Sean Gilmartin looks in to the improved form of Erik Lamela and questions if we could see the best of the Argentine forward this season at Tottenham Hotspur?
Erik Lamela arrived at White Hart Lane from AS Roma last season and was regarded as one of the brightest young talents emerging in football. He struggled to adapt to life in England and family troubles shortly after his arrival didn’t help matters either. He found himself mostly used as a substitute and recorded a dismal 3 goals and 1 assist in the Premier League.
This season it is a completely different story for the young Argentine attacker. Lamela seems to have settled to life in England which has seen his game grow and improve greatly compared to last season. He has started the 14/15 campaign well as in 7 appearances he has managed to record 3 assists while maintaining an 80% average pass completion rate per game.
He plays mostly as an attacking right sided midfielder but can also play in behind the striker but is most comfortable and effective when playing on the right.
Lamela is a very creative player as he has already created over 13 goal scoring opportunities this season which means he creates two crucial scoring opportunities per game. The 22 year old has exceptional vision for a young player and still has time to grow and develop more as a player. He is a very tricky player who loves taking defenders on, his dribbling skills enable him to beat defenders with ease and when combined with his vision make him a constant threat.
However, its not just close interplay that make him a threat. He possesses great technique which enables him to strike the ball accurately from most distances. If the games tight in the midfield and he has limited options he is able to unleash a powerful strike from distance which causes problens for the keeper.
He also enjoys cutting in from wide positions and creating chances for the likes of Soldado or Adebayor through his crossing and overall passing ability. With tall and powerful players, Tottenham are a constant threat from set-pieces and Lamela’s style of play sees him always looking to draw a foul from a defender which then sets up a goal scoring opportunity.
Besides individual ability, the success of Lamela’s season will also depend on his team-mates. Though early on in the campaign, it seems that Lamela is starting to form a partnership with fellow attacking midfielder Christian Eriksen. Like Lamela, Eriksen possesses excellent vision and an ability to read the game well.
This allows Lamela to thrive as he looks to link up with the Danish midfielder when attacking. Emmanuel Adebayor and Roberto Soldado will have to be in good form in order for Lamela to be at his most effective as he will need quality strikers who can read his style of play in order to score goals.His impressive performances have also caught the eye of Argentina head coach Gerardo Martino which has seen Lamela feature in 2 matches where he netted 1 goal.
Erik Lamela will be crucial in Tottenhams push for Champions League football at the end of the season, and possesses the talent and ability to help them achieve that goal. At the age of 22, he is very talented and can only get better, definitely one to watch out for this season.