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I liked Erik Lamela before it was cool

There in lies the question…I think Poch needs a plan B, a really solid and different one. This league can be unforgiving if you don't...

I agree, but he has yet to utilize plan a due to the likes of Walker being injured. his plan b should have been Eriksen on the left, Lamela central and Chadli on the right. Because that gives us width on both sides at least
 
I think the player may be suffering from that common affliction of gifted youngsters, having grown up so far ahead of their peers that they wind up going through a period of more-or-less arrested development. The signs are there, the way he keeps hanging onto the ball until he runs into a crowd of players and loses it, because he wants to take them all on and beat them in a dizzying blur of stepovers, the way he used to in the streets of Buenos Aires or wherever it was. All of a sudden, that doesn't cut the mustard. He'll either learn quickly to be a better team player, or he'll go back to Italy or somewhere with his tail between his legs. Having said that, I could equally imagine him coming under the wing of Mourinho or someone and emerging as a world-beater in a couple of years. Will that happen at this club? Highly unlikely, in my view, the direction we appear to be heading in. I'm not sure Pochettino has the imagination to develop Lamela.
 
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I agree, but he has yet to utilize plan a due to the likes of Walker being injured. his plan b should have been Eriksen on the left, Lamela central and Chadli on the right. Because that gives us width on both sides at least

Agree re; injuries, even Naughton allows him a bit more flexibility in this regard (I'm guessing Fredricks is on loan - haven't checked)…I still think Eriksen needs to bring more to the party given the potential he has, and for me he wouldn't offer quite the width I'd want. of course, recent history has spoilt us somewhat in this regard…:-(
 
Agree re; injuries, even Naughton allows him a bit more flexibility in this regard (I'm guessing Fredricks is on loan - haven't checked)…I still think Eriksen needs to bring more to the party given the potential he has, and for me he wouldn't offer quite the width I'd want. of course, recent history has spoilt us somewhat in this regard…:-(

I don't think Eriksen is there to provide width. If you look at Eriksen last season he played on the lef, cutting in and drawing away from his marker making him a nightmare for the opposition. I just think the game passes him by centrally. I'd like to see him there again, he was special
 
Agree re; injuries, even Naughton allows him a bit more flexibility in this regard (I'm guessing Fredricks is on loan - haven't checked)…I still think Eriksen needs to bring more to the party given the potential he has, and for me he wouldn't offer quite the width I'd want. of course, recent history has spoilt us somewhat in this regard…:-(

Fredericks is at Middlesboro and starts every game I think, so we should know at the end of the season if he has what it takes.
 
Fredericks is at Middlesboro and starts every game I think, so we should know at the end of the season if he has what it takes.

Middlesbrough are playing some good football this year under Karanka. I work with loads of Boro fans who really rate Fredericks, they think he's good defensively and a real threat going forward with his pace and delivery. It's a shame he's out on loan now as he'd flourish under Pochs system with Naughton and Walker our injured.
 
We keep trying to be oh so clever with out signings. Why don't we just sign some players with very obvious strengths?

Centre-halves with athleticism and heading ability. Midfielders who can tackle and pass. Wide men and forwards with blistering pace.

We sign players who are ok technically but not outstanding, who can run a bit, but not that fast, who are sort of athletic, but not that imposing...just look at Vertonghen, this is a typical Spurs signing the past couple of years. He can head it a bit, but isn't great in the air. So he's supposed to sweep up, but isn't that quick. Not really a natural defender (stopper) but doesn't do much going forward either. Why sign players of this type, what are we trying to achieve?
I get your point, but Vertonghen was voted one of the best two CB's in the league not that long ago and may not be the best example to back up your point. Personally I think we don't sign the finished article because we can't. Every signing we make is a gamble or has a flaw in their game because that is the market we are in. We cannot cannot complete for the best players as there are two many other suitors that have more draw and wedge than us.
 
Whatever he had when playing for other team hasn't translated to the Premiership. I think he likes to get on a run and jink past players, and he is not going to get the opportunity against most teams in this division, and he is playing too high up the pitch to do that anyway. He reminds me of the kid in the playground who has got all the tricks, but can't translate it to a game.

With our squad as it is fro the foreseeable future, I can't see where he is going to fit in. And we can't afford to carry any players. He doesn't work as wide player. He's not a #10 judging on performances so far. I can't see him getting a game in CM in a 4-4-2 and he is not a DM in a 4-2-3-1. Possibly a second striker in 4-4-2, but I can't see Poch ever doing that. So we would be better off selling him and using the funds to buy players we do need.

There is no question he has talent. But he needs to find a team and league that work for him. He wouldn't be the first player that didn't suit the Premiership.
he needs to cut the crap. Ronaldo used to have such problems before he evolved.
 
Middlesbrough are playing some good football this year under Karanka. I work with loads of Boro fans who really rate Fredericks, they think he's good defensively and a real threat going forward with his pace and delivery. It's a shame he's out on loan now as he'd flourish under Pochs system with Naughton and Walker our injured.

