Pochettino: Spurs have missed 'hyperactive' Lamela's energy

Mauricio Pochettino says Tottenham have missed ‘hyperactive’ Erik Lamela’s energy, both in and out of possession, as his countryman prepares to return from a 13-month injury lay-off.

Lamela last played for Spurs’ senior team in October last year, but he is expected to be part of the squad that travels to Leicester on Tuesday night.

“I think we miss his energy,” said Pochettino. “You can feel when he’s on the pitch he is always available to run, to press – and then with the ball he has the capacity to beat opponents.

“He was one of the players that was keen to do what we expected from the team [in terms of pressing when we arrived] because he has a massive energy. He’s a very energetic person.

READ MORE: Tottenham believe Ryan Sessegnon is ideal Danny Rose replacement

READ MORE: Premier League – Five things to look out for

READ MORE: Pochettino welcomes Lamela back from injury hell

“When you see him in the dressing room or restaurant he’s always moving. He’s hyperactive and that’s how he is on the pitch. He loves to run, loves to feel the ball at his feet. He always wants the ball: ‘give me the ball’.
“I think we miss him because he’s completely different to the options that we have in front. For the team it’s so important to have another option to play, to have the capacity to play in a different way.”

Lamela divides opinion among Spurs fans after having a mixed time in north London.

The Argentinian midfielder cost £30million when he arrived from Roma in 2013 but he took a while to adapt to his surroundings and missed the second half of his first Premier League campaign through injury.

He gradually become a key player in Pochettino’s first two seasons in charge, scoring 11 goals in 2015/16 – but he was forced into the treatment room in October 2016 and ended up having surgery on both of his hips.

The 25-year-old finally returned to training in early October this year, at the same time as Danny Rose. But, while Spurs’ left-back has now played four games for his club, Lamela has needed additional time to shake off lingering doubts about his physical readiness and feel confident enough to declare his availability.

Pochettino has no such worries about Lamela’s mental strength. But he has stressed that Tottenham’s supporters need to be patient and should not expect the midfielder to return to his top level immediately.

“He was very down,” said the manager. “He’s still so young but it was a massive problem for him. He loves to play football and staying away for a long time was so difficult for him.
“My worst injury was before the 2002 World Cup. In the January I got an injury in my knee ligament, but it was only two months before I could play again. It wasn’t like Erik Lamela.

“He’s similar to [Danny Rose] – he’s strong. It’s a completely different situation and injury but Lamela was so strong. To get two hip operations, you need to be strong.
“It’s been difficult for him. If you see his history, in four and a half years here he was injured for almost two years.

“If you remember, in the first season before we arrived he had a back injury, and one in his thigh. In four years, if you are available to play for two years and a half, it’s very difficult.
“How long will it take him to be at his best again? You never know. Some players have the capacity to play from the beginning after an injury and have the same performance as it was before. Others need more time because they’re different in their bodies.

“It also depends on their position on the pitch. The offensive players sometimes need more time because they need to feel the ball again, the speed, and to be accurate.

“When you’re a centre-back or a defensive player sometimes you’re not involved too much in creating. You can miss that part of the game when you have to build and play – you might not touch the ball often. But when you are offensive you always expect the ball. In that case Lamela is completely different to Danny Rose.”
Pochettino added: “I always said he needed his time to recover his feeling, because if he plays tomorrow, what do we expect from him? To take the ball, beat his opponents and put the ball in the top corner of the goal. But when it’s another player who plays in another position, you expect some tackles or to play a good ball or a good pass – that’s enough.

“It’s completely different, the position on the pitch and what we expect from them. I never said he was worried [whether he would play again], only that he was waiting to feel again that emotion for him to step up and say ‘ok, now I believe I can cope with the pressure to play and I’m sure I’m going to give my best’.”

Follow me on Twitter @BenPearceSpurs and visit my Facebook page at www.facebook.com/BenPearceSpurs/