Should Kane and Lamela play?

There seems to be great debate and two factions, one suggesting both Erik Lamela and Harry Kane need to play on Thursday against Azerbaijani side Qarabag for their confidence.

Are we really talking about their confidence though or the fans who are panicking? Harry Kane has come out and said he isn't worried by not scoring for 5 games, he has scored twice for England so isn't in the drought some think he is, a goal is a goal whoever it is for and a goal makes a player feel good about himself.

He doesn't suddenly switch to his club ad think, oh it's my club I have no confidence now, I'm only confident for my country. His manner of his goals for England, particularly the first show there isn't a problem with confidence, the only problem are the fans.

It is the fans who need him to score, not Kane himself and surely wearing him out for the weekend given he has not had much of a break this summer is crazy. We need him as fresh as can be all season so his game time needs to be carefully managed, besides which we need to see Clinton Njie playing there, this is an opportunity for him to get some game time and aid his fitness levels.

The other debate is Lamela, with calls it seems to play him in the number 10 role because he has made one pass, suddenly it's his position, it wasn't last season when he played there. It's far too early after one pass, which was made easy by the superb Mason run anyway, to start making that call, it wasn't his best position in Italy.

Fans belief that it is his confidence that is stopping him produce quality football which in a form is right but it's more his whole mental attitude that needs adjustment. He tried to leave during the summer, we tried to sell him despite all the media PR rubbish about him not being for sale, quite why fans of all clubs constantly fall for this I don't know.

A deal was struck and it was only nor getting Berahino that has kept him here. Unless he has a change in mental approach which entails an overwhelming desire to succeed then he will continue to be frustratingly inconsistent. A game against a weak opposition will make little difference, he played in them last season and it did nothing for his game, why would this season be any different?

The club is bigger than Lamela, there is Tom Carroll, Alex Pritchard, 45 minutes for Eriksen if he is fit to help get him fit, does Son Heung-min get 45 minutes to help integration, there are plenty of permutations, we can't play everyone.

If Lamela is to come good then he has to make the mental switch, he has to have the desire, that will lead to the determination, which leads to do whatever it takes attitude and therefore improvement and success. If he has made that switch great, if he hasn't then it's irrelevant who he plays against, it won't make a blind bit of difference.

The game gives an opportunity to play Michel Vorm, Kieran Trippier, Federico Fazio, Kevin Wimmer, more game time for Andros Townsend, Tom Carroll, Alex Pritchard, Clinton Njie, is Mousa Dembele fit yet, has Rose recovered from his tight hamstring enough to come off the bench yet, from the Development Squad there is Harry Winks and Josh Onomah knocking on the door, do they get involved, should Milos Veljkovic come in to give Eric Dier a rest?

Only 11 can play with 3 subs used so Pochettino will need to work out in an ideal game who he would like to bring on, does he give 20 minutes to Winks and Onomah for instance, if so that is two sub places taken so who plays to start with given certain players need to get some game time? How much youth do you throw at the game?

Lamela is just one of the many equations and the talk is probably fans wanting to settle their own nerves far more than boosting the players confidence.

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