Lamela

[ajspurs]

I just don't think we get anything in a progressive sense from either Townsend or Lamela. Townsend seems to be all run down the wing, drag back and repeat, sometimes puts in a good delivery but rarely. Lamela tries to run with the ball but it always looks like he just doesn't know what to do with the ball and he ends up taking too long to decide.

Today was hard to truly judge because it was one of those games where everyone was quite poor, even Kane the God.

 

[Blake Griffin]

All in all Erik isn't a winger, inverted or otherwise.

agree. that said, i'm not really sure what he is.

 

[Phomesy]

He was very poor in the first half - but he had lots of mates.

I thought he came into the game in the second half - justifying Poch's decision (which I thought baffling at the time) to keep him on.

In the final 15 minutes he was a constant threat and very good outlet - and it coincided with him actually playing wide on the right.

But there's still loads more work to be done on the training ground to get these guys to understand each other - anticipate each other. Walker; Lamela; Townsend Eriksen (to a lesser extent) just dont' seem to be on the same wavelength half the time.

 

[mrlilywhite]

I thought he did OK today in the second half. He frequently drifts into pockets of space and then doesn't receive the ball.

Our play today reminded me of the slow tepid efforts at the end of AVB's reign and I don't think that suits Erik - or for that matter any of our front players. We made things easy for West Ham today.

I thought Erik's work rate, bravery to show for the ball and attemps to be creative right to the final minute were a real credit to him.

I also think people see Andros go past a player and are massively impressed, the fact that he rarely does anything when he goes past is forgotten.

All in all Erik isn't a winger, inverted or otherwise.

What is he then? Erik through-out his career has played on the left wing (Riverplate), through the middle (Roma & Riverplate) and on the right wing cutting in on his left (Spurs & Roma). It has been quoted before that he was ineffectual through the middle, yet blossomed on the right. I am lately really struggling to find Erik's best position, and past history tells us, that it is on the right.

Our play does not suit a player like Lamela if his best position is on the right, as we don't have enough quality to open up space for him. Give him space whilst cutting in will be the making of him. If he get's some freedom to stretch his legs and dribble, then he can be devastating. What he loses in pace he makes up in dribbling speed. Finding him space to work in is quite problematic, especially when you compress the play with a high line and constantly come up against narrow teams. Those systems pretty much confine Lamela to an enthusiastic participant. This is the problem poch needs to address and find a system to accommodate him. His problems are even more compounded if we play at a low tempo.

I like Erik and really want him to succeed, but if you don't play him in a system that brings out his best attributes then you will never see the best of him, and might as well sell him to a club that is capable of utilising him better.

 

[fortworthspur]

That damn Lamela, made us play shit today and is to blame for everything. Pah...

nope, Paulinho is the reason we were poor today.

 

[nedley]

Would prefer Lennon to both Lamela and Townsend right now.

Would prefer Pritchard to all three.

Gutted he didn't return in Jan.

 

[dazzabee]

I wrote the text below back in September last year. Sadly, my views haven't changed, albeit he has now had those run of games...




Lamela... I cannot help but think we really want the lad to be special. Let me explain. He plays in the shirt, so yes, that is obvious, we want everyone that wears the Lilly White to be "special". With Lamela, though, it is a different special. He not only is our record signing, so we want him to be great for that reason, but he is wearing the number 11 shirt - that vacated by arguably the best player to ever wear the Spurs shirt in Bale (Id argue Gazza was better, but that can be left for another day!)

So, for me, and let me add I go home and away each week to watch the team (not that this makes me any more of a better judge I might add), Lamela has yet to show me anything, really, of note that highlights any "specialness". Yes, he has the drop of the shoulder and at times plays the odd cute pass, but all too often he picks the wrong ball, lacks pace, cuts in when he plays on the right, drifts in when he plays on the left, misplaced passes, shots from distance, the easy ball when the shot is on, doesn't seem to be a player that wants skip past two and whip in a cross or shoot from 30 yards.

