Giovani Lo Celso - Player Thread
- Thread starter Spursex
- Start date
RichmondSpur
Vital Football Hero
He still is a bit lightweight but is slowly beginning to shred the label.
Spesh-Spur
Vital 1st Team Regular
So rarely do we see a new signing come in and hit the ground running. People talk about the pace and physicality of the Prem, but he’s smashing it right now!
Greavswasthegreatest
Vital Football Legend
MOM again against Soton....
Spursex
Alert Team
He is just going to get better and better, if we can just get N'dombele up to speed alongside him, they'll transform our midfield.
I must admit in his first few games I didn't think he was going to be this good. Yesterday Jose messed up playing him RM to start of with. As soon as he was back in cm he was like a whole different player. If we could find a cdm and get Tanguy playing to his potential. We could actually have a decent midfield
Spursex
Alert Team
Giovani Lo Celso: Why emergence of young Argentine at Tottenham can ease the loss of Christian Eriksen to Inter
6
Giovani Lo Celso has emerged as a key player for Tottenham this season Credit: reuters
Tottenham did not pick Christian Eriksen in their FA Cup fourth-round match against Southampton on Saturday, ahead of his protracted move to Inter Milan.
However, Giovani Lo Celso showed how he will be a natural replacement for the Dane.
Lo Celso set up Spurs' goal with a Messi-esque jinking run and Jose Mourinho has revealed he is playing his way into a permanent deal.
Here, Jeremy Wilson breaks down what makes Lo Celso such an exciting prospect for Tottenham:
Dribbling
The alluring sight of a gifted South American slaloming through an opposition team is an FA Cup narrative that fans of Tottenham Hotspur have had etched on their minds ever since Ricky Villa’s winner at Wembley in 1981.
His compatriot, Giovani Lo Celso, produced a comparable moment of skill at St Mary’s on Saturday when he collected the ball in what was the right-back position before weaving his way around four Southampton players. He then had the composure to release Eric Lamela who in turn used the space that Le Celso had created to tee up Son Heung-min for Tottenham’s goal. The name of Lo Celso, who got the moniker ‘dribble king’ last season at Real Betis, was soon then being chanted by the Tottenham fans. It was not just his skill that was eye-catching but a Gazza-esque strength to ride the challenges.
Pedigree
Lo Celso progressed through Rosario Central’s youth academy and was only 18 when he made his senior debut five years ago. He was then spotted by Paris St-Germain and would establish himself in their midfield under Unai Emery. In the 2017-18 season, Le Celso made 47 appearances as PSG won a Ligue 1 and French Cup double but they were beaten by Real Madrid in the Champions League. Emery stood down and Lo Celso played only one game under Thomas Tuchel before joining Real Betis, where he shone last season in scoring 16 goals from midfield ahead of his loan move to Tottenham.
Passing
It was his technical ability and range of passing which first struck his new Tottenham team-mates when he arrived last summer. “He's technically gifted - an all-rounded midfielder,” said Harry Winks. “He's starting to show his quality now and I think he's playing in the favourite position, which is probably a little bit more central midfield.”
It is the role from which Lo Celso can best display his range of passing, although he was also comfortable on Saturday whenever he played out to the right of Lucas Moura. Betis were a team who had more than 60 per cent of possession last season and, although he rarely wastes the ball with his short passing, he can also pick out more direct and spectacular long balls. It is an attribute that will be valuable to Spurs under Jose Mourinho with their quick transitions. That was evident on Saturday when Lo Celso lifted one pass over the Southampton defence from which Son almost scored spectacularly.
It was Giovani Lo Celso's technical ability and range of passing which first struck his new Tottenham team-mates Credit: getty images
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Resilience
It might seem cliched, but as Lo Celso reacted perhaps excessively to challenges on Saturday from Jan Bednarek, Kevin Danso and Ryan Bertrand, it suggested that the biggest question will be how he reacts to English football’s physicality. “Coming from Spain, it is a little bit more protected and the referees are a little bit more lenient here than they are out there,” said Winks. “It's going to be difficult for him because in Spain I can’t imagine him playing on pitches, like we have in the winter here and against aggressive players. But he's got the quality to deal with that. It took him a while to get used to all the intensity and the aggression of the league but he's flying now and he's fantastic.”
