In the latest video for his YouTube channel, Football.london reporter Alasdair Gold has been discussing Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Erik Lamela.
The 28-year-old impressed in his recent appearance from the bench against Newcastle United, earning a 7.01 rating for his performance. Gold recalled how impressed Jose Mourinho was before the Premier League restart, when the Argentinian international made himself available to play against Chelsea, despite carrying an injury.
Here’s what the journalist had to say about the former Roma man:
“Erik Lamela was practically falling to pieces before lockdown and he was still making himself available for the team for any game possible, and I think Mourinho loves that and he made a real point of it.”
TIF Thoughts…
It was suggested before the restart that Lamela would have to use the remaining Premier League games to win over Mourinho and prove that he shouldn’t be sold in the summer transfer window. With the Argentinian earning over a 7/10 rating for three of his performances since then (per WhoScored), you could certainly argue that he has shown himself to be a worthy member of the Spurs squad.
Can Lamela be a key man in Mourinho's squad?
Yes
No
As Gold suggests, Mourinho clearly seems to love his attitude to fight for the team, and perhaps we will see him become a really important part of his team next season. Since joining from Roma in 2013, the winger has struggled with injury issues, but has still managed to contribute 33 goals and 48 assists in 221 appearances (per Transfermarkt), suggesting that if he can stay fit, there’s no reason why he can’t be a big part of this Spurs side.