Time Lamela delivered more than the show pony routine

Player Assessment: Érik Lamela

The next in the THBN Player Assessment Series is the player who probably devides Spurs fans more than any other player at the moment, our 23-year-old (24 in March) Argentinian wide attacker, Érik Lamela.

Érik Lamela

Tottenham has had them for as long as I can remember, the player who has the skill but has something missing that prevents them taking the next step. Tom Huddlestone was a case in point, talented, but didn't produce often enough.

Érik Lamela is currently in that bracket. My local bookmaker, calls the Argentinian a show pony, he doesn't like him. I can see where he is coming from. Football is a ruthless game, you produce or you don't and you can't keep waiting for ever for someone to produce on a consistent basis, so can Lamela?

The skill is in his feet, but what is between his ears? To be honest I am undecided on that one. Season one was injury laden but also his mental attitude was full of excuses, as if it was too hard and he wanted toi run away to Italy.

Season two showed signs that there is something there in his mentality, but equally sometimes it's missing. In the long run that is never going to be good enough so it's a question of building on the good next season, a defining season for his Tottenham future. Talented players are ten a penny, sorting the wheat from the chaff and acquiring those with the mental ingredient that makes the difference isn't easy and we haven't been too good at it.

Lewis Holtby ran around and endeared himself to a swathe of Spurs fans, almost to the extent that whatever else he did didn't matter. Once he learns to channel everything he'll improve as a player and it's that channeling that Lamela now has to do. You see in some games Lamela is running back, challenging, chasing and in others doesn't bother with defending.

That to me suggests there is something to work with, there is a mentality in there that can take him to the next level, but at times he can't be bothered almost. Go back to your school days, there was always the goal hanger, didn't do any work just wanted all the glory, expected you to do everything for him. Lamela, at times, is a bit like that, although in season two he cut down on the show pony stuff a lot. In season one he was all pointless step-overs, show pony stuff for the crowd, you didn't see three or four step-overs on the trot in season two.

We did however, see rather one dimensional play, get the ball, cut inside, no room to shoot, pass sideways. If he can harness and build upon the positive aspects he has shown then we'll see a player with an end product, a player who will excite and a player who will be worth the figure we paid. we might then see the game changer we thought we had bought.

Will that happen? Goodness knows, we'll find out next season. The talent is there and Pochettino is hot on mentality, he has enduced improvements, this season he has to enduce more.

Unlock his head and you'll unlock the player.

Premier League Games Only

Érik Lamela
Played: 33
Minutes: 2,300
Total Passes: 1,122
Pass Completion: 82.98%
Forward Passes: 47.24%
Key Passes: 53
Key Pass Time: 1 every 43.40 minutes
Chances Created: 60
Chance Creation Time: 1 every 28.33 minutes
Shots: 38
Shot Accuracy: 60.53%
Shot Time: 1 shot every 60.53 minutes (nearly got that second one wrong again! lol)
Goals: 2
Assists: 7
Positive Attacking Action: 1 every 14.38 minutes
(Total Minutes divided by Shots, Goals, Assists, Key passes, Chances Created combined)
Tackles: 138
Tackles Won: 47.10%
Blocks: 1
Interceptions: 11
Clearances: 43
Take On Success: 54.45%
Header Success: 13.33%
Defensive Action: 1 every 41.82 minutes

Further Reading
Medical for Capoue Tuesday

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