Lamela needs a run in the 10 position...

[Mr Pink]

The goal we scored yesterday was beautiful, and even eclipsed one of my favourites from last season - Kane's at Anfield. I love great team goals that involve clever interchanging and movement - a chemistry that just aligns perfectly.

Lamela was central to both these goals, delivering the killer ball from the ten position. If we want to break teams down more often we need more players who are prepared to make the right movements and play the ball first time, both these goals epitomize that.

Surely its time we saw Lamela given a run in the ten position. I'm convinced we'd see a more fluid attack and we'd create infinitely more clear cut chances with our most creative player at the hub of our attacks. He's never going to make it as a wide player as we all know he doesn't posses the speed, power and acceleration to beat a man in a wider area. But he could well make it in the ten position as he has the requisite guile and craft to to improve our attack.

I honestly can't believe we havn't given him a proper run in the team in this position. All his best moments have come from there and more importantly I think we'd look a much more cohesive and fluid team as a result.

Eriksen could play from the left and Chadli could be more effective coming on later in games. Townsend likewise for Son. Additionally, just rotating these options in terms of form/injuries/in game tactical tweaks etc.

The point for me is that Lamela in the ten position would improve our whole attacking dynamic. We move the ball too slowly and don't have enough players who are prepared to pass and move with more tempo. Lamela, in a central position, not shunted out wide, would give us a lot more in this respect. All about injecting more tempo that will see more of them prepared to make runs that will break the lines of the opposition.

We've been too easy to defend against for too long IMO.

Providing Rose is playing left back to provide the width, I'd love to see this:

Lloris

Walker
Toby
Jan
Rose

Dier
Mason

Son
Lamela
Eriksen

Kane

 

[wrd]

to be honest, wouldn't mind seeing Eriksen on the right side with walker as a lot of the best goals and work from Eriksen have come from the right side or at the least on the wing. I swear under Tim he was mostly left sided and that coincided with some scintillating form.

 

[Shadydan]

The only thing with Eriksen on the left is that he'll try and drift into the centre and crowd out Lamela, for me it's either Lamela or Eriksen.

 

[Geyzer Soze]

The only thing with Eriksen on the left is that he'll try and drift into the centre and crowd out Lamela, for me it's either Lamela or Eriksen.

Or chadli or dembele - both of whom have played their best games on that position IMO

 

[Mr Pink]

The only thing with Eriksen on the left is that he'll try and drift into the centre and crowd out Lamela, for me it's either Lamela or Eriksen.

It might work, providing Lamela has a central role. Combined beautifully for Kane's goal at Anfield. And Eriksen has been effective in a left sided position before.

Lamela is more creative and is more incisive. Eriksen is obviously a bigger goal threat but I'm really starting to believe that giving Lamela a run in the ten position could completely transform our attack.

 

[JUSTINSIGNAL]

Correct me if i'm wrong - as I didn't see the game - but didn't Lamela start at number 10 against Leicester and play shit?

I agree he needs a run in the team because he is our most creative player but I remember reading on here that he was a disaster against Leicester.

 

[coy-spurs1882]

The only thing with Eriksen on the left is that he'll try and drift into the centre and crowd out Lamela, for me it's either Lamela or Eriksen.

Exactly. Last night is a very typical example of the spursy attacking movement, where Chadli, Son, Alli drifted into the centre and Sunderland could easily defend with putting 8 players in their penalty area. When one of our front 4 gets the ball, he was surrounded by at least 4 Sunderland players and 2 of our own players. When Townsend was brought in he consistently ran at Sunderland's defence and forced Sunderland to defend the flank, which indirectly lead to our goal by making up spaces in the centre.

Since AVB let Bale play at the centre our so-called wingers seem to be fond of going through the centre instead of going down the flanks and cross the ball to our striker. Cutting inside is a good way of attack but you need to have different attacking means so that the opponents would find it difficult to defend.

 

[n0.1.spurs]

It might work, providing Lamela has a central role. Combined beautifully for Kane's goal at Anfield. And Eriksen has been effective in a left sided position before.

Lamela is more creative and is more incisive. Eriksen is obviously a bigger goal threat but I'm really starting to believe that giving Lamela a run in the ten position could completely transform our attack.

Think we would start to see him popping up with more goals if he is given that 10 slot. His willingness to make intelligent runs in the box will see him on the scoresheet more often and he will find himself in more goal scoring opportunities, such as yesterday when he opted to lay it to Chadli instead of shooting or the header that he missed. So glad we didn't sell him. Would have no doubt drawn 0-0 with Sunderland yesterday if he was playing his trade in France this season and the same people that wanted Lamela out all Summer long would no doubt have been making Poch threads. Funny old game...

