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Speaking on the Last Word on Spurs podcast, former Tottenham Hotspur player Micky Hazard has identified the one thing Erik Lamela does that can sometimes hinder the team.

What did he say?

Well, the podcast was discussing the Argentina international following another impressive display in which he found the net against Crystal Palace on Saturday, with the conversation centering around how he is important to the team being able to press effectively.

While Hazard did acknowledge that fact and says he offers a tempo and brings some urgency, he also questioned the 27-year-old's decision-making when it comes to that tactic as well.

The 59-year-old told the Last Word on Spurs (41:50):

"Sometimes he overdoes it. He chases from one player to the next player to the next player.

"What Lamela does sometimes is he defeats the press because he chases and follows the pass across the pitch."

Verdict

Hazard may well be right, but it is a hard one to weigh up because Lamela probably simply wants Tottenham to re-adopt the tactics they have used so successfully over the last couple of years.

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Sky Sports reported prior to the Crystal Palace clash that Spurs had pressed their opponents less than any other Premier League team so far this term, and perhaps the Argentine attacker is simply looking to encourage his teammates to do that more often.

Of course, you don't want the 27-year-old to defeat the press by doing too much, however if he provides that spark to get the other players on his team to work that little bit harder, it could actually be a blessing in disguise.

Lamela will be hoping he can keep his spot in the XI for the sixth successive match in 2019/20 when the north London outfit face Olympiacos in the Champions League on Wednesday.