The £30m midfield misfit from Roma became the butt of jokes after struggling with form and injury last season but all the signs are that he can hit the ground running this time round

It was the briefest soundbite imaginable but for Erik Lamela it seemed to encapsulate what will go down as his lost season. Asked in April how the Tottenham Hotspur record signing was progressing with his English, the club’s manager, Tim Sherwood, mixed off-the-cuff wit with exasperation. “Que?” Sherwood said.

You did not need to be a Fawlty Towers fan to see the picture being presented. Like Manuel from Barcelona, Lamela was the Spanish-speaker struggling to express himself in England, a somewhat hapless figure and the butt of jokes.

The Tottenham support had not seen him since New Year’s Day and even then, the Argentina winger was an unused substitute in the 2-1 win at Manchester United. They would not see him for the remainder of the campaign, apart from when he appeared on the lap of appreciation that followed the final game against Aston Villa at White Hart Lane.

Lamela’s first season in English football was akin to a crash. If the second half of it was wiped out by a deep-rooted back problem that also affected a thigh muscle, the first half of it had been marked by jarring assimilation difficulties, a palpable lack of confidence, perhaps related to the injury and hugely disappointing numbers.

He started only three Premier League matches and his one goal came in the Europa League group stage tie against FC Sheriff. The biggest number was 30 million – as in the sum in pounds that it had cost Tottenham to take him from Roma. It weighed like a millstone.

Of all the issues that the new manager Mauricio Pochettino has inherited, Lamela is arguably the most pressing. For a club who can be obsessed with the re-sale value of players, it is not difficult to imagine the worries of the chairman Daniel Levy as he considered the down-turn on his most lavish outlay.

Pochettino has been charged with several big tasks, not least lifting Tottenham with vibrant football and results. Champions League qualification continues to represent the Holy Grail. But central to it all is the imperative to liberate Lamela.

It is too glib to say that because Pochettino is also Argentinian, he will surely be able to connect with Lamela. But the hope lies more in how Pochettino’s attacking instincts might chime with those of the player. At Roma, he was most effective when he started on the right, from where he could cut inside on to his stronger left foot, although he has stated that he is happiest in the No10 role.

So far in pre-season, Pochettino has played him centrally and out wide but the thing that has struck many Spurs observers is that when the team have had the ball, it has been difficult to pin-point Lamela’s precise position or, indeed, those of any of the three attacking midfielders behind the striker.

“It depends on the situation whether Erik will play as the No10 or wide,” Pochettino said. “My philosophy is to give a freer style with a good organisation and not only with Erik, with other players. The most important thing is to create a good shape for our players to be comfortable and to show their real qualities.”

Lamela has featured in all four of the club’s friendlies, scoring twice against Toronto FC during the north America tour and again against Celtic in Helsinki last Saturday. He was the man of the match against Toronto and Chicago Fire. His starting point has been sound conditioning – finally, Lamela is 100% fit – and, having not missed a training session, he appears to have the base to hit the ground running at West Ham United on the opening weekend.

“It is important to know that Erik is still young and it is difficult to adapt to the Premier League,” Pochettino said. “It is the most difficult league to play – the style, the language, but now, after one year at Tottenham, we believe that Erik is ready to show his quality.”

Pochettino was speaking in English during a meet-and-greet with journalists, which represents a departure from his 17-month tenure at Southampton, where he communicated with the media via an interpreter in Spanish. His English is good and he intends to fulfil all of his public duties in the language, even if he has to lean on his assistant manager, Jesús Pérez, from time to time.

“Jesus has very good English and he is close to me, always,” Pochettino said. “I’ve never had a problem with my communication with the players but it’s different when you speak in public and in private. I’m more nervous now! I always remember Bobby Robson or Beckham in Spain – and [they] always use the translator.

“But for me, it’s about respect for you and our fans, no? Sometimes, it seems poor, my English, and it’s difficult to explain things in the way that I want. That’s why I used the translator at Southampton and it’s possible at times that Jesus or other people will help me in press conferences.”

It has been a whirlwind period for Pochettino, which has taken in the switch from Southampton to Tottenham. He says that he managed to squeeze in only a week of holiday with his family in Barcelona and Ibiza before he began to immerse himself in all things Tottenham.

He did not want to talk about his departure from Saints after what was a successful spell, nor his former club’s sale of five key players. Tottenham intend to swell that number and they continue to believe that they will be able to land Morgan Schneiderlin, despite Southampton’s fierce protestations that the midfielder is not for sale at any price.

Pochettino also wants a winger – he likes PSV Eindhoven’s Memphis Depay – and a central defender. He has chased Mateo Musacchio, his compatriot at Villarreal, but Tottenham have been frustrated at the labyrinthine third-party ownership issues that cling to the player. They fear that they might prove insurmountable.

Pochettino was happier to outline his delight at being at a club of Tottenham’s means and stature – he considers their training ground to be “the best in the world” – and, also, his goals for the season and the longer term. He signed a five-year contract when he became Levy’s 10th manager since 2001.

“For me, it’s about exciting football, pressing high and playing with flair,” he said. “Always the result is important but just as important is the ride you take to get to the result. I have not been given any targets [by Levy] but my personal target is to win every game and then, it is possible you will win some trophies. We want to develop a balanced squad, to put our philosophy into practice and, on top of that, we need results to keep the belief high.”

Pochettino’s inner circle at Tottenham

Jesús Pérez (assistant manager)

The Spaniard has a background in sports science and is considered as the organiser of the group. Did not play professionally, he made his name as a coach in Spain. Worked with Pochettino at Espanyol, initially as an analyst, and then Southampton.

Miguel D’Agostino (first-team coach)

Pochettino’s central defensive partner at Newell’s Old Boys in the early 1990s, the Argentine went on to coach in France and the UAE before linking up again with Pochettino at Espanyol, initially as a scout and then on his coaching staff. Also worked alongside Pochettino at Southampton.

Toni Jiménez (goalkeeping coach)

A team-mate of Pochettino’s at Espanyol, he went on to work on his coaching staff when Pochettino returned to manage the Spanish club. Moved with him to Southampton. Enjoyed a decent playing career in La Liga, most notably for Espanyol, with whom he won two Zamora trophies. Won Olympic gold with Spain in 1992 and three full caps.