I liked Erik Lamela before it was cool

[scaramanga]

Lamela was much improved last season but his importance is overstated on this forum. I've heard terms bandied about such as "he's our most important player". "We should build the team around him" and "He's a £70m player" (ok that one was just a crazy valuation of him by Galeforce). Even the pressing argument is overstated. You can't play in a Poch team without working hard and pressing hence why the likes of Chadli have been moved on. Everyone in the team works hard, the entire team set the tone not just Lamela.

The first and the fastest sets the tone. Sometimes a very influential players later on in the phase can up the tempo but it's rare.

Lamela (when in the team) is the one who starts the timing and the ferocity of the press on each occasion - you can't just ask any player to do that. In order to get it right you need a decent amount of intelligence and a very good understanding of both the shape and the phase of play. There's more to pressing than running at the man with the ball - just like there's more to scoring goals than throwing another striker on the pitch.

This forum really does skew reality at times. I don't know anyone outside of this forum who goes to WHL on a weekly basis who would say any of the above about him. Sometimes it's hard to quantify a how much a team misses a player through injury but take Harry Kane for example, our record wasn't terrible without him but we missed his movement and his ability to create chances for himself and score out of nothing like his goal against Everton. We've missed Rose, Toby, Kane etc more than we have missed Lamela IMO. We're still creating plenty of chances without him and the pressing game has hardly fallen apart since Lamela's injury.

There's a filter of fans on this forum (and others). We're the ones that use computers for our day jobs and are senior enough to be managing our own time.

We've got our fair share of halfwits on here, but on the whole, the level of discourse and understanding of the more intricate elements of the game will be more advanced than the crap we all have to hear at WHL.

With regards to this comment "he can sell a whole defence with the shape of his body in a pass - these are not common attribute". I'm a ST holder and I've honestly never seen an entire defence sold by the shape of Lamela's body

Just because you don't see it doesn't mean ir didn't happen.

 

[Jurgen the German]

The first and the fastest sets the tone. Sometimes a very influential players later on in the phase can up the tempo but it's rare.

Lamela (when in the team) is the one who starts the timing and the ferocity of the press on each occasion - you can't just ask any player to do that. In order to get it right you need a decent amount of intelligence and a very good understanding of both the shape and the phase of play. There's more to pressing than running at the man with the ball - just like there's more to scoring goals than throwing another striker on the pitch.


There's a filter of fans on this forum (and others). We're the ones that use computers for our day jobs and are senior enough to be managing our own time.

We've got our fair share of halfwits on here, but on the whole, the level of discourse and understanding of the more intricate elements of the game will be more advanced than the crap we all have to hear at WHL.


Just because you don't see it doesn't mean ir didn't happen.

Lamela's work rate and pressing have always been excellent. The fact that this gets highlighted more often than any other aspect of his game is quite telling IMO. Reminds me of when posters used to talk up Aaron Lennon towards the end of his Spurs days for his defensive duties.

 

[Gilzeantoscore]

Lamela was much improved last season but his importance is overstated on this forum. I've heard terms bandied about such as "he's our most important player". "We should build the team around him" and "He's a £70m player" (ok that one was just a crazy valuation of him by Galeforce). Even the pressing argument is overstated. You can't play in a Poch team without working hard and pressing hence why the likes of Chadli have been moved on. Everyone in the team works hard, the entire team set the tone not just Lamela.

This forum really does skew reality at times. I don't know anyone outside of this forum who goes to WHL on a weekly basis who would say any of the above about him. Sometimes it's hard to quantify a how much a team misses a player through injury but take Harry Kane for example, our record wasn't terrible without him but we missed his movement and his ability to create chances for himself and score out of nothing like his goal against Everton. We've missed Rose, Toby, Kane etc more than we have missed Lamela IMO. We're still creating plenty of chances without him and the pressing game has hardly fallen apart since Lamela's injury.

With regards to this comment "he can sell a whole defence with the shape of his body in a pass - these are not common attribute". I'm a ST holder and I've honestly never seen an entire defence sold by the shape of Lamela's body

This all day long. I reckon he was on the cusp of being dropped before his 'injury'. The most over rated player on our list by a long, long way. Gee there must be a lot of Lamela posters on the bedroom walls of Glory-glory members.

 

[scaramanga]

Lamela's work rate and pressing have always been excellent. The fact that this gets highlighted more often than any other aspect of his game is quite telling IMO. Reminds me of when posters used to talk up Aaron Lennon towards the end of his Spurs days for his defensive duties.

It's not about workrate. As I explained above, it's about knowing when and how much - not something your average footballer can easily grasp.

 

[Jurgen the German]

It's not about workrate. As I explained above, it's about knowing when and how much - not something your average footballer can easily grasp.

Well, your views on the intelligence of footballers aside, we seem to be doing quite well without Lamela's pressing and selling entire defences with the with the shape of his body when passing. Looks unlikely we will see him again this season but if he can get fit and healthy for next season it will be bonus all the same. How he will fit into the team is up for debate though as Poch has changed the formation around since Lamela got injured.

