Pat Nevin has told Off the Ball that Erik Lamela’s ‘Rabona’ goal for Tottenham had an element of ‘luck and it’s ‘not the most difficult’ skill to pull off.
The BBC pundit and ex-Chelsea winger did make it clear that it was a ‘fantastic’ goal, as he praised the Tottenham playmaker for having the ‘gumption’ to think of such a skill.
Pulling off such a ridiculous skill on any day is remarkable as it is. But to do it on a stage such as the North London derby adds some gloss to it.
But there will no doubt be a bitter taste in Lamela’s mouth because Spurs lost the bragging rights of North London on Sunday, as Nevin shared his thoughts on his effort.
“Whisper it but there’s a wee bit of luck there,” said Nevin. “There is no way he meant to put it through everyone’s legs etc… But come on, well done!
“It is a joy to watch. Having the gumption to actually do it, think about it, consider it and have a dig at it is really great.
“It’s actually not the most difficult skill in the world to do. But it’s when you do it and doing it at the right time. And getting the right power on it.
“And, of course, it’s no longer a fluke with him because he has done it before. But no, it’s a fantastic goal.”
Lamela has been a bit of mystery at Tottenham because when he first arrived in 2013, he joined with big expectations on his shoulders.
With Gareth Bale heading towards the exit door, Lamela was seen as his replacement.
But fast forward to today and he doesn’t even get ahead of the Real Madrid loanee in Jose Mourinho’s starting XI.
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