Christian Eriksen

[Spur of the moment]

I think this is starting to appear to split into camps where people feel they rate Eriksen and feel the others don't and vice versa. I want to make clear from my stand point that I do rate him and I do see what he does on and off the ball and my feelings on his suitableness are not something to hold against like not trying enough or just not having a clue where it can be coached out, I just think he by his nature can be a weak point once we have turned over possession especially if he has lost the ball personally.

I think from a physical and athletic point of view he can become our weak link in games and to that end if we are buying someone to compete with him then I want a different skill set, not just simply pay a shed load of money for Isco as an example which to me is just giving what I see as the same issue.

He can very well on occasion be the first person back preventing a break and then popping up providing the assist in the same move but he can also lose the ball unnecessarily when we have broke and then be totally unable to get back because he is just not able to by comparison to those around him. His carelessness at times in possession have left us open when he has been robbed and knocked off the ball. As I said in my earlier post as well, I don't think his poor form is just down to elements I have mentioned, I think Kane being out has hurt him in terms of a focal point for his game and the other two in his gang of three have rarely been up to scratch either which has hindered him as the movement ahead of him has been virtually non-existent at times.

To be frank I think you are just being overly critical. You obviously feel we could do better, I get that, but to criticise him for occasionally losing the ball, hell every player has that problem from time to time.

To my mind you are setting the bar unreasonably high. With every player there has to be a trade off between what he brings to the table and his deficiencies. The litmus test is that despite his very poor recent form Poch has continued to select him being only too well aware that without his creativity and energy in the middle of the park we would struggle even more to open up defences and create chances.

Your criticisms beg the question why hasn't Poch managed to replace him? If he falls that far short surely our manager would have found an upgrade by now. Reality is there are currently not that many available options out there that tick the number of boxes Eriksen does, whilst the ones that do have been snapped up by clubs with fatter cheque books as well as better prospects of a major trophy.

 

[Spur of the moment]

Yep PLAYER

I wont been two siriuss yu now

 

[Libero]

To be frank I think you are just being overly critical. You obviously feel we could do better, I get that, but to criticise him for occasionally losing the ball, hell every player has that problem from time to time.

To my mind you are setting the bar unreasonably high. With every player there has to be a trade off between what he brings to the table and his deficiencies. The litmus test is that despite his very poor recent form Poch has continued to select him being only too well aware that without his creativity and energy in the middle of the park we would struggle even more to open up defences and create chances.

Your criticisms beg the question why hasn't Poch managed to replace him? If he falls that far short surely our manager would have found an upgrade by now. Reality is there are currently not that many available options out there that tick the number of boxes Eriksen does, whilst the ones that do have been snapped up by clubs with fatter cheque books as well as better prospects of a major trophy.

I think to be fair you are slightly overreacting to what my criticisms are and I also haven't advocated spending loads of money to replace a perfectly good player hence my Isco comment and being very aware of the constraints the stadium build have on our finances. I haven't criticised him for losing the ball, I have stated that he isn't mobile enough when he has lost it to win it back by comparison to the others within the team and I stand by that comment.

I don't really know how you can appear so offended and feel like my comments are so harsh when I clearly state that I rate the player and don't want to sell him but would rather have an alternative style player compete with him. Poch also has continued to select him because we have a clear lack of alternative which feeds into the constraints element of which you reminded me although it wasn't required.

Its really not a case of that I think we can do better, its about wanting more variance and having every part fit the system and imo Eriksen doesn't totally fit the style that we want to play but for the most part it does work. The ambition is to have someone compete with him that does have the attributes that are maybe more suited to the system.

 

[glasgowspur]

To be frank I think you are just being overly critical. You obviously feel we could do better, I get that, but to criticise him for occasionally losing the ball, hell every player has that problem from time to time.

To my mind you are setting the bar unreasonably high. With every player there has to be a trade off between what he brings to the table and his deficiencies. The litmus test is that despite his very poor recent form Poch has continued to select him being only too well aware that without his creativity and energy in the middle of the park we would struggle even more to open up defences and create chances.

