Paul Merson claims Erik Lamela has been awful for Tottenham this season

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Paul Merson has delivered a harsh verdict on Tottenham’s Erik Lamela by stating that he’s been “awful” this season.

Sky Sports pundit Merson has described the 27-year-old as “awful” in his preview ahead of the North London derby (Daily Star).

Lamela has started all three of the opening Premier League games this campaign and been given a chance to impress by manager Mauricio Pochettino.

The attacking midfielder has slotted into the a central number 10 role, where he’s had mixed results so far.

He’s fired blanks in the win over Aston Villa and also the defeat to Newcastle United last weekend.

But the Argentine creator did score one and assist another in the 2-2 away draw against reigning champions Manchester City.

With a trip to rivals Arsenal on Sunday ahead, it will be intriguing to see if the left-footed ace can retain his place in the XI.

TBR’s View:

Lamela has been plagued by inconsistency throughout his Spurs career and unfortunately he will have games where he is fairly ineffective.

It seems a little harsh to brand his start to the campaign “awful”, as he was vital to earning an unlikely point at the Etihad Stadium against Manchester City.

But he’s lacked the creative spark against lesser opponents and he could have no arguments if Pochettino pulls him out of the team for the North London derby.