The Italian View & Lamela
A view of the game yesterday from an AC Milan point of view. Their official site gives a quick summary before looking at both halves individually further down the page. Not quite sure which game they were watching though.
AC Milan - Spurs - Milan 2-0
The Football Italia view
Now quickly on to Érik Lamela.
Spurs fans in general over reacted to his performances at the end of last season, he did nothing that any ordinary Premier League player would do really but it was seen in some quarters as if he was suddenly worth £30 million.
He is behind the others in terms of sharpness, fitness wise his levels will be good, he has only had a brief holiday after playing this summer so his fitness won't have dropped. Match practice and getting the feet in sync with the brain do seem to be an issue though.
I have to be honest and say his mental attitude when he arrived didn't impress, there seemed to be any number of people who wanted to make excuses for him when, with the right mindset, he should have made sure he had everything he needed.
Season two and still nothing on the field except against minnows, he had turned himself into a one trick pony without any end product. The end of the season saw him get into the box and score off his shoulder, missing the ball with his head, hardly the confidence boost he needed. He is only 23-year-old (24 next March) so isn't on the scrap heap yet but he does demonstrate the poor state of Italian football outside of Juventus, just as AC Milan did yesterday.
The commentary yesterday was telling us that the elite players simply don't go to Italy now and we have clearly overpaid for a player who looks good against poor teams but doesn't know what to fo against anyone of any quality. He got himself into scoring positions in the two games in Germany then fluffed his lines, the miskick yesterday was woeful, simply not good enough.
You can make excuses, but the bottom line is a quality player wouldn't keep making the mistakes he is making if he had the right mentality. He doesn't moan, which is a good thing, but he doesn't improve either. Look at Dele Alli, he is given a chance and he grabs it with both hands, why has Lamela not done that, Tom Carroll showed more than Lamela as did Josh Onomah.
Glenn Hoddle is not impressed and suggests Lamela simply hasn't turned up in a Spurs shirt yet.
"It concerns me about them up front. Harry Kane staying is great, but he needs to play up front with people. Eriksen needs a big season, even bigger than last year, and people like Lamela have got to turn up this year, if not you’ll see him sold in the window."
His troubles are in his head, not his feet. He has talent but as I keep saying talent is not enough, everyone has talent at this level, you have to have the head to go with it, that is what makes the difference. Does he have it, I've yet to see any sign of it.
At the moment we have a problem on the right, Aaron Lennon has ostracised himself, Andros Townsend is going backwards as a player and Érik Lamela produces a pass every now and then, when he is not playing it sideways. We have no goal threat from one side of the field and that is an issue, it's a big issue because it makes us easier to defend against.
Our goal threat comes from the left or central, the opposition can concentrate there given we have shown no tendency to hurt teams even if we have space on the right. The system looks even more patient but one that bursts into life in quick attacks, fine when the opposition gives us all the room in the world but more difficult in the Premier League.
If Tottenham don't have a sports psychologist working with Lamela then we are missing a trick and if you have paid £30 million for an asset you should be doing everything you can to get the most from that asset. Pochettino can only do so much and thus far it hasn't worked with his fellow Argentinian. We do not need to be turning him into a hard-working but non-producing Premier League player, they are ten a penny.
Lamela shows how clubs overvalue their own players and demonstrates the daft fees some ask. You can't blame them for that, they want to get as much as possible for a player but it does rather show that the fans who suggest Levy should simply pay every club's asking price are way off course.
Next season and especially the beginning of next season is a key time for his future, against Real Madrid and AC Milan he didn't look ready to take advantage of the opportunity he'll get.
The Football-Shop.net is the place for all your Tottenham products, 297 to choose from. You can shop by category or by club. Once Tottenham have been selected you can choose the on-page category search box to narrow down your Tottenham specific choice. The link below will take you there.
AC Milan - Spurs - Milan 2-0
The Football Italia view
Now quickly on to Érik Lamela.
Spurs fans in general over reacted to his performances at the end of last season, he did nothing that any ordinary Premier League player would do really but it was seen in some quarters as if he was suddenly worth £30 million.
He is behind the others in terms of sharpness, fitness wise his levels will be good, he has only had a brief holiday after playing this summer so his fitness won't have dropped. Match practice and getting the feet in sync with the brain do seem to be an issue though.
I have to be honest and say his mental attitude when he arrived didn't impress, there seemed to be any number of people who wanted to make excuses for him when, with the right mindset, he should have made sure he had everything he needed.
Season two and still nothing on the field except against minnows, he had turned himself into a one trick pony without any end product. The end of the season saw him get into the box and score off his shoulder, missing the ball with his head, hardly the confidence boost he needed. He is only 23-year-old (24 next March) so isn't on the scrap heap yet but he does demonstrate the poor state of Italian football outside of Juventus, just as AC Milan did yesterday.
The commentary yesterday was telling us that the elite players simply don't go to Italy now and we have clearly overpaid for a player who looks good against poor teams but doesn't know what to fo against anyone of any quality. He got himself into scoring positions in the two games in Germany then fluffed his lines, the miskick yesterday was woeful, simply not good enough.
You can make excuses, but the bottom line is a quality player wouldn't keep making the mistakes he is making if he had the right mentality. He doesn't moan, which is a good thing, but he doesn't improve either. Look at Dele Alli, he is given a chance and he grabs it with both hands, why has Lamela not done that, Tom Carroll showed more than Lamela as did Josh Onomah.
Glenn Hoddle is not impressed and suggests Lamela simply hasn't turned up in a Spurs shirt yet.
"It concerns me about them up front. Harry Kane staying is great, but he needs to play up front with people. Eriksen needs a big season, even bigger than last year, and people like Lamela have got to turn up this year, if not you’ll see him sold in the window."
His troubles are in his head, not his feet. He has talent but as I keep saying talent is not enough, everyone has talent at this level, you have to have the head to go with it, that is what makes the difference. Does he have it, I've yet to see any sign of it.
At the moment we have a problem on the right, Aaron Lennon has ostracised himself, Andros Townsend is going backwards as a player and Érik Lamela produces a pass every now and then, when he is not playing it sideways. We have no goal threat from one side of the field and that is an issue, it's a big issue because it makes us easier to defend against.
Our goal threat comes from the left or central, the opposition can concentrate there given we have shown no tendency to hurt teams even if we have space on the right. The system looks even more patient but one that bursts into life in quick attacks, fine when the opposition gives us all the room in the world but more difficult in the Premier League.
If Tottenham don't have a sports psychologist working with Lamela then we are missing a trick and if you have paid £30 million for an asset you should be doing everything you can to get the most from that asset. Pochettino can only do so much and thus far it hasn't worked with his fellow Argentinian. We do not need to be turning him into a hard-working but non-producing Premier League player, they are ten a penny.
Lamela shows how clubs overvalue their own players and demonstrates the daft fees some ask. You can't blame them for that, they want to get as much as possible for a player but it does rather show that the fans who suggest Levy should simply pay every club's asking price are way off course.
Next season and especially the beginning of next season is a key time for his future, against Real Madrid and AC Milan he didn't look ready to take advantage of the opportunity he'll get.
The Football-Shop.net is the place for all your Tottenham products, 297 to choose from. You can shop by category or by club. Once Tottenham have been selected you can choose the on-page category search box to narrow down your Tottenham specific choice. The link below will take you there.
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