Complete Analysis of Erik Lamela's Tottenham Hotspur Role

Tottenham's Argentine playmaker Erik Lamela has enthralled and infuriated Spurs fans since moving from Roma in 2013. The former River Plate wonderkid has put in a handful of brilliant performances for the north London club, but those displays only seem to pose the question of why he cannot play to that level more consistently in the Premier League. 

Perhaps part of Lamela's growing pains at White Hart Lane, exacerbated last season due to injury difficulties, come down to how the versatile forward has been used first by Tim Sherwood and now by compatriot Mauricio Pochettino. 

For an example of how the Buenos Aires native is coping with English football, the weekend's 1-1 derby draw with Arsenal serves as good as any other match for an example. Lamela was used once more on the right side of Pochettino's 4-2-3-1 set-up, the natural left-footer entrusted with boring in from the flank much as Arjen Robben did during the World Cup to such devastating effect. 

The Argentine, however suffered an uneven game against the Gunners. As explained by Nikhil Krishna of Outside of the Boot, the inability of Lamela and Christian Eriksen to click in the first half left Spurs playing a timid, turgid game of football: 

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They merely moved play between lines and ended up misplacing direct passes. It was almost as if they didn’t want the ball and were better off defending without it, almost making it hard to believe that Pochettino was their Coach.

The duo of Lamela and Eriksen who were hailed as Pochettino’s two creative masterminds were highly unspectacular on this occasion, having no clear end product in mind with their passing being hopeful rather than purposeful throughout a draggy first half.

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An improvement was seen after half-time. Lamela suddenly looked more direct, more purposeful on the ball and began to test Arsenal with a number of decent runs. But overall it was more of the same inconsistent, unfocused play that the club has seen on more than one occasion from their enigmatic star. 

The playmaker set up Chadli to open the scoring against the club's arch-rivals, but the encounter could not end happily. He then proceeded to scuff a clearance, allowing Arsenal to equalise and squandering two valuable points for Tottenham. In just two passages of play, Lamela once more enthralled and infuriated. This tweet conversation provides an illustration:

Coco was signed by the London club following a brilliant spell at Roma, where he spearheaded the club's attack alongside Dani Osvaldo and Francesco Totti. Granted, there is nobody at White Hart Lane who can match the brilliance of the Italian legend, still going strong, despite nearing 40 years old. But there is a tactical question to take into account. 

Lamela functioned most effectively in an advanced role, drifting across the attacking line and combining with his companions up front. Not one of the three is a natural centre-forward, but the dynamic trio managed brilliantly off the back of their fluidity and knowledge of the others' play. Ever since he first came to Italy, the Argentine has promised more the further up the pitch he happens to play. 

This goal for the Argentine national team also gives some hints about Lamela's most natural position. Just like the good old days in the Eternal City, the youngster lined up for Argentina as part of a front three composed of Angel Di Maria and Sergio Aguero. Again, no natural No. 9 was included in the squad. 

But with the trio combining to run riot against Germany with a 4-1 win and Lamela pitching in with a frankly outrageously well-timed volley, the signs were once more there that it is in attack that Tottenham could best utilize their infuriating talent. 

As noted by Jonathan Wilson, writing for WhoScored.com, 2014/15 was meant to be a new beginning for the Argentine after the disappointments of last season. Pochettino implied that his countryman would be taking a more central role and to some extent he has fulfilled that promise. 

Lamela is getting more involved in matches, and he has made a few decisive contributions this term when allowed to create space in the middle of the pitch. But there is more to come from this immensely talented player. If he can begin to push into the final third, using his dribbling ability and obvious eye for goal, those doubts that circulated in his debut season will start to feel very outdated indeed for the Spurs faithful.