them. Townsend and Chadli does this once in a blue moon.

Contributing isn't all about scoring or providing the final pass. The thing about a front four of Kane, Eriksen, Chadli and Lamela is that they offer different things. I'd look to upgrade on Chadli first (Rodriguez)

 

[Jurgen the German]

Are you honestly saying that there's no bias against a foreigner who styles his hair and wears gloves in the winter in the British press?

No more so than there was towards Gareth Bale for example for his silly hair cuts.

I think all players who were gloves should be mocked. Remember when Pav wore them? He's from Russia FFS!

I think there is a level of bias towards foreigners to start with, but that bias subsidies when and if x players performs well. Luis Suarez got a caning in the press and from all quarters in general, but he won a lot of them over with his performances last season.