Player Watch: Erik Lamela

[arunspurs]

And created how many?

If you read me correctly, I am saying both are useless

 

[jezz]

If you read me correctly, I am saying both are useless

That wasn't the question though was it?

 

[UpTownSpur]

The two best performances this season have, in my opinion, been against Everton and Chelsea, neither of which Lamela started, but Lennon and Townsend did respectively. When we have played well this season it rarely has anything to do with whoever is playing on the right, but how well Kane, Chadli, Eriksen and others have played. If we could combine Lamela and Townsend together into a single person, like what happened in a transporter accident involving Tuvok and Neelix in an episode of Star Trek Voyager (creating the character Tuvix) then this player, who would hypothetically be given the portmanteau name of either Lownsend or Tamela, would be an excellent player. But we can't do that, so we are best of selling both players and buying a player capable of producing 8/10 performances on a regular basis - neither Townsend or Lamela has had a single 8/10 performance this season.

 

[arunspurs]

That wasn't the question though was it?

You may try to say Lamela better than Townsend, but for me both are equally bad.

 

[arunspurs]

The two best performances this season have, in my opinion, been against Everton and Chelsea, neither of which Lamela started, but Lennon and Townsend did respectively. When we have played well this season it rarely has anything to do with whoever is playing on the right, but how well Kane, Chadli, Eriksen and others have played. If we could combine Lamela and Townsend together into a single person, like what happened in a transporter accident involving Tuvok and Neelix in an episode of Star Trek Voyager (creating the character Tuvix) then this player, who would hypothetically be given the portmanteau name of either Lownsend or Tamela, would be an excellent player. But we can't do that, so we are best of selling both players and buying a player capable of producing 8/10 performances on a regular basis - neither Townsend or Lamela has had a single 8/10 performance this season.

Could not have put it better.
I would settle for someone like Mirallas

 

[Everlasting Seconds]

I would probably agree with you, had Lamela been performing at another level.
Lamela has played almost 2.5 times more number of minutes than Townsend has & yet scored 1.

Fact is both have had equally miserable season - summer hopefully we get a decent upgade

Way to use stats in a silly way – picking out the one and only which supports your argument. Aside of number of goals, Lamela is better than Townsend in 9 out 10 stats. That's why he has played more than twice as much. He is especially better at any kind of defensive contribution, inclusive of fewer defensive errors, chance creation, key passes, and duels, inclusive of head duels. Lamela is simply put the better player.

 

[dougie]

Pace, goals and can beat a fullback. Three advantages Townsend has over Lamela.

Goals. For real? You can't count England worldies.

 

[jezz]

The two best performances this season have, in my opinion, been against Everton and Chelsea, neither of which Lamela started, but Lennon and Townsend did respectively. When we have played well this season it rarely has anything to do with whoever is playing on the right, but how well Kane, Chadli, Eriksen and others have played. If we could combine Lamela and Townsend together into a single person, like what happened in a transporter accident involving Tuvok and Neelix in an episode of Star Trek Voyager (creating the character Tuvix) then this player, who would hypothetically be given the portmanteau name of either Lownsend or Tamela, would be an excellent player. But we can't do that, so we are best of selling both players and buying a player capable of producing 8/10 performances on a regular basis - neither Townsend or Lamela has had a single 8/10 performance this season.

I'd say they were good performances.
Especially the Chelsea game.
But doing the Gunners at home which I thought was the best all round game and drawing at the Emirates was up there too.
Watching us destroy QPR even if they weren't that good was great to.
I loved the Southampton game, real tussle of game.
Anfield was a great performance to.
Unluckily for us Chadli did his vanishing act while Liverpool waltzed down the wing to get the winner.

 

[arunspurs]

Way to use stats in a silly way – picking out the one and only which supports your argument. Aside of number of goals, Lamela is better than Townsend in 9 out 10 stats. That's why he has played more than twice as much. He is especially better at any kind of defensive contribution, inclusive of fewer defensive errors, chance creation, key passes, and duels, inclusive of head duels. Lamela is simply put the better player.

Fewer defensive errors ? you are kidding right ? Is this fewer mistakes than Townsend or fewer mistakes in the team ?

Better Head to head duels ? Sorry mate, It is going to be vey hard for you to convince me that Lamela is better than Townsend beating a full back. Enlighten me how many head to head duels he has won against a keeper ? EVen in Newcastle game, didnt he tamely take a shot at Krul instead of rounding up & score ?

You say dont misuse the stat & you go misusing/misstating the stat.

 

[DaSpurs]

I'd say they were good performances.
Especially the Chelsea game.
But doing the Gunners at home which I thought was the best all round game and drawing at the Emirates was up there too.
Watching us destroy QPR even if they weren't that good was great to.
I loved the Southampton game, real tussle of game.
Anfield was a great performance to.
Unluckily for us Chadli did his vanishing act while Liverpool waltzed down the wing to get the winner.

That whole performance is exactly why I've been clamoring for a left winger for a few years now, as we've been shite offensively and defensively from there since Bale went inverted and had needed a quality alternate to him anyway.

All Rodgers had to do was note that that side was a weakness, noted even the timid Arsenal which came to the Lane three days prior hurt us down that flank when given the chance, and sicced Ibe on us to massive aplomb. Poch tried to do something about it by replacing Eriksen with Chadli, but that didn't work either. We just do not have even close to the amount of pace needed to counter pacey and direct brutalization like that.

