Tottenham star makes improvement in surprising area under Pochettino’s guidance

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Tottenham Hotspur’s Erik Lamela has been one of the side’s top tacklers this season.

When asked about Tottenham Hotspur’s top tacklers, a few names will immediately spring to mind.

The robust Jan Vertonghen, the all-action Nabil Bentaleb and the sturdy presence of Benjamin Stambouli would be the sort of players expected to feature on a list of Spurs’ leading tacklers.

However, the name of Erik Lamela would not be such a predictable choice. The winger came to England and was criticised for his lightweight presence.

The Argentine was regularly seen jumping out of challenges during his first term, as he struggled to come to terms with the physical approach of the Premier League.

This time around though, Lamela has proven that he is capable of getting stuck in. The 22-year-old winger is known for being fleet of foot, but it is his tough tackling which has been more noticeable this season.

Lamela has completed 49 tackles so far this campaign and it is a total only surpassed by the energetic Ryan Mason in central midfield.

It is a staggering statistic that proves the impact that Mauricio Pochettino is having on the team.

Pochettino demands that his sides press from the front and Lamela has really bought into that strategy, with the frequency of his challenges particularly admirable.

It is a huge improvement on the figures he was posting last year, where he was making just over one tackle per appearance.

Although it is fair to say that Lamela has still not had the impact at Tottenham many were hoping when he was purchased for such a large fee in 2013, this progression is vast and it proves that he is making all the effort required to be a success at White Hart Lane.