Actually makes the Yedlin signing even more confusing! We'll have walker, Yedlin, naughton and Fredricks for one spot! I guess naughton will be sold once everyone's fit? The one game I saw fredericks play I thought he had something.
 
Actually makes the Yedlin signing even more confusing! We'll have walker, Yedlin, naughton and Fredricks for one spot! I guess naughton will be sold once everyone's fit? The one game I saw fredericks play I thought he had something.

According to the guardian, Naughton is off to Swansea once Yedlin arrives in January,
 
Someone elsewhere suggested dropping Lamella and playing a simplistic 4-4-1-1 with Lennon on the right, eriksen left and Kane up behind Soldado ... That for me would be a great change to make as its getting us options either side and Lennon on the right can cover for the lack of pace in our current set up to a point

Lamella flatters to deceive every game in this league. Clear potential and technique but so far no footballing brain. The great players make time for themselves but he seems to take his time way by taking 1/ touches instead of 2!!!!

He also doesn't know or want to shoot in the league games but will do quite clearly in the Europa (arguably with more room)

For now he should be an impact player for me
 
Someone elsewhere suggested dropping Lamella and playing a simplistic 4-4-1-1 with Lennon on the right, eriksen left and Kane up behind Soldado ... That for me would be a great change to make as its getting us options either side and Lennon on the right can cover for the lack of pace in our current set up to a point

Lamella flatters to deceive every game in this league. Clear potential and technique but so far no footballing brain. The great players make time for themselves but he seems to take his time way by taking 1/ touches instead of 2!!!!

He also doesn't know or want to shoot in the league games but will do quite clearly in the Europa (arguably with more room)

For now he should be an impact player for me

He can and should get playing time, however, if he's having a mare of a game, ****ing sub him, and sub him early.
 
He needs to learn how to play smart.
If you are neither fast ,big or strong you've got to play intelligent in this league , see how Davild Silva , Mata , Cazorla etc. play though they don't share the exact same style with Lamela.

Keep it simple , pass and move. You don't see them doing meaningless tricks and step over 30 yards out of the goal but once they get the ball under their feet in the final zone they are always a threat.
 
I actually thought we missed him after he went off yesterday. He wasn't having a great game, but he certainly was no worse than Chadli or Eriksen and looked one of the few players we had with the belief and confidence to make something happen.
 
I only seen the highlights last night on MOTD2. But from what I seen, although he done nothing spectacular I only remember him actually giving the ball away once?
 
Someone elsewhere suggested dropping Lamella and playing a simplistic 4-4-1-1 with Lennon on the right, eriksen left and Kane up behind Soldado ... That for me would be a great change to make as its getting us options either side and Lennon on the right can cover for the lack of pace in our current set up to a point

Lamella flatters to deceive every game in this league. Clear potential and technique but so far no footballing brain. The great players make time for themselves but he seems to take his time way by taking 1/ touches instead of 2!!!!

He also doesn't know or want to shoot in the league games but will do quite clearly in the Europa (arguably with more room)

For now he should be an impact player for me

I agree with this approach.
I've seen plenty of Lamela and I do think there is somethign special there but he can't continue to give the ball away carelessly as he did yesterday. His head dropped when he made errors against Emirates Marketing Project and lets be honest his overall game against those part-timers was poor but masked by 2 superb goals.
I can see why Poch has consistently picked the 3 behind Ade that he did, Chadli was offering goals, Eriksen starting to pop up with them but not hitting last season's form and Lamela was displaying his undoutbed skill in fits & starts. But 9 league games in and we are averaging a goal a game. Its not working and its been given plenty of time to work. Time to adjust the tactics. Kane is chomping at the bit - lets throw him in.
I think Murmorn is bang on that if you play Lamela cutting in from the right you need an overlapping full back. We don't have one until Walker returns so I think we need to look at recalling Lennon to provide width. He will protect Dier as well as stretching the opposition and possibly giving more room to Eriksen left and Kane behind the front man. Kane is the one guy who i'd fancy to get on the end of Lennon's crosses too.
 
I only seen the highlights last night on MOTD2. But from what I seen, although he done nothing spectacular I only remember him actually giving the ball away once?

He gave the ball away a lot more than that, and it was the way he gave it away that was bad, seeing passes that just weren't there and the ball going straight to the opposition as though it were a pass.

I've made up my mind about Lamela. We brought a duffer with self delusions of being the new Messi. We should get what we can for him in January, hopefully the Rabona will persuade someone to pay 15M. We can put that together with his mazy run in the Europa last year into a Youtube video but miss out the endless passes that go astray and the runs that end up with him being dispossessed over and over again.
 
****ing hell 9 games in to his first run of games for us and you're writing him off completely - that will take some topping
 
He gave the ball away a lot more than that, and it was the way he gave it away that was bad, seeing passes that just weren't there and the ball going straight to the opposition as though it were a pass.

I've made up my mind about Lamela. We brought a duffer with self delusions of being the new Messi. We should get what we can for him in January, hopefully the Rabona will persuade someone to pay 15M. We can put that together with his mazy run in the Europa last year into a Youtube video but miss out the endless passes that go astray and the runs that end up with him being dispossessed over and over again.

](*,)
 
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