Your criticisms beg the question why hasn't Poch managed to replace him? If he falls that far short surely our manager would have found an upgrade by now. Reality is there are currently not that many available options out there that tick the number of boxes Eriksen does, whilst the ones that do have been snapped up by clubs with fatter cheque books as well as better prospects of a major trophy.

Maybe he hasn't been dropped because others around him are our of form, injured or suspended.
I don't think anyone is critical of his talent, but his output is sadly lacking, and has been for sometime.
All I keep reading is he runs a lot, big deal. Every team knows his game, he never varies it and he's becoming isolated. teams are by passing him defensively because he won't tackle and in attack they stand off him off and he 'recycles' possession.
He's off form, it happens, let's hope he comes back to what he was a year ago but let's not ignore it either.

 

[Finney Is Back]

Maybe he hasn't been dropped because others around him are our of form, injured or suspended.
I don't think anyone is critical of his talent, but his output is sadly lacking, and has been for sometime.
All I keep reading is he runs a lot, big deal. Every team knows his game, he never varies it and he's becoming isolated. teams are by passing him defensively because he won't tackle and in attack they stand off him off and he 'recycles' possession.
He's off form, it happens, let's hope he comes back to what he was a year ago but let's not ignore it either.

I don't get what you mean about teams bypassing him defensively at all? We give up fewer chances than just about any other team in the league. Our team are an incredible defensive unit, in which each player has to play his part. If Eriksen was being bypassed defensively then he wouldn't be in the team, you can be sure of that as that is the most basic thing that Pochettino demands from his team.

 

[glasgowspur]

I don't get what you mean about teams bypassing him defensively at all? We give up fewer chances than just about any other team in the league. Our team are an incredible defensive unit, in which each player has to play his part. If Eriksen was being bypassed defensively then he wouldn't be in the team, you can be sure of that as that is the most basic thing that Pochettino demands from his team.

Because he does the tackle teams have that extra time to support the player in possession, create an angle and leave him there.
It sounds really cruel but I don't mean it to be but sometimes in terms last few games he's looked a kid in a piggy in the middle game.

 

[DubaiSpur]

Excellent post, if a little, shall we say, expansive. It's about time we had someone eulogising our Christian.

Re the bolded bits, I cannot quite envisage Eriksen eclipsing Modric though he is certainly capable of coming close. Neither can I see him in a deeper role alongside say a DM like Wanyama - if that's what you meant? Given his defensive limitations that might be too much of a stretch.

I don't think he'll *eclipse* Modric, per se, but that's because Modric is one of those once-or-twice in a generation players. I think he'll come close, in terms of offering a full package defensively and offensively, being able to control and dominate games at will when he's in form. As for playing deeper, I think he can do it - not in a DM pairing, but as part of a central midfield three, for instance, in a 4-3-3.

Good post and i agree with most of it, the only thing i would question is that i do not think Eriksen will be as good as Modric ( who is/was really world class). I hope i am wrong though.

Yeah, that's very fair.

 

[Rorschach]

The change of formation seemed to suit him.

 

[afsoc4life]

So CL isn't big games then because he's not turned up for those.

True. I could refine it a bit. He turns up in the EPL games vs. top teams e.g. Emirates Marketing Project, Arsenal. That could point to a lack of motivation.

 

[Gutter Boy]

The change of formation seemed to suit him.

Or Alli not forcing him to the peripheries?

 

[Rorschach]

Or Alli not forcing him to the peripheries?

Sure that could be part of it.

 

[Spursman]

He is obviously talented but doesn't do enough for me. I think that's why people get frustrated and are calling for him to be dropped.

I had a bet with a friend that Eriksen wont have more than 10 outstanding games in all competitions this season. So far he is only on 1 which was Stoke away. I hope i lose the bet as a rampant Eriksen is what we really need

 

[Raziel]

He is obviously talented but doesn't do enough for me. I think that's why people get frustrated and are calling for him to be dropped.

