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Alex Pritchard
Andros Townsend

Pochettino & Spurs have been let down

Mauricio Pochettino and Spurs have been let down by one area of the team which has impacted elsewhere and needs to be addressed during the summer.



That areain question, the wings. on either side the wide men have let the side down this season. Pochettino plays with a central striker and three men behind him who can all interchange and pop up anywhere up front, at least that was the idea in pre-season. Against lesser teams the front four and Erik Lamela especially were enjoying themselves. The fly in the ointment was Roberto Soldado not scoring enough in pre-season, which I wrote at the time was essential to build his confidence, it's been another poor season for him since.

Our system call for all four of the players to be a goalscoring threat.  Our lack of goals has been a problem because that simply puts pressure on the team not to concede, something we have not been very good at. Defensively Eriksen is poor, Townsend was taken off against Manchester United after half an hour because of his defending, lamela runs around and tackles but his mistake agaiunst Arsenal sticks in the mind at the Emirates. Chadli again is poor defensively, our best wide player in defence is currently playing for Everton.

Lamela doesn't seem to be able to handle having less time on the ball when attacking. Chadli started off as a threat, then his father sadly passed away and he has not recaptured any real consistent form. Andros Townsend continues to flatter to deceive with very little end content, Aaron Lennon is scoring goals for Everton, the only player who has been a threat is Christian Eriksen and he is playing on empty now. Fortunately Harry Kane has stepped up to the plate and delivered but we can't rely on that next season.

It's an area Pochettino is known to want to strengthen, lennon is likely to go and Andre ayew is one player we are trying to get hold of, but so are plenty of others. Jay Rodrigues is an ongoing interest but hasn't played for a year. Southampton are likely to want silly money but in another season he'll be available on a free should he continue to refuse to sign a new contract.

We are constantly linked with wide men, Kevin Miralles is another, so who do we sell. You would expect Miralles and Lennon simply to swap clubs so if we are to bring in another wide man presumably another hasd to go. The media don't seem to want to put Erik Lamela's name forward but I would, what is the point in keeping him. Let's be honest he is not gpoing to suddenly turn into a goalscoring £30 million player. I have heard there are more clauses in his contract than were first thought so he won't have cost us £30 million. Townsend is young and home grown so you'd expect him to stay so I'd be actively looking to sell the Argentinian this summer.

Alex Pritchard will get some game time but he is a way away from being a first team starter. He'll no dout be given outings in the group stages of the UEFA Europa League if we qualify but I don't see him playimg week in week out in the Premier League yet.

8 comments

  1. I'm sorry but selling Lamela is ridiculous. Yea sell a 23 year old who happens to be your most talented player (yes he's more talented than Eriksen to those with a trained eye) because his decision making is off and because Pochettino's system is atrocious at this point in time. Great. Proposing to sell him is just ignorant and childish.

    Decision making isn't a terribly difficult thing to fix. If it's fixed and he regains his confidence, we have a world class player on our hands.

    Lamela is a player that exemplifies how Poch wants to play. Relentless running off the ball, pressing, tackling, and harassing constantly, mixed in with some flair and talent in attack.

    He's been played completely out of position too, when compared with where he played at Roma (Right Forward, not RW) and at River Plate (CAM). He needs to be close to the goal and Poch insists on playing him far from it.

    Another thing that's overlooked are the runs he makes when we have the ball. He…
  2. And Townsend is absolutely atrocious. I'd sell him in a heartbeat if it came down to him or Lamela, despite him being homegrown. Lamela has more talent in his little toe than Townsend does in his entire body.
  3. Since Pochettino only plays wingers on the wrong side cutting in and relies on the full backs for width there is very little point in signing wingers. Its why Roy Hodgson is able to get more out of Townsend than Poch. It would make more sense to me not to play wingers at all. A player like Pritchard is actually a much better fit for Spur's system. Comfortable playing anywhere across the field and able to provide assists and goals he might get more game time next season than you think.
    • ^this
  4. Talent isn't much use if you don't use it and Lamela doesn't use it. two season and not a decent performance in the Premier League.
    • Lol pretty simplistic and ignorant reasoning
  5. Spurs don't play with wingers, they play with three behind the striker who interchage. Name me the last time Lamela tried to beat his man on the outside the way a winger does! He doesn't he cuts inside like the right forward position he is playing. He has offered no goal threat and created nothing since the beginning of the season. Would ypou like to wait for Soldado's confidence as well, another with 2 season producing nothing. Yes Lamela has a lot off talent but he can't hack it in the Premier League, he need the slower pace of Italian football where he has time to make decisions, the time he doesn't get in the Premier League.

    Two seasons is a real chance, three is a luxury, especially when he has demonstrated a mental weakness.
  6. Also correct reasoning, talent is useless if you don't use it. Lamela hasn't full stop. Two years, nothing.