I liked Erik Lamela before it was cool

[tynesidespur]

Lamela will only get better, thats the best part about him...said it before and will continue to do so.

No doubt he's gone up a level this season.
Last year it was there in flashes, this time I think he's been very consistent in terms of keeping possession, work-rate and creativity.
The last piece of the jigsaw for him is to up his shooting/scoring rates. He has the ability and he could definitely score more goals. If he can add that final piece (like his last season at Roma) we will have an absolute star on our hands.
That said, i'm delighted with him.

 

[scaramanga]

IMHO Lamela does not cope too well with teams that sit deep in numbers. The City game suited him down to the ground because he had space.

What would you consider a team that sits deep in numbers?

Sunderland? 78% pass success, 2 chances created
Leicester? 85% pass success, 5 chances created (and 16 crosses for those of you that like that kind of thing)
Villa? 88% pass success, 4 chances created
Palace? 89% pass success, 4 chances created
Sunderland away? 100% pass success, 4 chances created in just 23 minutes

 

[braineclipse]

What would you consider a team that sits deep in numbers?

Sunderland? 78% pass success, 2 chances created
Leicester? 85% pass success, 5 chances created (and 16 crosses for those of you that like that kind of thing)
Villa? 88% pass success, 4 chances created
Palace? 89% pass success, 4 chances created
Sunderland away? 100% pass success, 4 chances created in just 23 minutes

There's essentially not an attacking player in the world that isn't better when given space to operate rather than having to break down a team set out to defend.

I don't think Lamela's disadvantage in this is particularly strong compared to others. His ability to spot a creative pass, ability to keep the ball moving quickly, skill on the ball and set piece deliveries are all factors that makes him a relatively good fit for those games when teams sit back.

 

[glorygloryeze]

I'd say Lamela is probably one of our most effective players when we are facing parked buses..

 

[Spurs7891]

I'd say Lamela is probably one of our most effective players when we are facing parked buses..

Exactly. I think Lamela is also our most creative player and best passer of the ball. His pass to Eriksen for the goal against ManCity was the exact carbon copy of his pass to Chadli for our goal against Arsenal away last season. His inch perfect pass also created our winning goal for Mason against Sunderland earlier in the season. And who can forget his defence splitting pass which Kane wasted against Leicester ! If Kane had scored that, we could be in first place in the league now !

I think ManCity didn't do their homework properly regarding Lamela. They were too stupid to let Lamela run unchallenged like that. As soon as Lamela was on the run at that moment, I was very confident he will open up the ManCity defence which he did ! There were still 6 ManCity players around him but he still managed to pass to the only Spurs player there, Eriksen ! Just wish Lamela can score more goals in the league. Felt he should have shot direct at goal instead of time wasting in injury time against ManCity.

 

[Millsy_Yiddo]

Exactly. I think Lamela is also our most creative player and best passer of the ball. His pass to Eriksen for the goal against ManCity was the exact carbon copy of his pass to Chadli for our goal against Arsenal away last season. His inch perfect pass also created our winning goal for Mason against Sunderland earlier in the season. And who can forget his defence splitting pass which Kane wasted against Leicester ! If Kane had scored that, we could be in first place in the league now !

I think ManCity didn't do their homework properly regarding Lamela. They were too stupid to let Lamela run unchallenged like that. As soon as Lamela was on the run at that moment, I was very confident he will open up the ManCity defence which he did ! There were still 6 ManCity players around him but he still managed to pass to the only Spurs player there, Eriksen ! Just wish Lamela can score more goals in the league. Felt he should have shot direct at goal instead of time wasting in injury time against ManCity.

I actually quite like that he went for the time wasting option, not because it was necessarily the right thing to do, but it shows a team mentality. He put the benefit of the team in front of his own glory. Yes, yes, I know, I know if he had of scored this would have benefited the team more but when you weigh up the probability that he would have scored verses the probability that he'd be able to hold the ball in the corner for 30 second or win a corner then the latter is more likely. Of course he did neither, fell on his arse and kicked the ball out for a City goal kick, but the underlying point I'm trying to make is that he was thinking about what would have benefitted the team most.

 

[braineclipse]

I actually quite like that he went for the time wasting option, not because it was necessarily the right thing to do, but it shows a team mentality. He put the benefit of the team in front of his own glory. Yes, yes, I know, I know if he had of scored this would have benefited the team more but when you weigh up the probability that he would have scored verses the probability that he'd be able to hold the ball in the corner for 30 second or win a corner then the latter is more likely. Of course he did neither, fell on his arse and kicked the ball out for a City goal kick, but the underlying point I'm trying to make is that he was thinking about what would have benefitted the team most.

Had he taken a shot that Hart had saved and either held on to or rebounded to a team mate that could launch an attack for them I think a lot of people would have been calling for Lamela to run down the clock instead...

He absolutely made the right decision. Looked for the pass to Chadli, but when that didn't open up he held on to it instead. 100% the right decision.

