Finney Is Back
Andy Thompson
He absolutely was.... top 3 in PL for assists and chances created for 3 years in a row.
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Jose Mourinho - SACKED
- Thread starter mjc23
- Start date
Finney Is Back
Andy Thompson
Hire the opposite of what you hired last time out?
ricky2tricky4city
Steffen Freund
By what?
Bishop
Nick Barmby
Not good enough to take over from Iniesta sorry. There are levels between the players. Eriksen could not do what Iniesta could for Barcelona and that's what they needed. Neither Coutinho nor Eriksen were suited or capable of the Iniesta role.
They were never going to get a direct replacement with the quality of Iniesta. If Messi and Ronaldo weren't around he would've been regarded as the best player in the world for a few years.
Bishop
Nick Barmby
Basically this. No way would Eriksen have satisfied the requirements which is largely why I don't think they had any interest in him. He was a great player of course, absolutely vital to the good that we did but he's not at Iniesta's level.
Finney Is Back
Andy Thompson
Very two footed, great control, great vision, excellent passer of the ball with both feet, very hard working player suited to a team playing a high press and top 3 in PL 3 years in a row for assists and key passes. If that type of player could not play the Iniesta role at Barcelona then I'm not sure who could.
Sorry but I can’t agree with this, Eriksen would have slotted into Barca’s set up seamlessly. Have a look at Barca’s signings over the past year or so and tell me what players they have signed that satisfied these apparent ‘requirements’ better than Eriksen? Any of them at Iniestas level?
parklane1
Tony Galvin
This.
Finney Is Back
Andy Thompson
Three years in a row in the top 3 for assists and chances created suggests that nothing was really holding him back. He was posting those leading numbers while having to work WAY harder than other creative midfield players as well. Imagine the sort of stats he would've posted if being able to play like Ozil did at Arsenal for instance.
parklane1
Tony Galvin
And this.
Baleforce
Les Bennett
I always thought his numbers should have been higher, and that he should have dominated more games.
The point is nobody would've been as good as Iniesta. Eriksen would've been in the group just below that Barcelona should've been looking at as a replacement.
But Barcelona's recruitment has left a lot to be desired in the last few years.
Finney Is Back
Andy Thompson
It was almost impossible for his numbers to be higher.... especially in light of the fact that he had to play a large part in our defensive shape. He posted similar (better) numbers than Ozil despite Ozil having zero defensive responsibility.
Robspur12
Nick Barmby
I think people are conflating the Eriksen of Poch’s last season and the Eriksen of 16/17. We essentially had 2 Eriksen playing for us. The 16/17 one was an awesome player who alongside Dembele made us tick. The later incarnation of Eriksen was a disinterested, tired shadow of that player who probably stayed too long.
Bedfordspurs
Chris Waddle
I agree but I think your doing good Eriksen a massive disservice
the guy was top top drawer for a very very long period of his time here. He was world class numbers wise
He did drop off his last year I agree but the guy was still class for us and would have been able to step up for most sides with the right players
LincsSpur
Øyvind Leonhardsen
I agree with you but in present times we’ll be lucky to get £80 million for that shower
Bishop
Nick Barmby
Well that's part of their problem, they've bought players who didn't suit the roles required or to the level required.
Eriksen couldn't do it neither could Coutinho. I don't think there's anyone really that could.
An important point to make re the Iniesta role is that player really needs to be press resistant as part of the role was holding the ball in tight spaces and playing others in. Press resistance is a particular weakness of Eriksen due to his lack of dribbling and general weakness on the ball.
He's was a great player for us but not what Barcelona needed. They were right in not going for him, just bonkers going for Coutinho who i said at the time was massively overrated.
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Mosquito_Coasting
Gerry Armstrong
Eriksen would have been a much better fit for Barca than Dembele or Coutinho. He can certainly play tiki taka.