So point is it was the fault of both Chadli and Eriksen, as Rodgers knew damn well Eriksen didn't have a chance in hell of helping shield Rose from Ibe.

 

[Everlasting Seconds]

Fewer defensive errors ? you are kidding right ? Is this fewer mistakes than Townsend or fewer mistakes in the team ?

Better Head to head duels ? Sorry mate, It is going to be vey hard for you to convince me that Lamela is better than Townsend beating a full back. Enlighten me how many head to head duels he has won against a keeper ? EVen in Newcastle game, didnt he tamely take a shot at Krul instead of rounding up & score ?

You say dont misuse the stat & you go misusing/misstating the stat.

I'm not mistaken, Lamela is better at nigh everything than Townsend is. Not that being "better than Townsend" is a suitable goal for an ambitious player, as it doesn't really say much about ones abilities, but it is the case none the less.

 

[jezz]

Fewer defensive errors ? you are kidding right ? Is this fewer mistakes than Townsend or fewer mistakes in the team ?

Better Head to head duels ? Sorry mate, It is going to be vey hard for you to convince me that Lamela is better than Townsend beating a full back. Enlighten me how many head to head duels he has won against a keeper ? EVen in Newcastle game, didnt he tamely take a shot at Krul instead of rounding up & score ?

You say dont misuse the stat & you go misusing/misstating the stat.

He tried to lift it over the keeper not whack it. Krull pulled off a fantastic save,even the commentator said so.
In hindsight maybe he should of rounded the keeper. Tame shot and trying to lift the ball over the keeper are two seriously different things. Don't worry I know you could have scored and played Kane in to kill the game.

 

[UpTownSpur]

One of the most undeniable facts is that the right side has, in an attacking sense, been an unmitigated failure throughout the whole season. The only goal I can remember coming from the right in open play is Townsend's pass to Eriksen against Sunderland - Walker has been part of this failure. Chadli and Rose have combined to create half a dozen or so goals from the left. This is something that has to be rectified next season.

Of Lamela's assists, two were corners, three from central positions and one, against QPR, came from the left.

 

[arunspurs]

He tried to lift it over the keeper not whack it. Krull pulled off a fantastic save,even the commentator said so.
In hindsight maybe he should of rounded the keeper. Tame shot and trying to lift the ball over the keeper are two seriously different things. Don't worry I know you could have scored and played Kane in to kill the game.

Yep agreed. Lamela couldn't round off the keeper like Dier did in his debut & score...

 

[Sp3akerboxxx]

In the last few pages here, there are lot of contradictory views

i) Lamela makes the team better , yet most will agree that he is one of our worst players on the pitch.
How can he the worst player individually & yet make the team better ?

ii) Lamela tracks back & runs a lot. Yet for the minutes he does play, likes of Eriksen, Mason, Kane run even harder than him.So, may I ask whats the big deal ?

iii) Lamela gives the ball away but makes up for it by tracking back and win the ball back...My question is why give the ball in first place, in most cases in dangerous areas ? And why run back to retrieve it ?

iv) Lamela links the play well...May be. But then point iii). How can you keep giving the ball away & yet link the play well ? I mean, against Newcastle,in a span of 10 minutes, he should ve lost the ball 4 to 5 times.

IMO, if there has been one player who has really linked up play with midfield & striker its been Chadli. But then, not many here give the credit he deserves, If I think of linkup play, straight to my mind comes the Chelsea game, where Chadli linked so well with Kane & Eriksen and destroyed Chelsea.
With Lamela, sadly not one game stands out for me.

All if that is summed up by the fact that he doesnt give the ball away remotely as much as you say.

You say that he gives the ball away with every other pass. 82.3% pass completion rate is not giving the ball away every other time. It's not even close.

 

[jezz]

One of the most undeniable facts is that the right side has, in an attacking sense, been an unmitigated failure throughout the whole season. The only goal I can remember coming from the right in open play is Townsend's pass to Eriksen against Sunderland - Walker has been part of this failure. Chadli and Rose have combined to create half a dozen or so goals from the left. This is something that has to be rectified next season.

Of Lamela's assists, two were corners, three from central positions and one, against QPR, came from the left.

Lamela goal against Burnley?

 

[SpursDave88]

One thing Lamela does do is look stylish and slick. He often shapes as if to play a delightful reverse pass only to give it straight to an opposition player. Better yet, sometimes he aggressively slides in to win a loose ball, only to shunt it to an opposition player in an even better position than the one he beat to the ball in the first place. Am I missing anything?

 

[arunspurs]

He tried to lift it over the keeper not whack it. Krull pulled off a fantastic save,even the commentator said so.
In hindsight maybe he should of rounded the keeper. Tame shot and trying to lift the ball over the keeper are two seriously different things. Don't worry I know you could have scored and played Kane in to kill the game.

Btw, My earlier point was just to say to the other poster that Lamela doesnt win one on one head to head duels...I care less whether its a tame shot or good shot. End of the day, he didnt beat his man one on one

 

[jezz]

Yep agreed. Lamela couldn't round off the keeper like Dier did in his debut & score...

Nice one

 

[jezz]

Btw, My earlier point was just to say to the other poster that Lamela doesnt win one on one head to head duels...I care less whether its a tame shot or good shot. End of the day, he didnt beat his man one on one

I've seen worse this season from our players. As the pro's always say you have to work the keeper, if he pulls of a save fair enough.