Player Watch: Erik Lamela

[Hans Gruber]

Cracking post, love it for the thoughts it initiates.
I think one of the reasons he was offered a new contract is his versatility. I agree he could move more centrally, either as a CAM or a CM (especially in a 433). In a season where we have no new recruits, players like Lamela will be incredibly useful. I love his passion too- he genuinely cares about the team winning and that kind of quality can sometimes dig you out of holes

Re Lamela in CM, I like the idea but unfortuantely don't see it working. Even in a 3 man midfield. He is tenacious yes, but he goes to ground to often. Positionally I don't think he's responsible enough, and I think his through-balls are better employed from the n.10 role or when he bursts through from the right like he did on Saturday. And in a 2 man pivot, forget it. Completely the wrong type of player. It would solve a huge problem for us & would love to see him manoeuvre his way into the first team but I don't think this is it.

 

[spids]

Re Lamela in CM, I like the idea but unfortuantely don't see it working. Even in a 3 man midfield. He is tenacious yes, but he goes to ground to often. Positionally I don't think he's responsible enough, and I think his through-balls are better employed from the n.10 role or when he bursts through from the right like he did on Saturday. And in a 2 man pivot, forget it. Completely the wrong type of player. It would solve a huge problem for us & would love to see him manoeuvre his way into the first team but I don't think this is it.

Agree - he is tirelessly hard working, leads the press, and is great on the counter of unpicking defences in the final third, but he is not a CM and would be a liability played deeper.

I'd quite like to see these three in an AM behind Kane - the aggressive press would be awesome!

Lloris
Trippier Toby Verts Davies
Dembele Eriksen
Moura Lamela Dele
Kane​

 

[doctor stefan Freud]

Agree - he is tirelessly hard working, leads the press, and is great on the counter of unpicking defences in the final third, but he is not a CM and would be a liability played deeper.

I'd quite like to see these three in an AM behind Kane - the aggressive press would be awesome!

Lloris
Trippier Toby Verts Davies
Dembele Eriksen
Moura Lamela Dele
Kane​

Interesting formation that makes us very attack minded. I’d like to see Ali drift in more centrally though, his goals are very important to us

 

[spids]

Interesting formation that makes us very attack minded. I’d like to see Ali drift in more centrally though, his goals are very important to us

Dele nearly always starts on the left of the AMs, and he always runs from there centrally into the box (as per his header against Newcastle last week, and most of his goals last season).

 

[SUIYHA]

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?

I know that you may write off a poor output in 2013/14, 2016/17 and 2017/18 based on long term injuries and struggling for form and fitness. But even if we take the 2014/15 and 2015/16 seasons where Lamela stayed fit and in the starting XI for most of the year, the numbers were poor. Ok not TERRIBLE, but not good enough. 2014/15 was two goals + seven assists in the league (9 in total), whereas 2015/16 was 5 goals + 9 assists (14 in total). That's below what I'd expect from a starting player named as one of the most creatives in a side that finished 5th and 3rd, especially when you compare it to Eriksen, Alli and Son who all rack up significantly higher numbers.

And what you say about that run on the weekend is exactly my point - it came from a deeper where he had more space on the ball. I want him doing this kind of thing more instead of receiving the ball in the final third where defences are in place and he's being marked more closely.

 

[RichieS]

Interesting formation that makes us very attack minded. I’d like to see Ali drift in more centrally though, his goals are very important to us

Dele nearly always starts on the left of the AMs, and he always runs from there centrally into the box (as per his header against Newcastle last week, and most of his goals last season).

Spot on @spids. Playing from the left makes him much harder for defences to deal with because the full back has to "pass him on" to the CB which takes a split second that Dele usually utilises to get free.

 

[Gbspurs]

I think Lamela could benefit more than most from having Moura in the side. It will give hin more space to operate.

My issue with Lamela has never been about talent but more consistent end product. I would love to see him go on a decent run where he is contributing to strong performances but he generally is so up and down you never know which Lamela is going to come out.

Certainly contributing to a stronger looking squad this season.

 

[Ossie85]

I think Lamela could benefit more than most from having Moura in the side. It will give hin more space to operate.

My issue with Lamela has never been about talent but more consistent end product. I would love to see him go on a decent run where he is contributing to strong performances but he generally is so up and down you never know which Lamela is going to come out.

Certainly contributing to a stronger looking squad this season.

