Player Watch: Erik Lamela

[Krafty]

Happy to keep for now, would be nice if he could get back to his best but unless Eriksen drops into central midfield more often (actually also think Lamlela could do a job a la Di Maria in a central midfield 3) I dont think he will play enough to build up that form. And I think Moura will hit next season and be awesome.

I think Lamela is also a back up striker option, so would keep him but I'm not 100% set on him as I was pre-injury

 

[VegasII]

I like Lamela so I hope we don't sell him. It feels like we've only seen glimpses of him in the time here's been here. It's about time he had a fantastic season.

 

[iddebu52]

A good pre-season and we'll see the player we had a glimpse a season ago. Grande Coco.

 

[markiespurs]

Shows what a strange game football is. First half he was poor with me and most around me wanting him subbed, 2nd half though was a different story and did well to be in the right place at the right time for 3 goals.

Hopefully we will give him another season to see if he can become the player he threatened to be before missing a year through injury

 

[OPModric]

From today, and many recent performances, I cannot see the clamour to keep him. He is offering nothing. Let’s be fair with no bias or agendas please.

Lol. I may be wrong, but I think there is a bias there. Please call it as it is without tintued specs. For the record, I like Coco, and believe he has done enough to activate his 2 years extension. Is he expendable compared to Alli? Behave please my friend.

You seem to be sure of your own opinion Hercules.

 

[Hercules]

You seem to be sure of your own opinion Hercules.

You seem to have a love fest with coco, and anybody tgst says different the fangs come out (good humour). I cannot be any clearer. My comments was based on his first half performance, backed up with Wednesday. So I believe it was a justified one.

I have said enough in this, and I call it as I see it. You should do likewise ?

Respectfully

 

[TottenhamMattSpur]

Waste of a position on the pitch for 45 minutes.
Match winner for the next.

 

[The Apprentice]

I don’t really understand the clamour to get rid.

Is he top drawer? Not really. But is he a very decent option to rotate for our front 4 in given scenarios? Yes.

The 4 months prior to his injury, he was starting to look like he could become even more valuable. Since coming back, he’s been hit and miss but shown glimpses of class. He’s certainly worth persevering with.

 

[lsgspurs7]

From today, and many recent performances, I cannot see the clamour to keep him. He is offering nothing. Let’s be fair with no bias or agendas please.

Even the 2.5 goals today hasn’t convinced me he should be kept but if he’s happy to continue to play a bit part role if we bring in another top AM like Zaha, Malcom etc then fine.

 

[TottenhamMattSpur]

I don’t really understand the clamour to get rid.

Is he top drawer? Not really. But is he a very decent option to rotate for our front 4 in given scenarios? Yes.

The 4 months prior to his injury, he was starting to look like he could become even more valuable. Since coming back, he’s been hit and miss but shown glimpses of class. He’s certainly worth persevering with.

Personally, I think it's born out of his (a the time) expensive price tag.
He's probably still seen as someone we spent a lot of money on and could get some back if we don't leave it too late.
Times moved on since we signed him though.

 

[C0YS]

The main thing about him is he gives us a different option, he is a different kind of player than the others, definitely keep for me not even a real question.

 

[C0YS]

We didn't pay up to £30m for Lamela to do that. It was based on his 15 goals for Roma and creative potential.

Moura appears to be fulfilling a large part of his attacking potential. He doesn't appear to be fulfilling the yellow card gap, which is encouraging.

What we paid him to do is irrelevant, what he actually does should be considered. Which is he his aggression, his movement, his energy, his work for the team and he doesn't show it enough but he is actually a very gifted passer and has always got a very good assist record in previous seasons.

He just got back from a major injury I am surprised at the level he is already showing after that. Think about Rose who just failed to convince as a professional footballer since coming back, though today he was much improved in fairness. He deserves another season, he has showed enough for me.

 

[C0YS]

Two utterly different players? They're not, mate. They both play wide, run at defences and expect to either set up chances or finish their own.

