He's one of those skillful players who is clearly very talented. I just hope it can shine through.
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Looks a talent but he's in Andros's shadow at the moment, who seems hungry to make the RW spot his own. Not a bad a thing as Lamela can get used to his team & the PL without us needing to rely on him.
He'll come good just a matter of where to play him. Shame he isnt stronger with his right foot as he would be getting a lot more game time replacing Siggy.
He'll come good just a matter of where to play him. Shame he isnt stronger with his right foot as he would be getting a lot more game time replacing Siggy.
Come on mate he's only giving his opinion.
Chelsea spent 20m on Lukaku. Manchester United 15m on Zaha. Phil Jones 17m.
The lad turns 21 about 3/4 of the way through the season last year. With young players you're almost always paying for their potential over their actual end product. Then you put your trust in your own ability to develop the player. Also, this conversation is a bit pointless as if it weren't for Townsend's blistering form I bet Lamela would be starting every game.
We're fortunate to have the benefit of such a deep and quality squad in that the coaching staff can choose to build him up and get him adapted to the league however they see fit. Since he's so young and in a completely different part of the world than he is used to, it stands to reason that a gradual transition makes the most sense if you have the luxury to do so. I'm also not saying he shouldn't contribute this year, I'm just saying that if things go to plan he should improve a lot from year to year and hopefully end up a world class player because he has that potential.
For me, it's like when you get a new job or go to a new school. At first, you are completely out of your depth, everything is flying by you at a million miles per hour and you're trying to figure everything out while meeting and dealing with new people. Eventually, you wake up one day and realize you've figured out your routine and that everything has clicked into to place and you aren't even quite sure how it happened.
I'm sure that is how it is with a professional footballer too except their job comes with a much higher level of pressure. For Lamela in a new country with an unknown new language that integration period before things slow down is probably going to be longer. However, the good thing about this is since we have Townsend it is alright to let him bed in a littler longer. Plus he's only 21!
Overall, I'm sure that you're just going to respond it is 30m I don't care about anything besides him bagging goals but ultimately that it is shortsighted and I'm certain that is not how the club looks at it or how they thought it would work when they bought him.
Also, you might want to get used to paying a lot for young players who aren't ready to contribute the second they land on English soil because it sure looks like we are trying to buy Halilovic for 20m.
Personally @
JDK
I am not sure that Townsend's form has anything to do with keeping Lamela out of the team because I dont think AVB has much PL plans for him until the new year (as I said previous).
I admire/appreciate your optimism about the future for Lamela. The guy definitely has the talent to become one of the best players in the league, and certainly 'world class' as well. If for Spurs sake we could only poach Pjanic for Tottenham as well haha!
JDK
I am not sure that Townsend's form has anything to do with keeping Lamela out of the team because I dont think AVB has much PL plans for him until the new year (as I said previous).I admire/appreciate your optimism about the future for Lamela. The guy definitely has the talent to become one of the best players in the league, and certainly 'world class' as well. If for Spurs sake we could only poach Pjanic for Tottenham as well haha!
Who are you again?Lamela wont be ready for the English game until about the turn of the new year in my opinion. When he started out at Roma he was played best in the position behind the striker, a position Pjanic is currently occupying (and doing amazingly in might I add, he even has Gervinho looking good this season!!!). However it is very easy to play in the attacking mid role for Roma when you have a striker who is supremely talented and can work well as a false 9 like Totti. Plus defensively you have the likes of De Rossi playing behind you who can break up play better than most in the world and quickly pass the ball to the dangerous players in dangerous areas on the pitch.
Last season saw Lamela shifted out to the right of a 433, which made him less influential in the team, but more key in terms of assists and goals (as I am sure many of you have seen). I would almost compare him a little to RVP when he first came to the PL but I doubt he will make a career as a main striker. He is arguably the most talented player at our club at the moment, and not far off the most talented in the league. Yet he is more suited to an Italian style of football than a British one. I think he will have real difficulty trying to break through and start ahead of Townsend/Lennon, and he isn't much of a crossing winger so I doubt he will make a name for himself on the left. I genuinely do believe that he may come in at Spurs and make a name for himself in Eriksens position, with Christian moving out to the left. Leaving us with a future front four of:
Lennon/Townsend Lamela Eriksen
-------------Soldado
Whatever happens though, it is very exciting to have a 'dilema' at Spurs where you cant fit in a future world class player like Lamela, and a PL proven top class player like Lennon
COYS/Forza Roma!