I hold my hands up, he may be special - but not yet. I will finish as I started - he needs a run of games, but I cannot help but think that all I read on here, the site that cannot be named and in the stands about this "special" player, well at the moment I think it is much of hope and optimism rather than anything being demonstrated. Has he done anything different to Rose or Dawson? Both of them are regarded as far from special. I might add one was arguably our best player today and the other has been at the club for 10 years...

Now over to you for the negative comments, I'm talking rubbish etc etc.

 

[fortworthspur]

1 and 2/3 seasons later, it seems we could have done better than Pauli, Lamela and Soldado with the money we had. I hate to say it, I really do, but not one of them has had any significant run of good form.

 

[prawnsandwich]

I'm not really sure what he is.

Lamela... I cannot help but think we really want the lad to be special. Let me explain. He plays in the shirt, so yes, that is obvious, we want everyone that wears the Lilly White to be "special". With Lamela, though, it is a different special. He not only is our record signing, so we want him to be great for that reason, but he is wearing the number 11 shirt - that vacated by arguably the best player to ever wear the Spurs shirt in Bale (Id argue Gazza was better, but that can be left for another day!)

So, for me, and let me add I go home and away each week to watch the team (not that this makes me any more of a better judge I might add), Lamela has yet to show me anything, really, of note that highlights any "specialness". Yes, he has the drop of the shoulder and at times plays the odd cute pass, but all too often he picks the wrong ball, lacks pace, cuts in when he plays on the right, drifts in when he plays on the left, misplaced passes, shots from distance, the easy ball when the shot is on, doesn't seem to be a player that wants skip past two and whip in a cross or shoot from 30 yards.

I hold my hands up, he may be special - but not yet. I will finish as I started - he needs a run of games, but I cannot help but think that all I read on here, the site that cannot be named and in the stands about this "special" player, well at the moment I think it is much of hope and optimism rather than anything being demonstrated. Has he done anything different to Rose or Dawson? Both of them are regarded as far from special. I might add one was arguably our best player today and the other has been at the club for 10 years...

Both these guys and myself are all Spurs fans. We all hope that every signing is great.
Lamela has flopped. I don't care about winning the argument on SC but I do care that our manager picks the best players and we have our whole season at stake this week.

 

[sundanceyid10]

1 and 2/3 seasons later, it seems we could have done better than Pauli, Lamela and Soldado with the money we had. I hate to say it, I really do, but not one of them has had any significant run of good form.

Amen

 

[dannythomas]

1 and 2/3 seasons later, it seems we could have done better than Pauli, Lamela and Soldado with the money we had. I hate to say it, I really do, but not one of them has had any significant run of good form.

Yep, we spent 100m or more on the magnificent 7 but we would have done better spending 18m on the dynamic duo ( Eriksen and Chadli ) and keeping the other 82m.

 

[TheHoddleWaddle]

I thought he did OK today in the second half. He frequently drifts into pockets of space and then doesn't receive the ball.

Our play today reminded me of the slow tepid efforts at the end of AVB's reign and I don't think that suits Erik - or for that matter any of our front players. We made things easy for West Ham today.

I thought Erik's work rate, bravery to show for the ball and attemps to be creative right to the final minute were a real credit to him.

I also think people see Andros go past a player and are massively impressed, the fact that he rarely does anything when he goes past is forgotten.

All in all Erik isn't a winger, inverted or otherwise.

If you could splice Andros and Lamela together, we'd have a superb player. The good bits obviously, otherwise it'd be a player who was nudged off the ball easily, was too slow and either crossed a ball into no mans land or shot row z.

Jesting aside, I don't see Lamela as being a winger either, he lacks the pace and from what I have seen, often drifts into the middle anyway. I don't think i've seen him played behind the striker yet, but would like to. Still, this is where you have to trust the coach a bit and assume he's tried it in training? Edit, I think he has enough trickery and intelligence to play the middle role.

