Érik Lamela the perfect fit for José Mourinho’s not-so-nice boys

[mawspurs]

Somehow, you feel Érik Lamela doth protest a little too much. Since the Premier League restarted last month, no player has committed fouls at a higher rate than the Argentinian. It’s an indication not just of Lamela’s snappy, combative style, but the renewed vigour and aggression Tottenham have shown of late under José Mourinho.

Source: Guardian

 

[emiley heskey]

If given chance, Mourinho will sell Lamela and buy someone like Perisic or Willian ... Lamela's aerial dual ability is not so good and I am sure Mourinho wants one of his winger/attacking midfielder to be able to win aerial battles on regular basis

 

[daryl hannah]

Jose has said the club aren't selling any key players - roughly translated: they can't find buyers??

Lamela has 2 years left on his contract and possibly no one wants to buy him with his injury record as it is. Might have to wait another year to see him moved on.

 

[Llord Flashheart]

Somehow, you feel Érik Lamela doth protest a little too much. Since the Premier League restarted last month, no player has committed fouls at a higher rate than the Argentinian. It’s an indication not just of Lamela’s snappy, combative style, but the renewed vigour and aggression Tottenham have shown of late under José Mourinho.

Source: Guardian

I could've sworn we were playing Palace tomorrow, not Leicester.
Ah well, at least the journalist isn't a paid professional.....

 

[Johnny J]

I could've sworn we were playing Palace tomorrow, not Leicester.
Ah well, at least the journalist isn't a paid professional.....

The article was written the day before the Leicester game

 

[greywizard2020]

Erik Lamela is like watching a slightly above average, petulant 10-yr old turning out for his Sunday team. Lamela plays with his head down, therefore, rarely releases it quickly. The constant sole-rolling of the ball wears thin pretty quickly, especially when he cedes possession in key areas where he needs to cycle it quickly. From my perspective, his time is done.

 

[Llord Flashheart]

The article was written the day before the Leicester game

A-ha.....

More fool me

 

[rupsmith]

Posted this a few time. Usually met with disagreements but I stand by it.

Lamela is a strange one. He has the skill of a freestyle artist but is technically limited. He simply cannot use his right foot, his first touch is poor and he does not have tactical awareness to compensate for these limitations (like a Ryan Giggs). He frustratingly almost inevitably loses the ball in key attacking areas.

He is strangely almost more beneficial defensively - full of aggressive running and tackling, covering significant ground off the ball and provides fairly decent circulation in deep positions - which is why managers put him on when they want to increase intensity. Useful in particular games where we already have creative outlets. Frustrating in games where we are looking for additional creativity and ball retention.

 

[Bulletspur]

He simply cannot use his right foot,

This wears a bit thin. Find something else to criticize him about. People like Dele "Simply cannot use his left foot" but you keep quiet about that don't you?

 

[WhiteHeartLowe]

"Since Mourinho was appointed, no Premier League team has earned more yellow cards than Tottenham"
mm, Im not happy to read that, I dont want us to become a team of cloggers.

 

[sausage]

"Since Mourinho was appointed, no Premier League team has earned more yellow cards than Tottenham"
mm, Im not happy to read that, I dont want us to become a team of cloggers.

Not for want of other teams deserving yellows and reds against us though

 

[Shadydan]

Why do left footed players seem to cop more flak for not using their weaker foot than right footed players?

 

[sausage]

Why do left footed players seem to cop more flak for not using their weaker foot than right footed players?

Right Supremecy

 

[rupsmith]

This wears a bit thin. Find something else to criticize him about. People like Dele "Simply cannot use his left foot" but you keep quiet about that don't you?

Well I perhaps didn’t articulate that very well. Watch Lamela dribbling or even just running with the ball - he rarely uses his right foot even when performing a basic act of controlling the ball. Now that would be irrelevant moaning if he could play like Giggs did I.e. adjust body position in anticipation of ball movement to ensure that play not just continue to flow at pace, but can also add a creative element to the attacking play. That is what you would expect from a premier league attacking midfielder. But Lamela simply is not good enough to do that.

As a result of this technical limitation he tends to run into crowded groups of defenders and lose the ball, or attacking play tends to breakdown when the ball reaches him as he has to control and then adjust body position in order to merely pass the ball. Watch the number of time the likes of Sonny and Moura and more recently Bergwyn sprint into defensive gaps but Lamela is taking time to control and then look up. He runs directly at defenders in a busy Messi type manner but then because he can’t do anything to probe in terms of attacking play will have to move sideways and lay it off to a teammate in a relatively safe position.

BUT the value he brings to the team is not his attacking play, but the incessant running that ensures that space is covered in a defensive sense. It is a very helpful aspect managers need when trying to close out games or trying to shore up weakening defensive play. The Kante effect. It is very good to have but is also one of the reasons why managers tend not to start him once their figure out his value. They bring him on in the 70th minute to protect a lead.

Someone here described it very accurately I thought - something on the lines of one would think that he’s a cultured technical creative attacking midfielder with a wand of a left foot. He’s not. He’s our Ngolo Kante..

 

[jay2040]

Erik Lamela is like watching a slightly above average, petulant 10-yr old turning out for his Sunday team. Lamela plays with his head down, therefore, rarely releases it quickly. The constant sole-rolling of the ball wears thin pretty quickly, especially when he cedes possession in key areas where he needs to cycle it quickly. From my perspective, his time is done.

Thing is when the rest of the team play like 8 year old's who don't want to be there his 'petulance shines through!

 

[Dillspur]

Lamela has his uses, I like him coming on 70-80 minutes to give the team a jolt with his energy. But, as other have said, he holds onto the ball too long, is injury prone and has a general lack of awareness when on the ball, he seems to get his pocket picked a lot. At best he's a squad player, if we were able to get 10m for him I'd take it and replace him with Fraser.