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Lamela tries to kick-start his Spurs career with summer fitness programme in Argentina

whitechina

Well-Known Member
Dec 27, 2012
4,225
9,094
Or maybe his rehab is better served in his own country?

Certainly not the 1st player to go gone for rehab, definitely won't be the last.


I understand your point but we disagree on this player. He had trouble settling in and now has gone home- more time needed to settle- I hope not another six months/year wasted
 

davidmatzdorf

Front Page Gadfly
Jun 7, 2004
18,106
45,030
But to say that it is an "invidious and misleading comparison" means that either you don't understand the meaning of the word "invidious", you don't understand what I was trying to say, or you yourself are invidious.

It was a tactless choice of word and not appropriate for the post I was responding to. I did think of editing it out, but I didn't bother.

Sorry.
 

millsey

Official SC Numpty
Dec 8, 2005
8,735
11,504
Put it this way, if you were opposing manager, based on,last season you would say rough Lemela up, give him a kick up the backside. It's those kind of challenges he will have to take and thrive one. He's got to handle crystal palace away, and pretty much enjoy it to be a success in our league
 

Fruendsreunited

Active Member
Jul 13, 2012
229
224
Lamela just needs to turn into a man. No to be scared or intimidated. He's a young lad in a new country and doesnt speak the language. A lesser boy would have already gone home, but he's keen to stay and prove his worth... fair play lad... I look forward to next season where I think you will flourish !

Him and Di Maria are seen as the future of Argentinian football. He is FAR from a dud
 

chinaman

Well-Known Member
Jul 19, 2003
17,974
12,423
If he has to go back to Argentina to get himself fit, it doesnt say much about our own coaches in the last campaign.
 

mawspurs

Staff
Jun 29, 2003
35,066
17,740
If he has to go back to Argentina to get himself fit, it doesnt say much about our own coaches in the last campaign.

I don't think the coaches can be blamed for his string of injuries. The medical team may shoulder some of it maybe but not the coaches.
 

Paceyjg

Well-Known Member
Jul 9, 2003
675
859
They aren't comparable body-types and they don't play the same style of football, so it's an invidious and misleading comparison.

Modric is wiry and very strong and, like Messi, has a low centre of gravity. He doesn't need 'bulk' to be tough. He also rarely embarks on a lengthy dribble - he typically takes a few steps into space as he receives the ball to evade bigger, more powerful tacklers, before releasing the ball - elusive, as others have written, but also very strong for his size.

Messi is actually quite 'bulky' for his size - he has a short, chunky build, unlike Modric, with powerful legs. And I recall reading that he was indeed indeed put on a special diet and given HGH (with permission), as a young player, because his coaches were concerned about a genetic height-restriction issue (the details were left vague).

Lamela is tall and willowy and, unlike Modric and like Messi, his game does involve trying to dribble past multiple opponents. At present, he can't do it, at least not in the Premiership. I watched the same thing happen more than once in every single one of his appearances last season. He'd receive the ball, beat one or two men and then the third one would bully him right off the ball, thus wasting the good work he did in beating the first man or two.

I don't think he needs to 'bulk up', in the sense of lifting heavy weights to build bulky muscle mass. The last thing he needs is to emulate Christian Benteke. What he does need, desperately, is more upper body strength - he's visibly slight and slender above the waist and the result shows on the pitch, as I just described. Pilates will address that, as will high-reps gym work with medium weights or working against springs. When a bigger player barges him, he has to be able to stand his ground, barge back and keep going with the ball under control. He's visibly unable to do that with his current level and type of fitness.

No no no, Messi and Modric hail from the Shire, whilst Lamela comes from Lorien!
 

slartibartfast

Grunge baby forever
Oct 21, 2012
18,320
33,955
Did someone really say Lamela has no close control...Jesus wept!
I dont know who youve been watching but he hasnt had any close control.
Maybe on his You Tube vids but for us he's been shit.
Christ he lost the ball nearly everytime he got the f in thing by knocking it to far in front of him so what were you watchin?
 

davidmatzdorf

Front Page Gadfly
Jun 7, 2004
18,106
45,030
I dont know who youve been watching but he hasnt had any close control.
Maybe on his You Tube vids but for us he's been shit.
Christ he lost the ball nearly everytime he got the f in thing by knocking it to far in front of him so what were you watchin?

