Player Watch: Erik Lamela

[morris25]

He is awful , so dependant on his left foot. Makes him predictable and seems to have no idea what to do with the ball

 

[PeeEyeEmPee]

Ok, so assuming we take all reasonable offers for “most of our players” then what?

We’d be down to just Son and Kane so we’d need to make about 25 signings.

The point I’m making, obviously, is that that isn’t feasible so, with that in mind, what players are you going to prioritise to sell and what areas are we going to prioritise in terms of recruitment?

We're obviously not going to be able to shift 25 players, even if we wanted to. Prioritising players you want to sell is all well and good, until you find out no-one wants to buy the ones you're most keen to get rid of. At this point, we need to just try and get rid of whoever we can, and rebuild from there. Lamela isn't one of those players that would leave us short either on numbers or quality, so he's as good a candidate as any for us to be getting shot of.

 

[PeeEyeEmPee]

Also, the last thing I’ll say on this as I can’t be bothered but another reason why I personally wouldn’t make Lamela’s departures a priority is because we need all the “heads up” attackers we got at the moment. Say what you like about him, he can dilly dally on the ball, give away possession, not have great goal scoring ability but one thing you can’t deny about Lamela is that he’s a heads up player and when your attack has Son and Moura (both players I like btw) who are very heads down players then you need players like Lamela in the squad. Yes, no reason why we couldn’t sell him and replace him with someone similar but like I say, other much more concerning areas we need to address and it also goes back to how we’re being coached at the moment especially attacking wise.

In what way do we benefit from this heads up ability of his?

 

[E17yid]

In what way do we benefit from this heads up ability of his?

We’re not benefiting from anyone’s anything at the moment. I’d suggest this isn’t totally down to the players.

We have, in the past, most definitely benefitted from his head up play before, though, that’s the point.

Its a fair point you make about being well stocked in his position so I can see the logic that we could take a hit in that area and look to strengthen elsewhere but then I’d worry, moving forward, about our remaining options (assuming we didn’t replace Lamela)

Ultimately these discussions are impossible as we don’t know what the demand is like for any of our players.

 

[PeeEyeEmPee]

I genuinely can't recall a single time over the last 7 years when Lamela has been a difference-maker for us. Not a single one time. This heads up ability you refer to is of no use if he's then unable to produce anything with it.

 

[Deleted member 27995]

Why the need for 10 touches when 3 will do.

 

[fortworthspur]

I genuinely can't recall a single time over the last 7 years when Lamela has been a difference-maker for us. Not a single one time. This heads up ability you refer to is of no use if he's then unable to produce anything with it.

he presses better than any of our other attacking players but yeah, vastly over-rated by some. I think people fell in love with what could have been.

 

[E17yid]

I genuinely can't recall a single time over the last 7 years when Lamela has been a difference-maker for us. Not a single one time. This heads up ability you refer to is of no use if he's then unable to produce anything with it.

Really? You can’t remember any of his, albeit few, goals or some of his assists? That ball through to Eriksen against City when he came off the bench (IIRC?) always sticks out for me. Each to their own though.

 

[Wadec]

Lamela is so frustrating, people get blinded by his pressing when all he does is disrupt the flow of the game. He is not good enough on the ball to play in games we should be the better side.

Constant fouls, too many touches, all left foot. He slows our play down no end.

Normally happy to have him as he could be useful in games against bigger teams where we need to battle more. However with where we are right now, he is someone who can go if it helps us rebuild in anyway.

 

[Snarfalicious]

I have always been an Erik Lamela Admirer, but at this point, I'm good if he's sold. Make some room for Eze.

 

[JUSTINSIGNAL]

I genuinely can't recall a single time over the last 7 years when Lamela has been a difference-maker for us. Not a single one time. This heads up ability you refer to is of no use if he's then unable to produce anything with it.

Do you have amnesia?

Didn't you see the through ball to Eriksen to win us the match against Man City at the Etihad or the through ball to Kane to put us one up against Chelsea in the battle of the bridge?

 

[thebenjamin]

I had such high hopes for him.

I was traveling with a Roma fan when we bought him and he said he was the only youngster he'd seen at the club better than Totti. Whether that was a common thought among their fans I have no idea but certainly high praise.