Lamela has been largely diminished in that respect. It's not worked out for him in England. I don't feel he wanted to leave Italy and would be ecstatic to return there.

Moura has found a new home. He wasn't wanted in France and is very welcome here.

What,

1 - Lamela is not a winger, he plays wide in the same way Eriksen plays wide, and much similar in fact to Eriksen than he is to Moura.

2 - Lamela is not really someone who runs at defenses, and if it were up to me I'd try and coach him to do that less then he currently does because it hinders his effectiveness not improves it. Anyway he is much more a creator, using movement, making runs and using good vision and technique take make chances, not so much taking players on.

The problem is you still imaging Lamela to be the player you thought he should be rather than the player he is. Even if we thought we were buying a Bale clone, the fact is the reality is he is a completely different kind of player. The fact he has adapted his game to the PL, make less of his fancy little tricks and all that, to become a more effective player is testament of his strength its not a weakness.

 

[Yid-ol]

When he stays fit he is worth keeping! If we have concerns over his fitness then we need to move him on.

I hope we keep him, his high press helps us and seems to get others doing this also! And he can pick out a pass that others don't always see. Wouldn't say he's always in the team, but as a squad player he is a good player to have to bring on or to change how we play.

 

[mark87]

Lamela scored twice today in a game we won, so we must all be getting on in here right?....right?

 

[Everlasting Seconds]

Hope that wasn't the last match from him in a spurs shirt like that.

 

[yankspurs]

Terrible first half. Comes back out and scores a 15’ hat trick(yes, hat trick @Gbspurs)

No we should not sell atm unless we can get a good fee(£30m-£40m)

 

[ralvy]

So funny to see some of the Lamela haters in this thread starting to panic after his brace/hat-trick.

I really hope Levy offers him a new contract, but would reluctantly understand if we decided to move him on. Lamela has proven two things during his stay at Tottenham: to be a very skillful and driven player, but also to be considerably injury prone. It's up to DL and Poch to assess if there's more value in keeping him or in letting him go. I would offer him a new contract in a heart beat, but it's not up to me...

 

[Bulletspur]

So funny to see some of the Lamela haters in this thread starting to panic after his brace/hat-trick.

I really hope Levy offers him a new contract, but would reluctantly understand if we decided to move him on. Lamela has proven two things during his stay at Tottenham: to be a very skillful and driven player, but also to be considerably injury prone. It's up to DL and Poch to assess if there's more value in keeping him or in letting him go. I would offer him a new contract in a heart beat, but it's not up to me...

Injury prone? Anderton was injury prone. Carroll is injury prone. Sturrudge is injury prone. Coco had two hip replacements, a corrective procedure where whilst it took him a year away from the game, I wouldn't exactly call him injury prone where that season aside, he was mostly available for selection, unlike the those just mentioned above. Off form yes, but not injury prone

And less you all forget, Coco was very instrumental two seasons ago in giving Leicester a run for their money. If you have time, go back and refer to match ratings in this forum for that season where over those nine months you voted him MOTM more than any player.

 

[ralvy]

Injury prone? Anderton was injury prone. Carroll is injury prone. Sturrudge is injury prone. Coco had two hip replacements, a corrective procedure where whilst it took him a year away from the game, I wouldn't exactly call him injury prone where that season aside, he was mostly available for selection, unlike the those just mentioned above. Off form yes, but not injury prone

And less you all forget, Coco was very instrumental two seasons ago in giving Leicester a run for their money. If you have time, go back and refer to match ratings in this forum for that season where over those nine months you voted him MOTM more than any player.

Mate, I'm one of Lamela's biggest supporters in these forums. I'm always fighting his corner, so I agree with most of what you said above.

But I do think one could argue he might be a bit injury prone. It's not just about the hip problems, I remember when he first came to us AVB couldn't play him straight away because of some back injury. And it's still too early after his hip operations to assess whether this will continue being a recurent problem with him or not. Let's not forget the main reason he had to be put under the knife was because his hip pains wouldn't stop bothering him.

How do you know how many times I voted him MOM that season BTW? Feeling a bit stalked now.