I liked Erik Lamela before it was cool

[Bedfordspurs]

Did very well today. Just needs to be more decisive, cut out some of the silly flicks when it opens up for him and hold back on the bandit challenges.

This, this, this

A few times he had easie options and took the wrong one

But he wouldn't have been in those positions id he didn't put in the work he does

His positives curently outweigh the minor niggles massively and he has been very very good in all the big games so far

 

[Libero]

Agree with points completely. Sums up his weaknesses very well

This, this, this

A few times he had easie options and took the wrong one

But he wouldn't have been in those positions id he didn't put in the work he does

His positives curently outweigh the minor niggles massively and he has been very very good in all the big games so far

You guys need to stop agreeing with me, I'm beginning to feel like I know what I am talking about ;-)

 

[billyiddo]

Nice bit of work early on to get around two Arsenal players before playing a ball in to Kane (who sadly wasn't on the same page at that moment)

 

[LutonSpurs]

He was a beast today. Ran and ran and ran. Got in their faces. Kept going. Tracked. Created. Decision making still an issue and could do with a yard of extra pace to really be the business but fek me he is playing well for the team.

Shame he misses the Wet Spam game. Good chance for Son to have a run out.

 

[Bedfordspurs]

You guys need to stop agreeing with me, I'm beginning to feel like I know what I am talking about ;-)

Well I've been accused many times of criticising Lamella and my challenge for him (notice the change of words) is that he has to have that level of influence against brick sides and defensive sides

If he does that he will be a real top premier league player

 

[glasgowspur]

All the front players were guilty of pour choices today. What do we expect they are young, as long as they are getting into the positions is the important thing at they're age.

 

[Libero]

Well I've been accused many times of criticising Lamella and my challenge for him (notice the change of words) is that he has to have that level of influence against brick sides and defensive sides

If he does that he will be a real top premier league player

Agreed. He has to try and be the difference in more of the run of the mill games and by that I don't mean constantly assisting or scoring but continually doing the rights things more often than not like releasing the ball quickly at the right time and carrying it at the right time. Dembele's performance today being the example - on a technical level he pretty much dribbled at the right time and released at the right time and it made him the best player on the pitch.

 

[Bedfordspurs]

Agreed. He has to try and be the difference in more of the run of the mill games and by that I don't mean constantly assisting or scoring but continually doing the rights things more often than not like releasing the ball quickly at the right time and carrying it at the right time. Dembele's performance today being the example - on a technical level he pretty much dribbled at the right time and released at the right time and it made him the best player on the pitch.

And that's my concern

He and the ability but we need to see it

What I love is that he keeps on being dogged and plugging away. I know we didn't buy Him for that but it's a great trait

 

[LCLC]

Despite other games where he has shown flashes, today was the best I've seen him in a Spurs shirt. He nearly always moved ball at the right time, made the right decison on the ball (something I thought I would never say), we was strong, skillful, and worked ever so hard,

He was that bad at times that I was very criticalnbut FairPlay, he has really learnt from harsh lessons and has looked like a valuable member of our squad since sept now. Fair play and keep going

 

[Libero]

And that's my concern

He and the ability but we need to see it

What I love is that he keeps on being dogged and plugging away. I know we didn't buy Him for that but it's a great trait

Definitely agree there and that doggedness could be what allows him to remain and grow as a player show us what he was bought for albeit longer than we expected to wait. He has turned me round tbh, I was in favour of shipping him out to free up funds but I think he has already done enough to warrant being here next season in my mind and hastened the departure of Townsend who for me has just wasted the tools he has been given in some aspects and in others just doesn't have the intelligence anyway

 

[VolSpur]

Today and in recent matches he has started to show an added strength to shrug off challenges that he never showed in his first year with us. I think he's getting used to the physicality of the league and its paying off in spades

Whoever was calling the game today made the point that Lamela just needs to feel loved and I think he is spot on. He's still a young kid in a different country where he doesn't speak the language (well) and will only get better the more comfortable he feels in his surroundings. It should be our job as supporters to show him the love and i have no doubt that his recent performances will continue.

 

[diego_maradona]

That foot on the ball rollover at the beginning of the game was beautiful. Shame he didn't make the most of it

 

[Gazzasrightboot]

That foot on the ball rollover at the beginning of the game was beautiful. Shame he didn't make the most of it

It certainly was. I think Lamela is just going to get better and better. I never thought he was as bad as some have made out, but am so glad that he is playing very well now. He's young and everyone can clearly see that there is more to come from him.

 

[Robspur12]

I have to say today typifies why I am not keen on goalkeeper captains as brilliant a player as Lloris is. We needed someone on the pitch to go to Lamela and put there arm round him and say" you are doing great Erik, but stay on your feet stay on your feet."

