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Player Watch: Erik Lamela

teedee

Well-Known Member
Jan 11, 2019
702
1,412
There is a difference between "I dont think he's fast enough " or " his all round skill is not good enough " or " for me his play does not suit the team as a whole " and so on rather than "nah he's shit " and that is what I am talking about you can criticise play or players without resorting to absolutes that leave no room for discussion . It just reinforces my opinion that if I was a player and heard what some supporters have to say about their own players I would have to think twice about signing for such a club.I am aware that other fans of other clubs behave in the same way and I still say I am right to expect better of such fans of the club that I love however stupid I might come across .

Have to agree. 'nah, he's shit' doesn't quite cut it as constructive criticism.
 

Spartan Spurs

MOLLON LAVEH
May 20, 2015
279
905
Lamela is a game-changer when he's on the pitch, period. He bleeds, tries and dies for the club. He also- and I literally mean this- was a major part of us making about 50 million Quid extra just last season with that one no-look pass to Kane (who, having thusly attracted a gaggle of Barca defenders- slotted through to Lucas who took us home). That pass- which was as high as high-level gets- was what got us that unbelievable point at the Camp Nou; no one else gets it so cleanly to Kane (whom they were obviously marking the Holy FUCK out of) in order for Harry to even have the chance to slide it across to Moura. That's Lamela: the proverbial "assist-before-the-assist"-guy.

He has made SO many plays like that, and always in MASSIVE matches for us. The bigger the stage, the better he plays. 30 mil? These days (unfortunately) that's a fucking BARGAIN for such a player. Eric Lamela can at times be among the best in the world (yes, I said that).

Am I sick to fucking death of his constant, relentless injuries? Yup- probably more than you lot. Am I just about done with how he plays three top class matches for us and then is subsequently lost for the following four months due to some injury we never even saw? Uh-huh; it kills me. Do we need a player in his position that can stay on the pitch? Yes, we do. So yeah- I agree with his detractors re: his constant, unremitting injury woes. So therefore should we offload him? Heavens no. Sometimes you just have to take the good with the bad, a la Ledley King, and simply allow a frustrating player to remain a part of the club if- and only IF- said player is Spurs to his fucking CORE- which Lamela is.

When he first came to us I doubt he knew what city we were in; 7 years on and it's plain to see that we are his one and only club. Unlike that smarmy little fuck Eriksen, Lamela- somehow, someway- grew to love us, which in my book counts for a LOT. Why did Poch love him? Why does Jose love him? Why do I love him? Because there's something old-school about him- something different to the modern, spoiled, prima donna little bitch of a player. Lamela seems like the type who'd play for free now if it meant staying here. He knows the club stuck by him and he is arguably the most Tottenham-player we have. Hell, even Kane might fly the coop soon; but I'm betting Erik Lamela would prefer to be a lifer here.

Sadly, he may not get that choice- and I get it; football, after all, has no time for sentiment, business is business, etc. But I do have time for sentiment, and my heart skips a beat when I think of him tormenting Wilshire, or letting an elbow fly vs. PSV in the Champions league, or constantly doing any of Chelscum or Manure or Shitty dirty...point is the guy is a true warrior. Opposing fans hate him (always a good sign), opposing players loathe him (again: great sign) and our fans- even his detractors- know beyond all doubt that he gives every fiber of his being for the cause, for the badge, for the cockerel...

Rationally, I get it: he's gotta go because he's too injury prone. But football isn't rational and I myself am the furthest thing from the word- so I say sign him and keep him here until the end. I want him to retire as a Spur.

Oh and lastly, none of my undying love for the guy is sexual. I don't know who told you that but it is complete and utter bullshit. I am straight, not gay. I may find him attractive in the sense of yes he's a good-looking guy- but what's wrong with that? What- I'm gay now? That's ridiculous. You're ridiculous. The fact that you brought the whole thing up is ridiculous. It's like some of you have these hidden obsessions and you can't admit them so you transfer them onto people like me. I didn't even say anything and now I'm having to defend myself for liking the guy. Nothing wrong with gay people I'm just not one of them so I'd appreciate it if you took your assumptions and innuendos somewhere else. I can appreciate a guy's looks without swinging that way. What? What the fuck is your problem? What's with the look on your face? Jesus- gimme a break, ok? It's nothing more than an admiration for an athlete. What- you never thought a dude looked cool or anything? ENOUGH! I'm not gay! Fuck! It's called "A guy comfortable enough with his sexuality that he can be frank about it!"

Christ guys- give it a rest...


Wish I could winner this a number of times.

I won't bore you by reiterating what @TwanYid said but I'm really glad he did so as Lamela is a hell of a player AND a team player.