He's been more aggressive towards the goal this last games. Scored the last game of last season, and on his first game this season, gave an assist, and nearly scored one.
I think he'll get better numbers this season

 

[ralvy]

I know that you may write off a poor output in 2013/14, 2016/17 and 2017/18 based on long term injuries and struggling for form and fitness. But even if we take the 2014/15 and 2015/16 seasons where Lamela stayed fit and in the starting XI for most of the year, the numbers were poor. Ok not TERRIBLE, but not good enough. 2014/15 was two goals + seven assists in the league (9 in total), whereas 2015/16 was 5 goals + 9 assists (14 in total). That's below what I'd expect from a starting player named as one of the most creatives in a side that finished 5th and 3rd, especially when you compare it to Eriksen, Alli and Son who all rack up significantly higher numbers.

And what you say about that run on the weekend is exactly my point - it came from a deeper where he had more space on the ball. I want him doing this kind of thing more instead of receiving the ball in the final third where defences are in place and he's being marked more closely.

Uhmm, not good enough? On what metric, exactly? Those were seasons in which Spurs either matched expectations or surpassed them, so if his numbers were indeed not good enough, at least they weren't in any way that would have been deemed a hindrance for the team.

In most cases, it's a mistake trying to reduce an offensive player's output to his goals and assists stats... not only our sample list will rarely be large enough to be statistically relevant, but there are also so many important aspects of a player's game that are simply not being taken into account. A clear example was how fans were complaining about Lucas missing that one on one chance against Fulham this past weekend, while completely forgetting that the only reason he had that chance to begin with was because he was lively enough to intercept the ball in a very advanced position

I do hear what you're saying, I was actually one of the first to propose the idea of him as a CM in this thread, but I do think he has enough in his game to challenge players like Dele, Son and Moura for an starting position.

 

[doctor stefan Freud]

Uhmm, not good enough? On what metric, exactly? Those were seasons in which Spurs either matched expectations or surpassed them, so if his numbers were indeed not good enough, at least they weren't in any way that would have been deemed a hindrance for the team.

In most cases, it's a mistake trying to reduce an offensive player's output to his goals and assists stats... not only our sample list will rarely be large enough to be statistically relevant, but there are also so many important aspects of a player's game that are simply not being taken into account. A clear example was how fans were complaining about Lucas missing that one on one chance against Fulham this past weekend, while completely forgetting that the only reason he had that chance to begin with was because he was lively enough to intercept the ball in a very advanced position

I do hear what you're saying, I was actually one of the first to propose the idea of him as a CM in this thread, but I do think he has enough in his game to challenge players like Dele, Son and Moura for an starting position.

Good point about Moura. How do we measure tenacity? Tackles and interceptions perhaps. But following a high intensity plan through, sometimes even driving it are hard qualities to sometimes breakdown in a chart without an accompanying visual of the action. Anyway, what we typically get with Lamela, amongst other things, is a fierce and obvious commitment to the team that will often bring others along. I like having a few of those around

 

[DCSPUR]

 

[Bulletspur]

[/Q UOTE]

He is not wrong. A lot on here seem to forget that pre his hip surgery, the seasons when we pushed both Leceister and Chelsea he was most the time in our 1st eleven where he got one of the highest number of MOTM votes

 

[Paolo10]

So, hamstring now? Bad injury? Not bad? Anyone know anything?!

He's turning from an Argentinian into an Andertonian!

 

[ralvy]

So, hamstring now? Bad injury? Not bad? Anyone know anything?!

He's turning from an Argentinian into an Andertonian!

Wait to hear what the club has to say... if they sound evasive or don't say much at all in that quick update they give before each game, we know it's probably bad.

If it was his hammy indeed, then around six weeks out probably.

 

[Yid-ol]

Wait to hear what the club has to say... if they sound evasive or don't say much at all in that quick update they give before each game, we know it's probably bad.

If it was his hammy indeed, then around six weeks out probably.

Depends if his hammy has gone, or felt it go tight and pulled out to stop it being 6 weeks out.

 

[SUIYHA]

Has earned the right to go back into the starting XI now. Want to see him from the beginning against Inter.

 

[TheChosenOne]

Has earned the right to go back into the starting XI now. Want to see him from the beginning against Inter.

He has new found grit and determination in his game.

 

[EastLondonYid]

At this moment when all the talk is of tiredness and fatigue throughout the team, he must start and give us the energy we lack when he is available.

No brainer.

 

[iddebu52]

I say it again el Coco Lucas amd Sonny have to start v Inter.

 

[SdB]

The first thing I want to see from any player that pulls on the shirt is effort. Lamela gives that in spades vs Eriksen, Dier and now Kane.
Needs to play up on alternate side to Moura and then we have two forwards closing down and working their nuts off up top.