But it hasn't worked out for him, largely due to injuries. Right now he offers little more than work rate. It's appreciated but not enough.

When we signed him I worked with a Roma fan who told me he wasn't very good. I said what about the season just gone at Roma when he scored 15 goals? The guy told me Roma were on a terrible losing streak at the time and Lamela scored a number of tap in as consolation goals in heavy defeats. I checked out what he was saying and it was true, it wasn't like he was bending them in the top corner, in fact as we've seen his shooting technique is completely flawed. His right leg buckles underneath him when he shoots. But still I think Lamela looked better in Italy - I can't think of an attacking midfield player / wide forward who is as slow as he is - truly, shockingly slow - who has been a real hit in the Premier League.

 

[JCRD]

Lamela is good as a squad player so you keep him as a squad. Like someone who mentioned above, you cant shift 25 players and by the same token you cant have 25 top quality players but a squad with a mix of high quality, medium quality and those who can do a job - he is in that middle tier and definitely can do a job..

Our tactics are not bringing out the best in players and he performed a lot better than he has done this season.

 

[Bobbins]

I see the Lamela defenders still defend the guy, because he runs more than other in the team. Laughable. Yesterday was top of the iceberg.
He's shit. Has always been. Never contributed enough in a front 3 and never justified us spending £30m on the guy, which was a lot at the time.

I see the Lamela haters still attack the guy...

The only laughable thing about this post is the post itself. You lot always resurface a couple of times a season and then suddenly disappear for long periods.

He's had three managers who have consistently picked him when he's been fit. That alone says more than you and your cohorts ever could.

 

[Bobbins]

I genuinely can't recall a single time over the last 7 years when Lamela has been a difference-maker for us. Not a single one time. This heads up ability you refer to is of no use if he's then unable to produce anything with it.

Fuck's sake. See this sort of bollocks is the problem with football fans. You genuinely can't think of a single time Lamela has made a difference in a game? His ability to see the play has never produced anything?

How about the winning goal away to City, watch from 1:17 where Lamela, who had just come on to the pitch, wins the ball from Toure, runs straight at the City defence (with his head up) before playing an inch-perfect through-ball for Eriksen to win the game for us.

It's this sort of nonsense rhetoric which pisses people off. I have no problem people not liking a player or wanting to move them on - but why literally make stuff up/outright lie to try to prove your point?

 

[ILS]

I see the Lamela haters still attack the guy...

The only laughable thing about this post is the post itself. You lot always resurface a couple of times a season and then suddenly disappear for long periods.

He's had three managers who have consistently picked him when he's been fit. That alone says more than you and your cohorts ever could.

To be fair to the Lamela haters they only resurface a couple times a season as usually he is injured for the rest of it!

 

[ILS]

Fuck's sake. See this sort of bollocks is the problem with football fans. You genuinely can't think of a single time Lamela has made a different in a game? His ability to see the play has never produced anything?

How about the winning goal away to City, watch from 1:17 where Lamela, who had just come on to the pitch, wins the ball from Toure, runs straight at the City defence (with his head up) before playing an inch-perfect through-ball for Eriksen to win the game for us.

It's this sort of nonsense rhetoric which pisses people off.

I'm sure I could pull up Aurier's best bits in his spurs career to back up an argument where he has made a difference in a football match but it doesn't take way that the majority of the time he is bang average.

 

[Deleted member 27995]

7 years at the club, he'll put a complete season together at some point.

3 managers, 1 caretaker.

The Darren Anderton of this century.

 

[BringBack_leGin]

7 years at the club, he'll put a complete season together at some point.

3 managers, 1 caretaker.

The Darren Anderton of this century.

Anderton averaged 25 league games per season, including 5 seasons where he appeared over 30 time’s and another 4 where he appeared over 20 times. His average is brought down by a horrific spell during the Gerry Francis years.

Lamela is more like the modern Korsten, except Korsten had the good grace to retire ?

 

[Deleted member 27995]

Anderton averaged 25 league games per season, including 5 seasons where he appeared over 30 time’s and another 4 where he appeared over 20 times. His average is brought down by a horrific spell during the Gerry Francis years.

Lamela is more like the modern Korsten, except Korsten had the good grace to retire ?

I probably shouldn't sully poor old Dazza's good name, my mistake!