Re: Official - Lamela
Give him time. The mark of great players is how they adapt to different circumstances, and how they accept challenges that would seem too daunting for lesser players.
He gave up a cast-iron first team spot at Roma, a club he loved and felt at home in, in a country whose climate and culture probably suited him down to the ground.....to go to a cold, wet, windy island which spoke a language he had no grasp of whatsoever, and which had a league that was far more physical and speedy than the slower tactical game he was used to. To a team that had six players fighting for his preferred spots across the attacking midfield, and one that was still trying to adapt to a rigorous new style imposed by their young (and some would say naive) manager. And he left Roma, where he was an idol, to come to Spurs, to replace an idol. In the process, he gave up his guaranteed starting berth an next summer's World Cup as well.
Point being ,he's taken on an awful lot of challenges for a lad of 21. But that gives me hope that he'll grow into them as time goes on.
His priorities now should be bulking up a bit and sharpening his reaction time: while Townsend is in this sort of form, he won't get much action, so he should use this free time productively. Then, when January rolls around and Townsend needs a break, he can be bedded in more comfortably, and with four months of life in England under his belt, he should be better placed to seize that chance.
And then we'll hopefully see what he can really do, before we cave in and sell him to our beloved Spanish parent club at some point for 150 million euros or something. Of that I have no doubt.