For me, he's tops in our club for the following:
- his attitude
- his intensity & willingness to win
- his relentless pursuit of the ball & executing what the manager wishes.
- his aggressiveness both offensively & defensively
- he is a tremendous ball handler especially in tight quarters
- he has an exceptional shot

But I firmly believe that beyond his character & technical abilities his greatest asset is his vision.
Watch him with & without the ball & how he can draw opponents out of position to create space for others.
He creates time & space.
Furthermore, he sees a pass far earlier than others. If his teammates could match that, we'd be a far better team.

I don't wish to see him go.
And he looked on another level in that recent intra-squad match.
 

Timberwolf

Well-Known Member
Jan 17, 2008
10,328
50,217
There is a difference between "I dont think he's fast enough " or " his all round skill is not good enough " or " for me his play does not suit the team as a whole " and so on rather than "nah he's shit " and that is what I am talking about you can criticise play or players without resorting to absolutes that leave no room for discussion . It just reinforces my opinion that if I was a player and heard what some supporters have to say about their own players I would have to think twice about signing for such a club.I am aware that other fans of other clubs behave in the same way and I still say I am right to expect better of such fans of the club that I love however stupid I might come across .
In my defence I was taking the piss - I don't think there is anyone (ok...not many) on here who would honestly say that without at least trying to justify it a little bit.

Also, without meaning to be patronising, expecting one club's fans to be "better" than others truly is naive. It's all well and good to "want" or to "hope" for fans of your team to be better than others, but ultimately fans are fans and people are people. There will be some great ones and some wankers in any fan group. Go on any fan forum for any club with a reasonable level of support in the world, and you will find people praising and shitting on players in equal measure.

Even the so-called 'qualities' that define fan groups a bit (Chelsea = racism), (Man Utd = glory hunters), (Liverpool = entitlement) are simply a by product of a group of random humans supporting a coloured entity on a basis of arbitrary factors like historical success, local economic/racial demographic, regional culture, etc. Since most people don't "choose" their team, rather it is "chosen for them" due to geographical or familial reasons, had the chips fallen differently you may well be a Chelsea, Burnley or a S****horpe fan with all of the connotations that come with that. Would you be "better" or "worse" for it? Of course not. You'd just be a football fan, like the rest of us.

Oh, and Lamela is still shit. :sneaky:
 

Dirtysanchez6

Well-Known Member
May 15, 2018
1,455
5,638
Wish I could winner this a number of times.

I won't bore you by reiterating what @TwanYid said but I'm really glad he did so as Lamela is a hell of a player AND a team player.

For me, he's tops in our club for the following:
- his attitude
- his intensity & willingness to win
- his relentless pursuit of the ball & executing what the manager wishes.
- his aggressiveness both offensively & defensively
- he is a tremendous ball handler especially in tight quarters
- he has an exceptional shot

But I firmly believe that beyond his character & technical abilities his greatest asset is his vision.
Watch him with & without the ball & how he can draw opponents out of position to create space for others.
He creates time & space.
Furthermore, he sees a pass far earlier than others. If his teammates could match that, we'd be a far better team.

I don't wish to see him go.
And he looked on another level in that recent intra-squad match.
Don’t know what you’ve been watching but with the ball he holds onto it for about 10 touches too many
 

Timberwolf

Well-Known Member
Jan 17, 2008
10,328
50,217
Wish I could winner this a number of times.

I won't bore you by reiterating what @TwanYid said but I'm really glad he did so as Lamela is a hell of a player AND a team player.

For me, he's tops in our club for the following:
- his attitude
- his intensity & willingness to win
- his relentless pursuit of the ball & executing what the manager wishes.
- his aggressiveness both offensively & defensively
- he is a tremendous ball handler especially in tight quarters
- he has an exceptional shot

But I firmly believe that beyond his character & technical abilities his greatest asset is his vision.
Watch him with & without the ball & how he can draw opponents out of position to create space for others.
He creates time & space.
Furthermore, he sees a pass far earlier than others. If his teammates could match that, we'd be a far better team.

I don't wish to see him go.
And he looked on another level in that recent intra-squad match.
Good post but I think you've gone a bit overboard with the praise.

- Lamela's attitude and workrate are always second to none but he also gives away lots of silly niggly fouls and has a tendency to run around like a headless chicken.
- He's above average on the ball and has good vision, but his assist/scoring rate is never that high and he only occasionally puts through a top quality through ball.
- He really doesn't have an exceptional shot. He's decent in close quarters but he lacks power and rarely scores from range.

He's solid in most areas and is a great player to have around the place, but you're making him sound like a cross between peak Modric and Bale when in reality he's just an above average pro.

When I see Lamela's name on the teamsheet I'm never disappointed, but I'm never excited. He's rarely terrible but he's also rarely pivotal in our success. He's just a solid pro who does a job and can be relied on to put in a 6-7 out of 10 performance most weeks, but almost certainly wouldn't get into the first 11 of any elite European club.
 

buckley

Well-Known Member
Sep 15, 2012
2,595
6,073
I remember several games in the seasons past when we were about to be ran over then he came on and changed the whole tempo and outlook for the better . This man has a large heart is 100% Tottenham and so what if he is not available for every game who is ?
 

