Player Watch: Erik Lamela

[punkisback]

The only player in the team right now with genuine flair and great technique, he was adapting to the league at the end of last season and has only just got back from his summer break. If we get rid of him, we'll only have Pritchard left as the flair player. We've basically become another George Graham team.

 

[The General]

The only player in the team right now with genuine flair and great technique, he was adapting to the league at the end of last season and has only just got back from his summer break. If we get rid of him, we'll only have Pritchard left as the flair player. We've basically become another George Graham team.

Great technique in executing the Rabona, but otherwise I think you're being generous. How many times does he under hit a pass or lose the ball whilst dribbling. I've rarely seen him strike a ball well. Eriksen has better technique.

 

[mpickard2087]

Yay, another talented player is wasted in our awful system and is shipped out for a huge loss, to be replaced by a youth product.

What a wonderful, career-destroying club we are, insisting on playing anti-football and then blaming talented players when they don't succeed in a system which doesn't work.

Genuinely interested to know where you think he should be played and in what system, Bobbins?

I think that's harsh. He is at fault himself a lot of the time. I've said since game one that he looks an infinitely better player when he just looks to pass and move. Problem is that he doesn't show any signs of learning... He keeps trying to dribble and run with the ball, and I'm sorry but whatever he could get away with in Italy he clearly cannot get away with over here for whatever reason. But there is just no consistency and I don't see any attempt to play simpler and to his strengths. Yes the manager should have a word in his ear and give him some direction, but the penny also has to drop with the player.

 

[Xeeleeyid]

Also, flair player? Lamela isn't a flair player. He works hard and tries, but he often miscontrols and loses the ball.

His moments of inspiration that you might attribute to being a flair player came in the Europa versus suspect opposition.

I think he is a hard working player with an eye for an opening but often takes the wrong option and like others said after a promising spell towards the end of last season has faded back to being average at best this. He isnt as bad as some make out but at the same time he has never appeared confident, comfortable or threatening in a spurs shirt in the BPL.

Now Dembele, he is your typical frustrating flair player.

 

[Nebby]

Yay, another talented player is wasted in our awful system and is shipped out for a huge loss, to be replaced by a youth product.

What a wonderful, career-destroying club we are, insisting on playing anti-football and then blaming talented players when they don't succeed in a system which doesn't work.

Yes, of course, it's all the fault of the system.

 

[iluvsteffenfreund]

5 of us driving back from the Leicester game and not one of us thinks Lamela will succeed. It's painful to watch him. I cringe when he gets the ball. We call him TT because he touches it then it's a tackle ! Majority of spurs fans who go every week would of loved to see him succeed but we all know he isn't good enough and we need to get rid asap

 

[Col_M]

Has something happened like a real bid or is this just rumour?

 

[arunspurs]

The only player in the team right now with genuine flair and great technique, he was adapting to the league at the end of last season and has only just got back from his summer break. If we get rid of him, we'll only have Pritchard left as the flair player. We've basically become another George Graham team.

Lamela is not a flair player. If he is one, I have not seen it yet in PL.

 

[sundanceyid10]

Has something happened like a real bid or is this just rumour?

Reports that his father has said he is negotiating with Inter Milan.

 

[Col_M]

Reports that his father has said he is negotiating with Inter Milan.

Woohoo!!!

 

[Xeeleeyid]

Reports that his father has said he is negotiating with Inter Milan.

Sky Italia say deal agreed with Spurs. £6m fee for a years loan deal with £14m option to make it permanent. Down to Lamela now if true.

 

[Syn_13]

Sky Italia say deal agreed with Spurs. £6m fee for a years loan deal with £14m option to make it permanent. Down to Lamela now if true.

Well I just don't know how I feel about that. Firstly, if he's not going to play a part in our season we may as well just sell him. Loaning him back to Italy is not going to help. I'd understand more if it were a Premiership loan to a smaller club. Of course it may be that nobody is willing to take a punt on him for the money as we'd surely like to recoup a good portion of what we paid. The other thing is that I fucking loathe Inter, so seeing one of our players there doesn't sit well with me as I can't support him.