Have you not asked yourself why there is such a difference between his play elsewhere and his play for us? We've just been having a lengthy discussion about his physical strength on this very thread. When he doesn't have a defender bumping and barging him, he has exquisite close control and a nifty way of keeping the ball away from opponents by having his dribbling foot slightly sideways.

I can't imagine when you saw him knocking the ball ahead and chasing it - I watched his every appearance and I didn't see him do that once - it's a Bale-style thing that requires pace and Lamela isn't especially quick.

If he knocked the ball out of his control, it was because he had a defender all over him. And here we get to the point. He isn't being allowed to show his close-control skills because, through injury, non-selection and lack of physical fitness, he's not had a chance to get adjusted to English football.

As you pointed out, he loses the ball virtually every time he attempts a dribble - but it isn't because of his own lack of skill, it's because he can't cope with physical opponents. He isn't going to be able to do that until he gets stronger, which penny appears to have dropped: he's in Argentina for their Winter/our Summer to get stuck in at the gym.

I'm looking forward to a different, more effective Lamela next season, who has the physical strength to show his undoubted skills.
 

slartibartfast

Grunge baby forever
Oct 21, 2012
18,320
33,955
Have you not asked yourself why there is such a difference between his play elsewhere and his play for us? We've just been having a lengthy discussion about his physical strength on this very thread. When he doesn't have a defender bumping and barging him, he has exquisite close control and a nifty way of keeping the ball away from opponents by having his dribbling foot slightly sideways.

I can't imagine when you saw him knocking the ball ahead and chasing it - I watched his every appearance and I didn't see him do that once - it's a Bale-style thing that requires pace and Lamela isn't especially quick.

If he knocked the ball out of his control, it was because he had a defender all over him. And here we get to the point. He isn't being allowed to show his close-control skills because, through injury, non-selection and lack of physical fitness, he's not had a chance to get adjusted to English football.

As you pointed out, he loses the ball virtually every time he attempts a dribble - but it isn't because of his own lack of skill, it's because he can't cope with physical opponents. He isn't going to be able to do that until he gets stronger, which penny appears to have dropped: he's in Argentina for their Winter/our Summer to get stuck in at the gym.

I'm looking forward to a different, more effective Lamela next season, who has the physical strength to show his undoubted skills.
I wasnt talking about why he's doing it. We can come up with loads of reasons why.
I said his ball control has been awful. You yourself just admitted as much so to post he has got great ball control when he's looked like a baby giraffe is daft imo.
I actually think he's one of those guys who has really let the price tag get to him, he's trying too hard and on top of that he was too weak.
Knocking the ball too far in front of you when theres no one near you has nothing to do with physical strength. If you didnt see that then Im at a loss because I did, repeatedly as did those I was watching him with and we were commenting on it when it kept happening so we'll have to disagree on that one.
I too hope he shows us what we paid for because if we get a 30m player out of him I'll dance a jig and probably die of shock (praying for my own demise lol) and as you said, its good he's building up his strength.
Hard to imagine he could be less effective this coming season so I, like everyone else, will be hoping he comes good and rips the PL a new one.
Even if it means I have to die from shock when that happens lol.
 

garryparkerschest

Well-Known Member
Apr 24, 2012
1,306
2,467
71 comments about a player who has hardly played for us.

Its nice to see how desperate we are to see him succeed.

I personally see him being a Bale, he'll get between 7 and 10 goals next season and go on an upward curve the following season.

Have faith.

COYS
 

Shadydan

Well-Known Member
Jul 7, 2012
38,247
104,143
I dont know who youve been watching but he hasnt had any close control.
Maybe on his You Tube vids but for us he's been shit.
Christ he lost the ball nearly everytime he got the f in thing by knocking it to far in front of him so what were you watchin?

What did you think of his performance against Anzhi, where he won a penalty for doing exactly that, wasn't that evidence of him showing close ball control?
 
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