Monkey boy

Well-Known Member
Jun 18, 2011
6,381
17,040
I remember several games in the seasons past when we were about to be ran over then he came on and changed the whole tempo and outlook for the better . This man has a large heart is 100% Tottenham and so what if he is not available for every game who is ?

the problem isn’t that he isn’t available for every game, it’s that he’s he’s barely available for any game or rather enough games consistently to be considered a worthwhile member of the squad.
 

buckley

Well-Known Member
Sep 15, 2012
2,595
6,073
It would be interesting to see how many games he is available for because It seems to me he was unused sub far too often perhaps someone will come up with the figures .
I admit he does not play that often but could and should have been used more often .
His injury record is not great but he is not alone in that .
It seems like the players less committed are available all the time this is self explanatory I suppose.
 

teedee

Well-Known Member
Jan 11, 2019
702
1,412
Good post but I think you've gone a bit overboard with the praise.

- Lamela's attitude and workrate are always second to none but he also gives away lots of silly niggly fouls and has a tendency to run around like a headless chicken.
- He's above average on the ball and has good vision, but his assist/scoring rate is never that high and he only occasionally puts through a top quality through ball.
- He really doesn't have an exceptional shot. He's decent in close quarters but he lacks power and rarely scores from range.

He's solid in most areas and is a great player to have around the place, but you're making him sound like a cross between peak Modric and Bale when in reality he's just an above average pro.

When I see Lamela's name on the teamsheet I'm never disappointed, but I'm never excited. He's rarely terrible but he's also rarely pivotal in our success. He's just a solid pro who does a job and can be relied on to put in a 6-7 out of 10 performance most weeks, but almost certainly wouldn't get into the first 11 of any elite European club.

I agree with everything you've said, but for some reason I have always really liked him!
 

H-SF

Well-Known Member
Jan 2, 2020
2,198
10,484
Good post but I think you've gone a bit overboard with the praise.

- Lamela's attitude and workrate are always second to none but he also gives away lots of silly niggly fouls and has a tendency to run around like a headless chicken.
- He's above average on the ball and has good vision, but his assist/scoring rate is never that high and he only occasionally puts through a top quality through ball.
- He really doesn't have an exceptional shot. He's decent in close quarters but he lacks power and rarely scores from range.

He's solid in most areas and is a great player to have around the place, but you're making him sound like a cross between peak Modric and Bale when in reality he's just an above average pro.

When I see Lamela's name on the teamsheet I'm never disappointed, but I'm never excited. He's rarely terrible but he's also rarely pivotal in our success. He's just a solid pro who does a job and can be relied on to put in a 6-7 out of 10 performance most weeks, but almost certainly wouldn't get into the first 11 of any elite European club.
Also worth noting how incredibly one-footed he is. It makes him so easy to defend against at times and he doesn't have searing pace to compensate for such. Due to injury record I'd consider it efficient business in the current climate to sell for £15m if possible and bring Ryan Fraser in on a free who never gets injured and has very impressive output. Saying this I will always love Erik and part of me never wants him to leave
 

wiggo24

Well-Known Member
Jan 5, 2013
5,091
36,808
Still think a Son-Kane-Lamela is our most balanced, consistent front three if all are fit.

Two inverted wingers, Son's pace, Lamela's vision, Kane dropping to let the other two play more central, all three can score goals etc.

People forget that Lamela was a key player when fit in our best period under Pochettino. He's undoubtedly better than Lucas imo and whilst Bergwein looks good he prefers the left and still needs to adapt to Prem.
 

wrd

Well-Known Member
Aug 22, 2014
13,603
58,005
Still think a Son-Kane-Lamela is our most balanced, consistent front three if all are fit.

Two inverted wingers, Son's pace, Lamela's vision, Kane dropping to let the other two play more central, all three can score goals etc.

People forget that Lamela was a key player when fit in our best period under Pochettino. He's undoubtedly better than Lucas imo and whilst Bergwein looks good he prefers the left and still needs to adapt to Prem.

Unbelievable work rate from that front 3 also, then you have goal scoring options off the bench if we need reinforcements.
 

nailsy

SC Supporter
Jul 24, 2005
30,536
46,628
I remember several games in the seasons past when we were about to be ran over then he came on and changed the whole tempo and outlook for the better . This man has a large heart is 100% Tottenham and so what if he is not available for every game who is ?

Was that when the stadium was being torn down and we had to play in the car park? :cautious:

I get the impression that Mourinho really likes him, so hopefully with the number of games coming up we'll see some rotation and he can seize his chance.
 

wpmcg

Well-Known Member
Nov 16, 2018
432
612
There's so much discussion about Lamela, and so many completely different comments and opinions, because.....he's average. He tries hard which gets him many sympathisers.
 
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