 

[Finney Is Back]

Had he taken a shot that Hart had saved and either held on to or rebounded to a team mate that could launch an attack for them I think a lot of people would have been calling for Lamela to run down the clock instead...

He absolutely made the right decision. Looked for the pass to Chadli, but when that didn't open up he held on to it instead. 100% the right decision.

Agreed.... It was just a shame that upon taking it to the corner he couldn't win a corner or a throw-in for us. The idea was right at that stage I felt but the execution wasn't as good as the idea.

 

[parklane1]

Had he taken a shot that Hart had saved and either held on to or rebounded to a team mate that could launch an attack for them I think a lot of people would have been calling for Lamela to run down the clock instead...

He absolutely made the right decision. Looked for the pass to Chadli, but when that didn't open up he held on to it instead. 100% the right decision.

My thoughts as well.

 

[elltrev]

Had he taken a shot that Hart had saved and either held on to or rebounded to a team mate that could launch an attack for them I think a lot of people would have been calling for Lamela to run down the clock instead...

He absolutely made the right decision. Looked for the pass to Chadli, but when that didn't open up he held on to it instead. 100% the right decision.

On the other hand if Demichelis / Silva scored their subsequent chance a lot of people might have been calling for Lamela to try and score rather than run down the clock.

Personally I'm not a fan of running down the clock - a) from an emotional / irrational point of view it ain't exactly 'audere est facere', and b) from a logical point of view I'm not convinced that it leads to better outcomes (you often just give the ball away quicker than you otherwise would and / or miss out on a good chance to kill the game there and then). Surely the odds of winning are better overall if you pursue the good chance than waste a tiny bit more time?

 

[Papercut]

As a sidenote; I hope some of the fans who don't/didn't rate him now just see him as a cog in Poch's plans be it off the bench or not and totally ignore the price-tag. It makes easier viewing imo. Just like we should ignore Wimmer's role and his price tag...

 

[glasgowspur]

On the other hand if Demichelis / Silva scored their subsequent chance a lot of people might have been calling for Lamela to try and score rather than run down the clock.

Personally I'm not a fan of running down the clock - a) from an emotional / irrational point of view it ain't exactly 'audere est facere', and b) from a logical point of view I'm not convinced that it leads to better outcomes (you often just give the ball away quicker than you otherwise would and / or miss out on a good chance to kill the game there and then). Surely the odds of winning are better overall if you pursue the good chance than waste a tiny bit more time?

Seriously, try and beat three defenders and a goalie? City were still set for an attack, lose the ball and they are straight on the front foot. Take it into the corner then even if two of our players make any effort to support then city need to drop deeper to defend taking them further from our goal. There's no glory in losing dumb goals.

 

[alekaras]

Seriously, try and beat three defenders and a goalie? City were still set for an attack, lose the ball and they are straight on the front foot. Take it into the corner then even if two of our players make any effort to support then city need to drop deeper to defend taking them further from our goal. There's no glory in losing dumb goals.

It was Lamela and Chadli against their entire defense, so not like all our players were rushing forward. Even if he had taken a stab at goal, we were well positioned for a counter (if you could even call it a counter). But there are merits to holding the ball up. I think in that particular situation there wasn't a right or wrong move.

 

[greatwhitenorf]

Personally I'm not a fan of running down the clock - a) from an emotional / irrational point of view it ain't exactly 'audere est facere', and ... .

No. It isn't dashing or daring but from a pragmatic and often necessary Victoria et Tres Rebus est Optimum standpoint, he showed the right thinking.

Can you imagine the manager's reaction if he audaciously attempted a Rabona at that stage?

 

[braineclipse]

On the other hand if Demichelis / Silva scored their subsequent chance a lot of people might have been calling for Lamela to try and score rather than run down the clock.

Personally I'm not a fan of running down the clock - a) from an emotional / irrational point of view it ain't exactly 'audere est facere', and b) from a logical point of view I'm not convinced that it leads to better outcomes (you often just give the ball away quicker than you otherwise would and / or miss out on a good chance to kill the game there and then). Surely the odds of winning are better overall if you pursue the good chance than waste a tiny bit more time?

Or for others to, like Lamela, try to hold on to the ball in areas away from danger?

The value of running the clock down towards the end seems pretty clear to me from a logical point of view. And that's why just about every good team will do it. You most certainly do not give the ball away quicker. The chance of scoring is low, and unless your opponents score (or would have scored) the value of the additional goal is very small. So the actual value of the goal from a logical point of view is much smaller than the "emotional value" it has for a worried fan (or player/coach). On the other hand the logical value of taking even 30 seconds or a minute of playing time away from the opponent with only 4-5 minutes left on the clock significantly cuts their chance of scoring.

 

[Rorschach]

Lamela is only a novice but still has time to learn from the time wasting master...

 

[Yid (Israel)]

Lamela is only a novice but still has time to learn from the time wasting master...

The exact moment I fell in love with Harry Kane

 

[Spurs7891]

John Carver claims Erik Lamela is biggest example of Pochettino's management

John Carver has hailed Erik Lamela's improvement at Tottenham.

