Based on what?
Maybe we should have signed that kid that used to do tricks at half time...Billy Wingrove wasnt it?
There is a difference between ball skills, and match skills.
In England, "crappy" old school defenders are not scared of fancy haircuts and step overs. They relish playing against that kind of fairy, and are happy to kick him up in the air.
Thats probably why he waltzed through Serie A.
Billy Wingrove could easily play in the premiership, if we picked him up younger who knows tbh. Though that is a bad example because he is much more than a juggler and professional players will tell you that.
Most of the best flair players start off looking like they don't have "match skills", it takes a certain amount of skill and ability to attempt it in game (which is very different to training) hence why over time the ball skills translate into match skills.
Lamela isn't that bitch boy people try to make out, he gets stuck in, makes many tackles and presses very well. He also quite clearly has a nasty side, how he has not been sent off for violent conduct I don't know. He is lightweight but he is also young and has time to improve in that regard.
Based on what? The article covers that tbh. Some examples off the top of my head, the numbers of assists- many well weighted and disguised, the goals including a rabona, a volley in the same game, and a great volley for Argentina this season too, the successful dribbles, the way he lets the ball run across him to open space, the way he can draw 2-3 defenders towards him and for me most importantly his vision, touch and control. He is one of the only players who can control a difficult pass drilled into him whilst running and take it in his stride effortlessly, play 1-2s in crowded areas etc.
He is good at the difficult things, which rely on technical ability. He can improve on the easy things which crap thug players excel at. It will be easier to Lamela to learn how to be rough than it would be for some crap player to learn how to do things Lamela does. This is the reason why attacking players are more expensive than defensive players, attacking is harder.
I believe the club see it that way too from the ground up, hence why our youth teams are full of small technical players in comparison with the huge athletic opposition (who once they play against people with similar athleticism at the top level will be rendered void and end up in the lower leagues). When Lamela develops he will be a force.
