Erik Lamela came extremely close to leaving Spurs this summer. At one point it looked very likely that he would join Inter Milan and then a loan to Marseille was cancelled at the last minute.
It wasn’t much of a vote of confidence in the Argentine but then his early season performances was abysmal.
Yet since the transfer window closed there have been signs of life from Lamela. He shone while on international duty, then came off the bench against Sunderland on Sunday to play a key role in the winning goal.
Mauricio Pochettino was asked about Lamela’s future in his press conference today and had this to say.
“I think this is a key season for him. After two seasons at Tottenham, now is the moment for him.
“We believe we can develop his game and I think we need to be patient with him.”
Pochettino is right that now is the time for Lamela to deliver, but he won’t find much in the way of patience from the fans. At 23 years old it’s time for Lamela to shape up or ship out. If he doesn’t come good this season then it will surely be time for the club to cash in.
He’s likely to face FK Qarabag on Thursday night and hopefully he’ll be given an opportunity in the number ten position behind the striker, to which he looks far more suited than the right wing.
Something like this would go a long way to getting the Spurs support back on his side, but can he come good on a regular basis?