Former Saudi Sportswashing Machine boss John Carver has told BBC Sport's Match of the Day 2 Extra that he has been impressed with Erik Lamela's improvement under Mauricio Pochettino.

Spurs picked up another huge victory on Sunday afternoon, beating Emirates Marketing Project 2-1 away from home to move just two points behind league leaders Leicester City.

Now a real title challenger, manager Mauricio Pochettino has been earning plenty of plaudits for the way he has turned a previously shaky Spurs side into arguably the most impressive team in the Premier League.

A number of players have impressed and improved, with Erik Lamela a notable candidate for the most improved player at White Hart Lane this season.

The Argentine was signed from Roma as Gareth Bale's replacement back in the summer of 2013, but hit only one goal and three assists in his debut campaign in North London.

Last year saw an improvement with four goals and seven assists, but this term Lamela has been superb, hitting eight goals and four assists, whilst also impressing with his exceptional work rate out wide, fitting into Pochettino's pressing style.

Now, former Saudi Sportswashing Machine manager John Carver has told BBC Sport's Match of the Day 2 Extra that he thinks Lamela's improvement in the biggest example of Pochettino's management, hailing his development as an all-round player this season.

"The biggest example is Lamela," said Carver. "I remember going there, playing against Spurs; Lamela was great going forward, but wasn't prepared to run backwards. Now he's doing both! He's buying into the manager's theory and the way he wants to play. It's the only way he's going to stay in the team, and I think players realise that - it's hard to get in that team now."

"It does take foreign players a little bit of time to get used to the Premier League, and when he came into the Premier League, he had a big transfer fee on his head, all these expectations, and [Pochettino] has given him time. He's put him in the team, took him out of the team, he put him back in the team, now he's back in that team, he doesn't want to come out of it," he added.

http://www.hitc.com/en-gb/2016/02/1...ela-is-biggest-example-of-pochettinos/page/1/

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Lamela's contribution and work rate for us this season has been exceptional. But I think Lamela has been largely under rated by the media and pundits this season. Due to this, he remains as our secret weapon that can hurt our opponents when they least expect it like how ManCity found out on Sunday.

 

[glasgowspur]

John Carver claims Erik Lamela is biggest example of Pochettino's management

John Carver has hailed Erik Lamela's improvement at Tottenham.

Former Saudi Sportswashing Machine boss John Carver has told BBC Sport's Match of the Day 2 Extra that he has been impressed with Erik Lamela's improvement under Mauricio Pochettino.

Spurs picked up another huge victory on Sunday afternoon, beating Emirates Marketing Project 2-1 away from home to move just two points behind league leaders Leicester City.

Now a real title challenger, manager Mauricio Pochettino has been earning plenty of plaudits for the way he has turned a previously shaky Spurs side into arguably the most impressive team in the Premier League.

A number of players have impressed and improved, with Erik Lamela a notable candidate for the most improved player at White Hart Lane this season.

The Argentine was signed from Roma as Gareth Bale's replacement back in the summer of 2013, but hit only one goal and three assists in his debut campaign in North London.

Last year saw an improvement with four goals and seven assists, but this term Lamela has been superb, hitting eight goals and four assists, whilst also impressing with his exceptional work rate out wide, fitting into Pochettino's pressing style.

Now, former Saudi Sportswashing Machine manager John Carver has told BBC Sport's Match of the Day 2 Extra that he thinks Lamela's improvement in the biggest example of Pochettino's management, hailing his development as an all-round player this season.

"The biggest example is Lamela," said Carver. "I remember going there, playing against Spurs; Lamela was great going forward, but wasn't prepared to run backwards. Now he's doing both! He's buying into the manager's theory and the way he wants to play. It's the only way he's going to stay in the team, and I think players realise that - it's hard to get in that team now."

"It does take foreign players a little bit of time to get used to the Premier League, and when he came into the Premier League, he had a big transfer fee on his head, all these expectations, and [Pochettino] has given him time. He's put him in the team, took him out of the team, he put him back in the team, now he's back in that team, he doesn't want to come out of it," he added.

http://www.hitc.com/en-gb/2016/02/1...ela-is-biggest-example-of-pochettinos/page/1/

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Lamela's contribution and work rate for us this season has been exceptional. But I think Lamela has been largely under rated by the media and pundits this season. Due to this, he remains as our secret weapon that can hurt our opponents when they least expect it like how ManCity found out on Sunday.

Lamella is mentioned in almost every article about the new Spurs and how much he's improved. But they do seemed to by pass him and put all the attention and credit on to Poch. Not saying Poch doesn't deserve massive credit but surely so does lamella for be willing to tough it out and be prepared to put the work in. IMO that's how he's managed to fly under the radar so much.
Poch is certainly doing a great job by absorbing a lot of the pressure and attention from the players.

 

[JellySpur]

Lamela is only a novice but still has time to learn from the time wasting master...

Great moment, I think that season gave people a glimpse of what was to come from kane, although I doubt anyone realised it would come so soon and so well. As an aside, the commentary on that bizarrely calls us sunderland...