A Complete Tactical Profile of Tottenham Hotspur Midfielder Erik Lamela

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Updated: July 21, 2016

A year ago, Tottenham Hotspur attacking midfielder Erik Lamela returned from the Copa America with a lot to prove. The Argentinian’s second season in the Premier League had seen him progress, but not quite to the extent that his place in Mauricio Pochettino’s setup was secure.

Back in pre-season training already following another—this time more individually productive—Copa campaign with his country, this summer is looking like the first settled one of his Tottenham stay.

Empezando la prete, feliz de encontrarme con mi equipo!Preseason begins, let’s get to work! ??⚽ #COYS pic.twitter.com/F6JiuZYvDq

— Erik Manuel Lamela (@ErikLamela) July 14, 2016

Lamela took his time getting to a point where he was tactically integral to the Tottenham team—or, if not integral, at least prominent in Pochettino’s thinking.

The former Southampton manager arrived a year after his compatriot. Lamela had shown flashes of the quality that had convinced Spurs to pay Roma over £25 million for him, but in his admittedly rare early appearances, he looked unprepared for the pace and physicality of the English game.

Having spent the second half of that first season injured, he was raring to go upon the arrival of Pochettino. Things improved—making 45 appearances in all competitions—yet there was still the feeling there was more to come from Lamela.

The 2015-16 campaign proved that perception correct.

After a rough start following his late return from international duty, Lamela battled his way into form. An at-times scintillating display in the 4-1 win over Manchester City was the best yet of his Spurs stay, and it set out an ideal template for what would be wanted from the midfielder moving forward.

It is debatable Tottenham have quite got their money’s worth on such a large sum—although the way transfer fees have gotten crazier since 2013 has made his price tag seem less exorbitant. But Lamela performing at the level he mostly did last season is good enough, and his continued presence is welcome.

.@ErikLamela: “My mind was always in Tottenham & I knew my time would arrive” – https://t.co/U2I8EtVxk6 #COYS pic.twitter.com/BekURPjumS

— Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) July 20, 2016

The north London club’s official website posted a piece in which they described the 24-year-old as “a reinvigorated man.”

“I hope he wouldn’t mind me saying it but he probably had a few difficult months when he first came in here, but I think he’s proved the doubters wrong,” said the South American’s team-mate Kyle Walker.

Lamela cannot get complacent with stiff competition around him. Heading into the new season, though, he is in a good place to improve further and establish himself as one of Tottenham’s most accomplished performers.

Doing the Dirty Work

The aforementioned Tottenham website article went so far as to say Lamela has “reinvented himself.”

“He’s lean, he’s added a layer of steel to his attacking instinct and he’s now someone equally as reliable at chasing the ball down and winning possession as he is at going forward,” it read.

It says a lot for how well Lamela did the less glamorous aspects of his job last season. In reality, it was already a significant part of his game.

Per WhoScored.com, his 2.4 tackles per league match was decisively the most made by any Spurs attacking midfielder in 2014-15—and it held up against those more in the thick of things further back.

In the 2015-16 campaign, he once more led those deployed in the area between midfield and attack in tackling, again recording 2.4 per league fixture.

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