C0YS
Just another member
- Jul 9, 2007
- 12,780
- 13,817
I think the main difference between Willian and Lamela was injury.
I think his lack of improvement is also mainly down to injury. Though he has changed as a player, he is now very much comfortable being this team player who isn't the centre of attention. Lamela was a starter before injuries, people seem to forget this.
It's not about favourites, I don't care for Lamela anymore than any other player. I honestly don't. I just think he is useful to have in a squad 23 players. and I think people overrate players outside of the club and underrate those in it.
Strikers can be useful in a squad for loads of reasons apart from scoring. And this is the annoyance right, and again a recent thing. Shearer won player of the year for southampton in a season he scored 5 goals, because of what he contributed outside of that. The same goes with so many strikers, Del Piero only became prolific as he aged and started focusing on productivity as his legs were beginning to let him down.
It's complete crap to pigeon hole players as needing to be x to play in x position. Mourinho in particular has managed so many teams where he plays attacking players who are not productive but rather function well in the team. Pandev, for example scored 8 goals in 70 games for Inter. But started most games. etc. Plenty of examples there.
Similarly, with Willian, I really rate Willian, because how hard he works for the team, how he is good trapping fullbacks from roaming forward. For his strength on the ball and his ability to hold onto it and bring other players into play. I don't really think his productivity is a fair barometer of how he is as a player.
When comes to players of all positions the question is how the effect the balance of the team. If you have the correct balance you have a winning team. Creating balance sometimes means you need a player who can support the team tactically and effectively who might not score or create much. If you Maicon swinging forward at every available opportunity. then you better have players who can cover for him. You better not play an out and out winger in front of him. If you have Son and Kane, you don't need another player who scores goals, challanges defenders blablabla, what you need is a player which can link everything together and make the attack stick. I don't think Lamela is that player, but making the attack work and function is more important than having a player that contributes great numbers.
If you have two deep lying midfielders, like Milan did in 2010/2011 then you better have a players that can drop deep and help ball progression, like Seedroff and KPB did in that team. If you have strong forward players and fullbacks better going forwards than backwards, like Italy in 2006, you can play Perrotta and Camoranesi, neither of which particularly productive, but they could act as a shield protecting the fullbacks and also would come inside and be competitive, almost like forward playing defensive midfielders. If you have a team full of play making talent, than maybe you want to drop David Silva and play inferior players like Jesus Navas or Pedro who can offer more of a running game and create space for Iniesta, Alonso and Xavi to be more effective. When you have a team with attacking talent like Mbappe, Griezmann and Pogba, you might find playing unfashionable players combative players like Matuidi instead of another attacking winger, and a striker to help the ball stick up top, like Giroud. might create a better balance in maximising the attacking threat of the team.
I could go on.
There is no one way of playing a position, or one best way. Though if fans ran teams, you suspect that they would create some fantasy football rubbish that just wouldn't function in real life. lamela offers a lot of tactical flexibility, so does Sissoko. Sissoko is actually still a starter for the French national team, why? Because he gives balance to a team that can be very uneven.
This is the thing, Lamela can offer balance but also be useful in particular in game circumstances. Should we keep him? Not necessarily. We might sacrifice him for a homegrown player if we need another foreign player slot, that would be of positive benefit to the team. Or if someone like Bale or Dybala actually becomes available. Based on ITK this seems like Mourinho's position too. But, there is no issue keeping him, as he does offer a lot to the team. The team. Not your fantasy football scores.
