The Great Lamela Divide

Never have I known a player to divide fan opinion the way Erik Lamela does. Since joining Spurs two years ago, the Argentine has come in for increasing levels of disapproval from fans, culminating in the cacophony of criticism that came his way following a forgettable 25-minute cameo against Stoke on Saturday.

Article by Atour Toma

Common analysis of Lamela centres on the same negative appraisals – “he’s too lightweight”, “doesn’t score enough”, “gives the ball away too easily”, etc. – and they all seem perfectly valid.

Supporters of Lamela point to the fact he produced the highest number of assists than any other Spurs player last season. That coupled with his desire to tackle back and help out his defence is a plus point in his favour.

In any case, any player that is a regular part of the Argentina national side – currently ranked #1 in the world – is certainly no slouch.

The optimist in me continues to live in hope that Lamela is on the verge of exploding on the Premier League stage and becoming the player for Spurs that we all dream he can be.

However this campaign is a watershed one. Having flattered to deceive under three different managers, including current head coach Mauricio Pochettino, this season represents one final chance for Lamela to show us what he can do, and justify the good will of the Club and the majority of fans.

Many talk of him needing time to acclimatise to the rigours of the Premier League, but after 

two years at the club you would imagine if he hasn’t settled by now, he probably never will. Similar players such as Alexis Sanchez and Jefferson Montero have moved to England during that time and have swiftly overcome this problem.

It’s also fair to say that he came back to pre-season late after the Copa America and may not be quite where he should be fitness-wise yet. However Sanchez and Montero both played in the Copa America, as well as the likes of Philippe Coutinho.

Looking beyond his current fitness levels, the question in my mind simply comes down to this – from a footballing perspective, if Lamela was no longer at the Club, would he be missed? The answer, at least in my mind, is NO.

We currently have at least three midfielders in Nacer Chadli, Christian Eriksen and Mousa Dembele that are more deserving of a slot in the starting XI than Lamela.

His place on the bench is equally questionable. Rarely has he come on as a substitute and changed a game. With a whole fresh batch of hungry, young attacking midfielders (i.e. Alex Pritchard, Dele Alli) now on the fringes of the starting XI, it could be argued that they represent a better option than the, thus far, underwhelming and disappointing Lamela.

While he has the occasional fancy goal or killer pass in his locker, it’s hard to see the club persevering much longer with his enigmatic talents, especially bearing in mind the increased competition in the side these days.

As a player there must come a time when you realise that time is running out and it’s just not meant to be. In a summer where the Club has cut their losses and sold a lot of under-performing players, Lamela’s importance to this side is decreasing by the day.

If a club came in for him with a serious bid between now and September, I imagine Pochettino would be tempted to snap their hand off for a player that continues to edge closer and closer to the periphery of the Spurs squad.

'Like' our Facebook Page!

E-Spurs - Page

© e-Media Group 2015 All rights reserved no part of this document or this website may be reproduced without consent of @e_media_group

Share on Google Plus