 

[fletch82]

The only thing with Eriksen on the left is that he'll try and drift into the centre and crowd out Lamela, for me it's either Lamela or Eriksen.

Isn't that what inverted wingers do cut inside ?
I'm not a statto and can't be arsed to look it up but I'm sure Eriksen has scored the vast majority of his goals from the left drifting in ?
When this happens the 10 can drop off or push up with kane it makes them all a little harder to mark as your pulling people out of position
If the 10 drops off he can arrive in the area a bit late for bits and pieces or pull backs/lay offs
Also with lamela if it breaks down he isn't shy to get stuck in early ala Eriksen/Chadli/Andross so it can enable a quick turnover not all will agree but that's how I see it.

 

[Dharmabum]

I am for playing Lamela is COM but Eriksen has proven time and again that he is NOT a LWF.

 

[Shadydan]

Isn't that what inverted wingers do cut inside ?
I'm not a statto and can't be arsed to look it up but I'm sure Eriksen has scored the vast majority of his goals from the left drifting in ?
When this happens the 10 can drop off or push up with kane it makes them all a little harder to mark as your pulling people out of position
If the 10 drops off he can arrive in the area a bit late for bits and pieces or pull backs/lay offs
Also with lamela if it breaks down he isn't shy to get stuck in early ala Eriksen/Chadli/Andross so it can enable a quick turnover not all will agree but that's how I see it.

Yep they are but we're discussing how to get the best with Lamela, if Eriksen is drifting in the centre and taking up spaces that Lamela should be taking up to get on the ball then it's pointless both being on the pitch at the same time. This is what happens when you have two no10's in the same team they both want to get on the ball and no-one wants to make that run in behind meaning that it's predictable and easy to defend against.

For the sake of balance it's either/or.

 

[fletch82]

Yep they are but we're discussing how to get the best with Lamela, if Eriksen is drifting in the centre and taking up spaces that Lamela should be taking up to get on the ball then it's pointless both being on the pitch at the same time. This is what happens when you have two no10's in the same team they both want to get on the ball and no-one wants to make that run in behind meaning that it's predictable and easy to defend against.

For the sake of balance it's either/or.

Or you could just coach them to interchange radical I know but quite feasible no ?

 

[Shadydan]

Or you could just coach them to interchange radical I know but quite feasible no ?

If it were that easy I doubt that we'd be having this discussion now.

 

[Blake Griffin]

I am for playing Lamela is COM but Eriksen has proven time and again that he is NOT a LWF.

then what is he as he certainly isn't a #10? his return from that position is pitiful. if he's not playing left wing then there's no position for him in poch's 4231 imo.

over his last 20 games he's managed :

one flukey goal - http://gfycat.com/LavishSparseHorse
one flukey assist - http://gfycat.com/OldDefenselessBallpython
and one assist from a corner that i can't find a gfy of.

 

[fletch82]

If it were that easy I doubt that we'd be having this discussion now.

Well the language shouldn't be an issue and they are all supposed to be professionals so unless poch hasn't got a scooby it shouldn't be that hard
I could do it

 

[fletch82]

then what is he as he certainly isn't a #10? his return from that position is pitiful. if he's not playing left wing then there's no position for him in poch's 4231 imo.

over his last 20 games he's managed :

one flukey goal - http://gfycat.com/LavishSparseHorse
one flukey assist - http://gfycat.com/OldDefenselessBallpython
and one assist from a corner that i can't find a gfy of.

So was all the rest of his goals and assists from the left ?
If so that's even more than I thought

 

[Snarfalicious]

I think Son-Lamela-Townsend might work well for right now. Townsend did well keeping the width, Son is better on the left and Lamela looks much better central. It's kind of tough on Chadli, because he may not necessarily be worthy of dropping, but I think it may give us the most balanced attack given our injuries.

 

[tototoner]

The 3 behind Kane don't need to be pigeon holed, they should be smart enough to change position and be fluid

 

[Mr Pink]

The 3 behind Kane don't need to be pigeon holed, they should be smart enough to change position and be fluid

Indeed. But predominantly I want Lamela more central, that's where we've seen his best.

 

[tototoner]

Indeed. But predominantly I want Lamela more central, that's where we've seen his best.

As long as he stops running into opposition players I don't mind where he plays