Spurs fans were full of praise for Erik Lamela after the winger came on to make a real difference in the draw against Middlesbrough on Sunday.
The Argentinian was one of few bright sparks against the Championship side and looked threatening after replacing Harry Winks early in the second half. Just five minutes after his introduction Spurs equalised at the Riverside and perhaps should have won the game late on when Lamela set up Serge Aurier, only for the right-back to blaze way over the bar.
The 27-year-old, who joined from Roma in 2013, has missed much of the season with a hamstring injury suffered in October but already looks keen to impress his new manager in the few games he has played so far. The winger had started the season in impressive fashion for Mauricio Pochettino; with three goals and three assists but frustrated Spurs fans with a lengthy injury absence that saw him miss 16 games.
Should Lamela start against Liverpool on Saturday?
Yes
No
Reaction from Spurs fans to Lamela’s impressive performance from the bench can be seen in the tweets below.
Lamela changes the game when he came on. He chased everything and actually passed the ball to another Spurs player. He’s very important at the moment especially with Kane being injured. #coys #thfc
— Ian Ayers (@ayers79) January 5, 2020
If Lamela could stay fit, I really believe there is a player in there. Even in a bad day, he still puts in a shift, on a good day, he creates a lot.
That balance of Son cutting in from the left and Lamela on the right could be great with some forward thinking FBs #COYS #THFC
— Richard Clark (@Richard_Clark) January 5, 2020
Gio and Lamela made a difference when they came on.
Both need to start vs Liverpool. #THFC #COYS
— Harry Hotspur (@HarryHotspurWHL) January 5, 2020
Dele should not even had started today , looked knackered.
Lamela the only shining light today , Won’t be long before he’s back in the starting line up . #THFC #COYS— jason snell (@Jasonsnell17) January 5, 2020
Lamela should start games now, at least he looks like he’s trying #THFC
— Kris (@krisCOYS) January 5, 2020
Lamela game changer
— DeAndre (@nashpalll) January 5, 2020
Interestingly, one fan stated that Lamela is so much better than Lucas Moura, which isn’t exactly accurate in terms of contributions so far this season, with the Brazilian bagging six goals and two assists in comparison to Lamela’s three goals and three assists. However, the ratings from the Boro game suggest Lamela was better than Moura on the day, with ratings of 7 and 6 respectively.
Hope Mourinho has seen today that Lamela is so much better than Lucas
— ? (@_thfcglenn) January 5, 2020
These Spurs fans were clearly impressed with Lamela’s cameo appearance and will be hoping to see the 27-year-old start his first game under Mourinho against Liverpool on Saturday.
What do we think?
Lamela looked impressive against Middlesbrough and should perhaps be considered for a start at the weekend, with the Argentinian clearly keen to show Mourinho what he is capable of. With Harry Kane injured for an extended period, this could be the £19.8 million-rated man’s chance to really nail down a spot in the Spurs starting eleven.