- Aug 31, 2012
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I completely understand the thinking behind Lamela as an impact sub but if it was up to me he would be a starter. I really believe he could be integral to our season if he stays fit. He is 100% spurs.
He’s a great alternative to Eriksen in terms of making things happen. That doesn’t mean they can’t be on the pitch at the same time either. He’s got such tenacity and drive, aligned with technical ability and vision. This is the season we could really do with him kicking onI completely understand the thinking behind Lamela as an impact sub but if it was up to me he would be a starter. I really believe he could be integral to our season if he stays fit. He is 100% spurs.
Great little watch
Even Cliff loves him...
That thumb’s straying into No Man’s Land
I'd like to see it, like you say he has grit and isn't afraid to get stuck in. Eriksen is a bit more reserved when challenging for the ball.However, I'm starting to think we now have a solution.
Thoughts?
I've often thought that Lamela's best position perhaps wasn't the one he was signed to play. Essentially he was supposed to be a Bale replacement, a fast inverted wide forward who can cut inside and chip in with a few goals. But he's clearly not as good as Bale - hardly any players are. There are a few reasons why I've disputed it being his best position for so long, mostly because as he's pretty one-footed he can be fairly predictable in terms of cutting inside, but as he isn't as good at dribbling as he thinks he is so he gets tackled a lot. You can only really get away with playing like that if you're at Robben levels of ability. We've also tried him on the other wing, in an attacking midfield role, behind the striker...he hasn't really been able to make one of them his own in the side. He does have flashes of brilliance, and is very good at helping to press from the front to hassle defenders off the ball, but I don't think even his biggest fan boys can claim that his end product has been good enough. Yes, he's produced some superb goals and assists in the past, but nowhere near enough to justify starting in an attacking role in a top side.
However, I'm starting to think we now have a solution.
All the talk in the summer was about getting in another CM. Dembele was supposedly off to China and on the decline. We needed someone else who could help provide a bit of creativity from a deeper position, and obviously spent all summer chasing Grealish. But perhaps the answer was right under our noses the whole time? In Lamela you have a player who has never been scared to get stuck in, to cover the ground, to dig deep and do the defensive work. You have a player who, as we saw yesterday, can drive forward from deep and run with the ball at pace. He is a player who is able to play quick, incisive passes and help transition defence to attack quickly. And in a deeper role he will have more time and space on the ball, giving him more time to dictate the play and hopefully meaning he doesn't get tackled so much. Remember that Dembele himself started out as a striker, then became a winger, then an attacking midfielder, before finally becoming the player that was so good for us as a deeper centre mid. I am starting to think it is time for Lamela to do the same.
To fit him in we'll either have to take Eriksen, Alli or Lucas out of the starting XI, or to switch back to a four man defence. But if we did, what would people think about one of these two options:
Four at the back:
--------------------------Dier-------------------Lamela--------------------------
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-----------Lucas------------------Eriksen-------------------------Alli-----------
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-------------------------------------Kane--------------------------------------------
Three at the back:
Trippier-------------------------------------------------------------------Davies
------------------------------Dier-------------Lamela----------------------------
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-----------------------Alli----------------------------Eriksen-----------------------
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-------------------------------------Kane--------------------------------------------
Thoughts?
Agree with the bolded for sure, throughout the course of a game he offers so many tricks. He's always trying something whether that be a through ball, chip over the defender, etc. He and Eriksen together are our best bet to break down a bus, which I believe we will be up against next week.Even though Lamela as a CM could work and be a solution for our lack of CMs, I disagree with your entire post on the simple basis that, when fit, Lamela is usually one of our best players at setting up goals.
He's probably our most creative player after Eriksen, and he clearly belongs in a more offensive position than CM.
And he may not be as good at dribbling as he thinks he is (how would you know that, I don't know), but that little play yesterday to set up our third goal wasn't all that bad, don't you think?
neither do Fulham now!He's a fucking brilliant player and he plays regardless of system. In a 3 man AM in a 4231, or with Eriksen as a double hook in a 32221.
I don't like diamond midfields.
9) He hates FabregasI think......
1) lamela is incredibly skillful with the ball at his feet, perhaps the best in our squad.
2) His desire and drive to win is incredible, on par with kane.
3) His through balls for other attackers are almost always perfect and perfectly well timed.
4) We need him in big games, he gives us that nasty edge.
5) We need him centrally.
6) He hates arsenal....legend
7) In a cm2 he would be a red card waiting to happen. Would get 2 or 3 per season.
8) In a cm3 part of a 433 with a moblie cdm and a good tecnical player he could be great (wanyam, winks, lamela)
Cracking post, love it for the thoughts it initiates.I've often thought that Lamela's best position perhaps wasn't the one he was signed to play. Essentially he was supposed to be a Bale replacement, a fast inverted wide forward who can cut inside and chip in with a few goals. But he's clearly not as good as Bale - hardly any players are. There are a few reasons why I've disputed it being his best position for so long, mostly because as he's pretty one-footed he can be fairly predictable in terms of cutting inside, but as he isn't as good at dribbling as he thinks he is so he gets tackled a lot. You can only really get away with playing like that if you're at Robben levels of ability. We've also tried him on the other wing, in an attacking midfield role, behind the striker...he hasn't really been able to make one of them his own in the side. He does have flashes of brilliance, and is very good at helping to press from the front to hassle defenders off the ball, but I don't think even his biggest fan boys can claim that his end product has been good enough. Yes, he's produced some superb goals and assists in the past, but nowhere near enough to justify starting in an attacking role in a top side.
However, I'm starting to think we now have a solution.
All the talk in the summer was about getting in another CM. Dembele was supposedly off to China and on the decline. We needed someone else who could help provide a bit of creativity from a deeper position, and obviously spent all summer chasing Grealish. But perhaps the answer was right under our noses the whole time? In Lamela you have a player who has never been scared to get stuck in, to cover the ground, to dig deep and do the defensive work. You have a player who, as we saw yesterday, can drive forward from deep and run with the ball at pace. He is a player who is able to play quick, incisive passes and help transition defence to attack quickly. And in a deeper role he will have more time and space on the ball, giving him more time to dictate the play and hopefully meaning he doesn't get tackled so much. Remember that Dembele himself started out as a striker, then became a winger, then an attacking midfielder, before finally becoming the player that was so good for us as a deeper centre mid. I am starting to think it is time for Lamela to do the same.
To fit him in we'll either have to take Eriksen, Alli or Lucas out of the starting XI, or to switch back to a four man defence. But if we did, what would people think about one of these two options:
Four at the back:
--------------------------Dier-------------------Lamela--------------------------
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-----------Lucas------------------Eriksen-------------------------Alli-----------
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-------------------------------------Kane--------------------------------------------
Three at the back:
Trippier-------------------------------------------------------------------Davies
------------------------------Dier-------------Lamela----------------------------
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-----------------------Alli----------------------------Eriksen-----------------------
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-------------------------------------Kane--------------------------------------------
Thoughts?