Giovani Lo Celso's skill draws plenty of fouls Credit: getty images
Suitability
With Christian Eriksen poised to join Inter Milan, the timing of Lo Celso’s emergence could hardly be better for Mourinho. The loan deal from Betis gives Tottenham an option to buy him this week for £27 million or in the summer for £34m and he is part of Mourinho’s permanent plans. “He's making an easy decision for the club to execute the option,” said Mourinho, who described the 23 year-old’s evolution over recent months as “incredible”. Mourinho has been especially encouraged by Lo Celso’s willingness to adapt to his instructions and also his versatility. He has emerged as an option both in central midfield - and is forming an excellent understanding with Dele Alli - but also further forward in support of a main central striker. “He's an exciting player and a player that the fans should be happy about - there's a lot more to come from him,” said Winks. Of the Erksen comparison, Winks added: “They're not direct replacements - just two very good players. Both are equal.”
6
- Jeremy Wilson, Chief Sports Reporter
Tottenham did not pick Christian Eriksen in their FA Cup fourth-round match against Southampton on Saturday, ahead of his protracted move to Inter Milan.
However, Giovani Lo Celso showed how he will be a natural replacement for the Dane.
Lo Celso set up Spurs' goal with a Messi-esque jinking run and Jose Mourinho has revealed he is playing his way into a permanent deal.
Here, Jeremy Wilson breaks down what makes Lo Celso such an exciting prospect for Tottenham:
Dribbling
The alluring sight of a gifted South American slaloming through an opposition team is an FA Cup narrative that fans of Tottenham Hotspur have had etched on their minds ever since Ricky Villa’s winner at Wembley in 1981.
His compatriot, Giovani Lo Celso, produced a comparable moment of skill at St Mary’s on Saturday when he collected the ball in what was the right-back position before weaving his way around four Southampton players. He then had the composure to release Eric Lamela who in turn used the space that Le Celso had created to tee up Son Heung-min for Tottenham’s goal. The name of Lo Celso, who got the moniker ‘dribble king’ last season at Real Betis, was soon then being chanted by the Tottenham fans. It was not just his skill that was eye-catching but a Gazza-esque strength to ride the challenges.
Pedigree
Lo Celso progressed through Rosario Central’s youth academy and was only 18 when he made his senior debut five years ago. He was then spotted by Paris St-Germain and would establish himself in their midfield under Unai Emery. In the 2017-18 season, Le Celso made 47 appearances as PSG won a Ligue 1 and French Cup double but they were beaten by Real Madrid in the Champions League. Emery stood down and Lo Celso played only one game under Thomas Tuchel before joining Real Betis, where he shone last season in scoring 16 goals from midfield ahead of his loan move to Tottenham.
Passing
It was his technical ability and range of passing which first struck his new Tottenham team-mates when he arrived last summer. “He's technically gifted - an all-rounded midfielder,” said Harry Winks. “He's starting to show his quality now and I think he's playing in the favourite position, which is probably a little bit more central midfield.”
It is the role from which Lo Celso can best display his range of passing, although he was also comfortable on Saturday whenever he played out to the right of Lucas Moura. Betis were a team who had more than 60 per cent of possession last season and, although he rarely wastes the ball with his short passing, he can also pick out more direct and spectacular long balls. It is an attribute that will be valuable to Spurs under Jose Mourinho with their quick transitions. That was evident on Saturday when Lo Celso lifted one pass over the Southampton defence from which Son almost scored spectacularly.