 

[billyiddo]

I think Jurgen must be the ying to Spurs7891s yang

 

[scaramanga]

Well, your views on the intelligence of footballers aside, we seem to be doing quite well without Lamela's pressing and selling entire defences with the with the shape of his body when passing. Looks unlikely we will see him again this season but if he can get fit and healthy for next season it will be bonus all the same. How he will fit into the team is up for debate though as Poch has changed the formation around since Lamela got injured.

Actually, we don't. Our pressing is noticeably less effective than it was last season.

Has it occurred to you that Lamela's injury might be one of the reasons Poch has changed the formation?

 

[scaramanga]

I think Jurgen must be ying to Spurs7891s yang

He's doing what to @Spurs7891's yang?

 

[ricky2tricky4city]

We've got our fair share of halfwits on here, but on the whole, the level of discourse and understanding of the more intricate elements of the game will be more advanced than the crap we all have to hear at WHL.


Just because you don't see it doesn't mean ir didn't happen.

Hi Gerald.....is that you?

 

[Jurgen the German]

Actually, we don't. Our pressing is noticeably less effective than it was last season.

Has it occurred to you that Lamela's injury might be one of the reasons Poch has changed the formation?

Our results and performances have been better.

Possibly but there's a long list of reasons why Poch changed things and Lamela's absence would not be near the top of the list. For example; Rose and Walker now have more licence to attack more due to the extra CB. Vertonghen can now step forward and join the attack with the security of the extra CB plus Wanyama shielding them. Alli is scoring more as a result. Eriksen has slightly less defensive responsibilities than before.

 

[scaramanga]

a) Our results and performances have been better.

b) Possibly but there's a long list of reasons why Poch changed things and Lamela's absence would not be near the top of the list. For example; Rose and Walker now have more licence to attack more due to the extra CB. Vertonghen can now step forward and join the attack with the security of the extra CB plus Wanyama shielding them. Alli is scoring more as a result. Eriksen has slightly less defensive responsibilities than before.

So in the same post you manage to a) ignore any and all other variables because it suits your perspective and b) introduce a lot of other variables because it suits your perspective.

 

[parklane1]

Lamela is a very important part of our side and we have missed him, i hope he does not get sold in the summer. However he does seem to be injury prone and although i take all the rumours ( that fans love to start) with a pinch of salt we will have to see what Poch decides.

 

[Jurgen the German]

So in the same post you manage to a) ignore any and all other variables because it suits your perspective and b) introduce a lot of other variables because it suits your perspective.

What can I say, I learned from the best

I don't disagree that Lamela's pressing is important to us, I just think you and others attach way too much importance to it. I'd say he's our 7th/8th most important player at best. The reasons I laid out above to me seem more likely as reasons why Poch decided to alter the formation rather than Lamela's absence.

Statements like "he's our most creative/important player" that spurs7891 likes to trot out are just not true.

 

[Jurgen the German]

I think Jurgen must be the ying to Spurs7891s yang

I genuinely think spurs7891 would rather have Lamela than Messi.

 

[Rorschach]

As Trump might say a bird in the hand is worth two in George Bush. We own Lamela, we know how he can perform and hopefully the injury or whether any other issue that has arisen can be sorted amicably.

 

[90291Spur]

As Trump might say a bird in the hand is worth two in George Bush. We own Lamela, we know how he can perform and hopefully the injury or whether other issue that has arisen can be sorted amicably.

I hope it gets sorted, but right now two of his three seasons with is have been blighted by long term injury.

 

[johnola]

View attachment 3177

No time for you pal. On your bike.

 

[Pirate55]

What can I say, I learned from the best

I don't disagree that Lamela's pressing is important to us, I just think you and others attach way too much importance to it. I'd say he's our 7th/8th most important player at best. The reasons I laid out above to me seem more likely as reasons why Poch decided to alter the formation rather than Lamela's absence.

Statements like "he's our most creative/important player" that spurs7891 likes to trot out are just not true.

I agree with Jurgen. Certainly in a 3421 formation, there would seem little room for Lamela. He is definitely not better than Kane, Eriksen or Dele and has different attributes to Son, but they are on a par to be first reserve to our three starters in those three positions.

Personally I think there is more to it than a simple hip injury and , if so, as others have said, I suspect he will have played his last game for Spurs. If we got say Barkley and Zaha for him and Sissoko, I wouldn't be terribly upset.

 

[Raziel]

I agree with Jurgen. Certainly in a 3421 formation, there would seem little room for Lamela. He is definitely not better than Kane, Eriksen or Dele and has different attributes to Son, but they are on a par to be first reserve to our three starters in those three positions.

Personally I think there is more to it than a simple hip injury and , if so, as others have said, I suspect he will have played his last game for Spurs. If we got say Barkley and Zaha for him and Sissoko, I wouldn't be terribly upset.

I'd be livid .. and I actually would not be totally against selling both players you mentioned

Barkley is an absolute brainless donkey and everything that is wrong with the English game, overhyped, unintelligent footballer who has stagnated and will eventually fade to a lower level club. If he isn't good enough for Everton, how the fudge does he play for Spurs?
Zaha is a squad option for us, nothing more.

If we sell Lamela and Sissoko, we have to be looking to buy a player than can walk on to and improve the first team immediately.

 

[Spaceman]

ah, Lamela. the most over rated player on this board. if by pressing you mean running into players and giving away stupid free kicks then yes hes the best at it.

sell him if we cant get to the bottom of this 'injury'