 

[Rorschach]

I have to say today typifies why I am not keen on goalkeeper captains as brilliant a player as Lloris is. We needed someone on the pitch to go to Lamela and put there arm round him and say" you are doing great Erik, but stay on your feet stay on your feet."

A Ray Wilkins type

 

[Huddy]

I have to say today typifies why I am not keen on goalkeeper captains as brilliant a player as Lloris is. We needed someone on the pitch to go to Lamela and put there arm round him and say" you are doing great Erik, but stay on your feet stay on your feet."

You don't really need a captain to do that though. There were a few older heads playing today like Vertonghen and Dembele who are just as capable of having a quick word in his ear, and they should be expected to do so where necessary.

 

[braineclipse]

You don't really need a captain to do that though. There were a few older heads playing today like Vertonghen and Dembele who are just as capable of having a quick word in his ear, and they should be expected to do so where necessary.

Agreed. And Pochettino could surely tell him to calm it down if he felt it was getting out of hand.

Although I'm not sure it was even necessary. As always with Lamela there's quite a bit of risk, but huge upsides. When he slid in on Cech probably Wilkins would have said "stay on your feet", but by sliding in he came extremely close to getting us the ball and the second goal that almost certainly would have meant 3 points.

The ref was pretty lenient yesterday (and overall not bad for a ref actually). Could easily have given yellows to other players, but kept his cards in his pocket. I think Lamela was given his yellow as a "stop this from escalating" kind of thing, not because the tackle in itself was all that bad. The scum players were falling over themselves (literally) trying to make his tackles look bad and potentially get him sent off, but I really think the ref would have given him and anyone else a one last chance warning before actually sending him off. If it was a calculated gamble by Lamela and Poch I don't know, but if it was it was a solid decision.

A look at the tackling stats makes for strange reading (whoscored.com). Lamela with 8 tackles, the most of any of our players. Dembele with 7 (and with 2 interceptions to Lamela's 0 our highest scoring player in terms of tackles and interceptions combined). A drop off a cliff after that. Vertonghen with 2, then a bunch of players with 1 each. Everyone worked super hard to get pressing, but no one matched Lamela and Dembele for actually getting stuck into Arsenal players.

 

[Bedfordspurs]

The reason our attacking stats are so high for thise two is that they we constantly pressing and winning the ball.... It's a new tactic for us a club and something that Poch has installed in the philosophy but it works

The interception piece is great too as an interception is better than a tackle as it allows you to go forward. I'd guess that Alli had the highest number of them as on MOTD2 they showed 3 just in a highlights reel

 

[braineclipse]

The reason our attacking stats are so high for thise two is that they we constantly pressing and winning the ball.... It's a new tactic for us a club and something that Poch has installed in the philosophy but it works

The interception piece is great too as an interception is better than a tackle as it allows you to go forward. I'd guess that Alli had the highest number of them as on MOTD2 they showed 3 just in a highlights reel

Yeah, probably the stats aren't entirely accurate. And as always it's going to be a question of definition what is included and what isn't.

But of our "front 6" it was only really Dembele and Lamela that racked up the kind of stats you're talking about. Kane (1 total), Eriksen (3 total), Alli (3 total) and Dier (1 total) were quite a bit lower than I expected after seeing the game. Of course my actual memory of what goes on in a game like this is even more flawed that my memory usually is with everything going on... But I really did think we pressed and worked and got tackles (and interceptions) in more than that. (stats "total" were tackles and interceptions in total btw).

But I definitely agree that it's a philosophy that really works and is great for the club. Minor point of disagreement is that a tackle can be just as effective, depends on how you win the ball. Soemtimes, particularly standing tackles, gain possession just as well as interceptions and can be used to launch counter attacks.

 

[Bedfordspurs]

Yeah, probably the stats aren't entirely accurate. And as always it's going to be a question of definition what is included and what isn't.

But of our "front 6" it was only really Dembele and Lamela that racked up the kind of stats you're talking about. Kane (1 total), Eriksen (3 total), Alli (3 total) and Dier (1 total) were quite a bit lower than I expected after seeing the game. Of course my actual memory of what goes on in a game like this is even more flawed that my memory usually is with everything going on... But I really did think we pressed and worked and got tackles (and interceptions) in more than that. (stats "total" were tackles and interceptions in total btw).

But I definitely agree that it's a philosophy that really works and is great for the club. Minor point of disagreement is that a tackle can be just as effective, depends on how you win the ball. Soemtimes, particularly standing tackles, gain possession just as well as interceptions and can be used to launch counter attacks.

Of course but interceptions give you that didn't foot instantly where as a tackle relies on your recovery from it or for someone to pick the ball up from it. Standing tackles are much more like interceptions