It was Giovani Lo Celso's technical ability and range of passing which first struck his new Tottenham team-mates Credit: getty images
You are following Spurs and can read the latest stories about them in My Feed
Resilience
It might seem cliched, but as Lo Celso reacted perhaps excessively to challenges on Saturday from Jan Bednarek, Kevin Danso and Ryan Bertrand, it suggested that the biggest question will be how he reacts to English football’s physicality. “Coming from Spain, it is a little bit more protected and the referees are a little bit more lenient here than they are out there,” said Winks. “It's going to be difficult for him because in Spain I can’t imagine him playing on pitches, like we have in the winter here and against aggressive players. But he's got the quality to deal with that. It took him a while to get used to all the intensity and the aggression of the league but he's flying now and he's fantastic.”
Giovani Lo Celso's skill draws plenty of fouls Credit: getty images
Suitability
With Christian Eriksen poised to join Inter Milan, the timing of Lo Celso’s emergence could hardly be better for Mourinho. The loan deal from Betis gives Tottenham an option to buy him this week for £27 million or in the summer for £34m and he is part of Mourinho’s permanent plans. “He's making an easy decision for the club to execute the option,” said Mourinho, who described the 23 year-old’s evolution over recent months as “incredible”. Mourinho has been especially encouraged by Lo Celso’s willingness to adapt to his instructions and also his versatility. He has emerged as an option both in central midfield - and is forming an excellent understanding with Dele Alli - but also further forward in support of a main central striker. “He's an exciting player and a player that the fans should be happy about - there's a lot more to come from him,” said Winks. Of the Erksen comparison, Winks added: “They're not direct replacements - just two very good players. Both are equal.”
Spursex
Alert Team
I still haven't stopped laughing at how Jose associates his emergence as some sort of 'evolution' - I know one head scout who roared with laughter and said 'typical Jose!'
muttley
Alert Team
I know you should never look backwards but does get you thinking what might have happened without that disgusting tackle on Gio in the international game.
I do think that ultimately Jose might need to find a new formation to get the best out of him. He can't keep being thrown out on the right with that much ability.
Spursex
Alert Team
as I said the other day Poch will have a little tear in his eye when he sees N'dombele, LoCO, Gedson, Sess and Begwin all doing their stuff and if we get the German striker I know we'd been banging on the door for, I suspect he'll be pretty frustrated; if Ndombele and LoCo were fit and playing when they joined, I doubt we'd be where we are in the league now.
muttley
Alert Team
So why can't we get this German striker in now then? Does his dad Wolfgang want him to stay in the Bundesliga where he played himself? :-)
SmithAndJones
Vital 1st Team Regular
Good news. We haven't had much of a legacy from signings made during Poch's time in charge, Sonny five years ago being the last genuine success. If he stays fit Lo Celso looks well capable of being a hugely successful buy.
Nick Real Deal
Vital Football Legend
How much was the loan ? I know its 27 mil to sign.
It will be interesting to see where Loco plays . Is he the Eriksen replacement ?
It will be interesting to see where Loco plays . Is he the Eriksen replacement ?
Spursex
Alert Team
I still think his best position will be CM, and personally I've believed from day one that although they have different skillsets, he is the man to take over CE's role,.
Nick Real Deal
Vital Football Legend
The way we are shaping up is encouraging for next season. Maybe even salvage something this season. Not only Loco, Ndombele and Sess but the emergence of Tanganga plus maybe a couple more signings. It's how they integrate with our established big players like Kane, Son and Alli. Also Moura and Lamela because they all link up.
Loco is a different player to Eriksen but what is he better at and worse at ? I think he goes past players better, tackles more willingly, possibly a little stronger on the ball. Shooting and free kicks possibly not as good. Speed of thought I may have edged closer to Eriksen but Loco is improving as he integrates. Passing I would favour Eriksen but Loco is starting to look better at that too.
Loco is a different player to Eriksen but what is he better at and worse at ? I think he goes past players better, tackles more willingly, possibly a little stronger on the ball. Shooting and free kicks possibly not as good. Speed of thought I may have edged closer to Eriksen but Loco is improving as he integrates. Passing I would favour Eriksen but Loco is starting to look better at that too.