I had a bet with a friend that Eriksen wont have more than 10 outstanding games in all competitions this season. So far he is only on 1 which was Stoke away. I hope i lose the bet as a rampant Eriksen is what we really need

How many outstanding games has Spurs had for season? one can't be taken into consideration without the other.

I think everyone grasps Eriksen is an extremely talented player, who still has the ability to step up to another level (we have seen spells in the last two seasons where you could argue for 7-8 games he was WC). I will be controversial and say he "could" be as good as Modric, not saying he will, but the raw potential is there.

Eriksen shows up on a number of good stats over the seasons here, 1 great season re goal output, 1 great season re assists, always shows up on distance run, this season as I mentioned previously he's shown up on ball recovery. This despite the fact that he hasn't had a completely defined role in the side, he's played, left/right/middle/deep/forward with very different variations around him.

I'd like to know what Poch intends to do with him, because my opinion is if Poch gave Eriksen the freedom he gives Dele (as example, don't go off on a Dele/Eriksen sidetrack), you would see a very different player. I also think if Eriksen went to Real (again, just example), all of a sudden people/media would be tossing over how good he is.

 

[Bedfordspurs]

He is obviously talented but doesn't do enough for me. I think that's why people get frustrated and are calling for him to be dropped.

I had a bet with a friend that Eriksen wont have more than 10 outstanding games in all competitions this season. So far he is only on 1 which was Stoke away. I hope i lose the bet as a rampant Eriksen is what we really need

Emirates Marketing Project at home has to be up there

That's the best performance any side has managed this season

 

[parklane1]

Some folks have to remember he is STILL only 24 and has not got anywhere near his peak yet. We have a real talent here who with a bit of luck will turn into a super star, those who keep slagging him off should take that on board ( imo).

 

[billyiddo]

i think his age is a bit of a misnomer - he has been a first team regular for clubs playing Europa/Champions League football and at International level since he was 17 (iirc), i think there's a case to be made for players who get that much exposure to first team football at a high level at an early age not progressing at a similar rate later on their careers when compared to someone who took a while longer to make their mark.

Rooney and Owen spring to mind off the top of my head and another famous Ajax youth prodigy - Kluivert...

I wouldn't be surprised if it turns out that Eriksen is close to his peak right now, not that i dont think he's a good player - im just unsure there's much scope for him to develop further

 

[Bullet]

Emirates Marketing Project at home has to be up there

That's the best performance any side has managed this season

Last night on the radio John Motson said the Cheatski 5-0 demolition of Everton was the best performance he's ever seen, going back through the 00s 90s 80s 70s...

City are better than Everton but Everton have a reasonable defence.

 

[parklane1]

i think his age is a bit of a misnomer - he has been a first team regular for clubs playing Europa/Champions League football and at International level since he was 17 (iirc), i think there's a case to be made for players who get that much exposure to first team football at a high level at an early age not progressing at a similar rate later on their careers when compared to someone who took a while longer to make their mark.

Rooney and Owen spring to mind off the top of my head and another famous Ajax youth prodigy - Kluivert...

I wouldn't be surprised if it turns out that Eriksen is close to his peak right now, not that i dont think he's a good player - im just unsure there's much scope for him to develop further

Well i guess we will see if the same happens to Eriksen, but for the time being i think its to early to say it will ( imo). Lets hope we are all sitting here in a few years time and praising him for his ability.

 

[Bedfordspurs]

Last night on the radio John Motson said the Cheatski 5-0 demolition of Everton was the best performance he's ever seen, going back through the 00s 90s 80s 70s...

City are better than Everton but Everton have a reasonable defence.

I think Everton's defence is toss perosnlky, and they also played an unfamiliar set up and were not exactly in great form and were also a team that hadn't won at Stamford bridge for 24 years (sound familiar)

With all respect... motsons lost the plot now too IMO

 

[parklane1]

I think Everton's defence is toss perosnlky, and they also played an unfamiliar set up and were not exactly in great form and were also a team that hadn't won at Stamford bridge for 24 years (sound familiar)

With all respect... motsons lost the plot now too IMO

I agree, i always thought he was one of the best but over the last few years he comes across as a blubbering idiot.