Xose, is that you buddy?
While we're on player price comparisons.
Fellaini cost £27M. That tells you all you need to know about the state of the TM.
Fellaini cost £27M. That tells you all you need to know about the state of the TM.
Personally @
I admire/appreciate your optimism about the future for Lamela. The guy definitely has the talent to become one of the best players in the league, and certainly 'world class' as well. If for Spurs sake we could only poach Pjanic for Tottenham as well haha!
It may be that AVB's plan was always more long term. However, Townsend's form has made it much easier to not feel any pressure to move that timetable up to a speed that the club, AVB or Lamela feel uncomfortable with.
In regards to Pjanic many of us wanted him when we were linked to him due to the collective interest (some might say obsession) in finding a Modric replacement. Personally I'd love to see Tommy Carroll fit into the Pjanic passing role for us when he returns from loan next season.
Unfortunately not friend
I agree with your comments RE Lamela/Townsend. However Pjanic would never be a good Modric replacement, he is too attacking minded in the mould of Eriksen. I would argue that he has been the best CAM in the world this season, and Roma's form accurately reflect it. Two cracking goals on the weekend vs the very strong Napoli as well.
People are way too eager to get on the backs of players who don't instantly start performing. He's 21, arriving in a country that he doesn't speak the language of, and is trying to adapt to the physical nature of the game. Bale's achievements with us at 21 weren't as good as Lamela's at Roma. I don't know if Lamela will surpass what Bale has achieved with us (I hope he does!), but to write him off this early or to call the transfer out as a flop is a bit too harsh. The same with Soldado. It takes atleast 6 months to bed a player into a club, and to be fair to Lamela, he hasn't moaned about him not starting. All he's said is that he needs to adapt his game, which is true. To keep things in perspective, he is actually younger than Townsend by about 8 months or so.
Lloris started out slow, as did Holtby. Going back a little further, Sandro took almost a year to adapt, and look at his potential now. We've genuinely got one of the best CDMs in the world. We need to be patient with our young prospects and give them time to adapt and develop into the world beaters that they have the potential to become. I have no doubts that in a couple of months, Lamela will start to prove his naysayers wrong. I've been thrilled when he signed for us, and I am quite certain he'll replicate, if not better, his last season with Roma.
Lloris started out slow, as did Holtby. Going back a little further, Sandro took almost a year to adapt, and look at his potential now. We've genuinely got one of the best CDMs in the world. We need to be patient with our young prospects and give them time to adapt and develop into the world beaters that they have the potential to become. I have no doubts that in a couple of months, Lamela will start to prove his naysayers wrong. I've been thrilled when he signed for us, and I am quite certain he'll replicate, if not better, his last season with Roma.
His free kick was outstanding. Napoli were never really in the game. Roma will have trouble keeping up the current blistering form if Totti is out for too long with the hamstring though. Borriello looked good when he came on but obviously no one is Totti.
I am worried as well friend, there is no doubt in my mind that the form of Pjanic is to do with the extra ball he gets from the creativity of Totti. In fact I also think we will miss Gervinho, because, amazingly and amusingly he has been in tremendous form this season. Llajic/Borriello/Florenzi are certainly more than enough to overcome the likes of Chievo/Torino/Sassuolo. However Udinese will be a tricky fixture as they can beat anyone on their day. Di Natale is outstanding.
I believe this is down to the Italian league being a lot more tactical, and less teams try and press hard right from the word go (not a sleight on the Italian game, but just highlighting a difference). He gets an extra second on the ball, and it gives him a chance to make his decision. That was his game back in France too, and he struggled in the EPL mainly because he couldn't make the split second decisions that are needed to succeed here. I believe he'll do well for Roma.
With regards to Pjanic, I do agree that he'll probably turn out great. But I'm not sure I want to go down that route to be honest. We've got Eriksen and Holtby, and young Tommy Carroll who can be moulded into that role as well. Happy with our options at CAM!
Sorry for sidetracking the thread. Easy to lose track of what we're talking about when it comes to football
Apologies, but I think it is pretty vital when mentioning Lamela to discuss what and who helped him become the player he is today.