 

[SlunkSoma]

I know we are only three games in, but what I've seen of Lamela so far shows he hasn't progressed. As much as I'd like to see him excel, and we invest the money on suitable replacements/upgrade, I say sell.

 

[jezz]

Sky Italia say deal agreed with Spurs. £6m fee for a years loan deal with £14m option to make it permanent. Down to Lamela now if true.

Correct and he's there 3rd choice, so if the other 2 don't work out they might actually contact Tottenham to ask about his availability.
And his dad has chipped in with a few quotes like last time he was going back to Italy and they were fake as well.
Sounds plausible if you want to sell Lamela.
Sounds a bit rubbish in the real world.

 

[spurs9]

Correct and he's there 3rd choice, so if the other 2 don't work out they might actually contact Tottenham to ask about his availability.
And his dad has chipped in with a few quotes like last time he was going back to Italy and they were fake as well.
Sounds plausible if you want to sell Lamela.
Sounds a bit rubbish in the real world.

JJ has confirmed he could be sold.

 

[am_yisrael_chai]

Serie A and the PL seem to be counter leagues in that successes there fail here and vice versa. In the last year we've seen Lamela, Jovetic and Cuadrado fail here while Coutinho who failed in Italy is a huge success here, you could arguably add Salah to the list too.

Can anyone remember the last time a player who was a success in Serie A did the same in England ?

 

[yiddo23]

I'm as big a lamela fan as you can get but I would be OK with selling as long as we bought a replacement, yarmolenko for example

 

[Lifeson]

Serie A and the PL seem to be counter leagues in that successes there fail here and vice versa. In the last year we've seen Lamela, Jovetic and Cuadrado fail here while Coutinho who failed in Italy is a huge success here, you could arguably add Salah to the list too.

Can anyone remember the last time a player who was a success in Serie A did the same in England ?

Cambiasso last year. But he's a real clever player so no surprise there.

I feel the pace of the game in Serie A is way slower than the PL, players get much more space on the ball. The PL is frenetic, teams usually go out 100% to pressure the opponent from the first minute, resulting in a lot less space on the ball for your Cuadrado's or Lamela's. If you're not a quick thinker you get caught out in the PL.

Also doesn't help that most teams go out to defend against us, often with 2 banks of 5, leaving Lamela with little space in the middle of the pitch, and out wide he just doesn't have that explosive pace to beat a man over the first 10 yards, so he can never really go past anyone. Coutinho has that low center of gravity, like Messi and Aguero, and good upper body strenght, Lamela just gets pushed of the ball.

I hoped he would have that amazing physical growth that we saw in Bale where he transformed from the scronny teenager into a beast on the field.

 

[Xeeleeyid]

Well I just don't know how I feel about that. Firstly, if he's not going to play a part in our season we may as well just sell him. Loaning him back to Italy is not going to help. I'd understand more if it were a Premiership loan to a smaller club. Of course it may be that nobody is willing to take a punt on him for the money as we'd surely like to recoup a good portion of what we paid. The other thing is that I fucking loathe Inter, so seeing one of our players there doesn't sit well with me as I can't support him.

The idea would be that they buy him though at the end of the season. Inter currently have FFP restrictions in play so they'd likely need a loan deal to make sure they don't breach. They'd also want to make sure he can recapture his form back in Italy.

 

[0-Tibsy-0]

I am in a minority, but personally I will be so gutted if/when Lamela leaves. He has managed to make himself one of my favourite players with the odd flash of unpredictably and quality that much of our squad lacks while also combining an undoubted (again, in my opinion) natural flair (which I still think would have flourished and become more consistent) with a real fesity-ness, hard work, commitment and attitude which is lacked by many others, other than a couple of the home grown lads.

One of the players who actually kept me interested during some widespread disillusionment with Spurs.

We moan about the lack of movement and imaginative passing and one of the only players that tries to do it, along with Kane and Mason, is castigated from minute 1 each match day at the Lane whenever he tried it and now he's off by the looks of things.

Ah well, obviously wasn't to be.