That said, at this moment in time, I see Lamela as being a useful squad member. Not much else, but I can accept that the potential for improvement is there. The same can be said for Andros, but I have more hope for Erik in that respect. Both are very likeable lads and i'd one to see them both become key players. TIme will tell I suppose.

 

[jb_1986]

i was at the game, and i do not know what the fuss is about.. the amount of times he put us into space, or found a gap was ridiculous..

 

[mrlilywhite]

Both these guys and myself are all Spurs fans. We all hope that every signing is great.
Lamela has flopped. I don't care about winning the argument on SC but I do care that our manager picks the best players and we have our whole season at stake this week.

What is our best starting 11 though? Lamela I can't say has flopped. 1 injury ravaged 1st season with just 15 apps might have only yielded 3 assists and 1 goal, but it was a major disjointed season for him.

This season has been better 29 apps have yielded 4 goals and 5 assists with a pass% of 82.4%. I would hardly call that being a flop. I admit that I thought his general play would have been better, but given the above stats already for this season, and the fact he is playing in a team that on the whole has not been that prolific in creating chances and scoring, then I don't think his return has been that bad. If he finds himself in a system that suits him then I expect to see the real Lamela. I still believe that it is too early to cast judgement on him. Really there is not loads between him and Chadli. Sure Chadli has had a better season, but it's not miles better.

 

[Chris12]

Both these guys and myself are all Spurs fans. We all hope that every signing is great.
Lamela has flopped. I don't care about winning the argument on SC but I do care that our manager picks the best players and we have our whole season at stake this week.

And our manager does pick the best players in the majority of matches. Like he did against Arsenal, like he did against Liverpool

 

[dannythomas]

Signing Konoplyanka which we ( admittedly allegedly ) could have done for not a huge amount of money was worth a gamble as it may well have given us that extra pace and directness that we don't have right now. No doubt he'll go somewhere else now that anyone can get him for free in the summer.

 

[double0]

Would prefer Pritchard to all three.

Gutted he didn't return in Jan.

Pritchard to say Lennon and Townsend.

Lamela I still have high hopes on this attacking productivity surely he'll improve... He seems like an intelligent enough footballer.

 

[DaSpurs]

1 and 2/3 seasons later, it seems we could have done better than Pauli, Lamela and Soldado with the money we had. I hate to say it, I really do, but not one of them has had any significant run of good form.

Yup. Would have gone with Pjanic, Ljajic, and Remy that summer for considerably less cash, and the only one I'd regret as of this moment may be Ljajic as I think Chadli has arguably turned out better than Ljajic would have IMO.

 

[prawnsandwich]

What is our best starting 11 though? Lamela I can't say has flopped. 1 injury ravaged 1st season with just 15 apps might have only yielded 3 assists and 1 goal, but it was a major disjointed season for him.

This season has been better 29 apps have yielded 4 goals and 5 assists with a pass% of 82.4%. I would hardly call that being a flop. I admit that I thought his general play would have been better, but given the above stats already for this season, and the fact he is playing in a team that on the whole has not been that prolific in creating chances and scoring, then I don't think his return has been that bad. If he finds himself in a system that suits him then I expect to see the real Lamela. I still believe that it is too early to cast judgement on him. Really there is not loads between him and Chadli. Sure Chadli has had a better season, but it's not miles better.

Our best XI does not include either Lamela or Soldado.
This week we have 2 cups to do well in. No more experiments.

 

[DaSpurs]

Signing Konoplyanka which we ( admittedly allegedly ) could have done for not a huge amount of money was worth a gamble as it may well have given us that extra pace and directness that we don't have right now. No doubt he'll go somewhere else now that anyone can get him for free in the summer.

Why we didn't jump at the chance for the fee, and furthermore why according to Trix we're not interested in the summer for free, is utterly beyond me given the evidence. This club continues to make some of the strangest and most self-deprecating decisions I've ever seen. He is exactly the kind of player we desperately lack at the moment, at exactly a position where we're begging for more quality and more diverse options.