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Player watch: Christian Eriksen

kaz Hirai

Well-Known Member
Nov 5, 2008
17,692
25,340
Think he and Alli just have to fight for their spots, much too cosy and happy to not risk paper cuts

Unlike lamela and son who even when playing poor are full energy for 90 mins
 

Hakkz

Svensk hetsporre
Jul 6, 2012
8,196
17,270
I love Eriksen, but even the best need a kick up the backside every now and then.
 

St José Dominguez

Well-Known Member
Jul 15, 2014
3,592
11,648
Unless Eriksen stops ducking out of challenges and works harder and Dele, who does get stuck in more, releases the ball faster and stops taking way too many touches then neither of them will work in a deeper CM role.

I want Dele in a further forward role, like where he was when received the ball and played a nice pass through to Lucas today. Offering those constant deep runs that Eriksen loves. Eriksen needs moving back to where he was and put responsibility back on him to be the playmaker which might wake him up.

Lamela can pressure Eriksen, he's not in same class as him but sorry today Lamela would have offered far more just through workrate alone. Son or Lucas can put pressure on Dele and rotate in for him. I think Poch has tried to complicate things by mixing up the system and I don't think the personnel we have, albeit quality players, are suited to these roles.

Back to what we know from now. Dier or Wanyama alongside Winks or Dembele with 3 of the 5 attacking players behind Kane.
 

Thewobbler

Well-Known Member
Oct 29, 2016
3,814
5,701
Has not started the season well. If we want to win titles then eriksen really needs to take control of games like de bruyne does for city. Hazard does for chelsea.
 

thinktank

Hmmm...
Sep 28, 2004
45,893
68,893
He'll get going.

I'm usually very hard on Eriksen, but he's really grown as a player and finished last season very strongly and showed he's learned and filled in the holes in his game.

He'll get into gear soon enough.
 

synththfc

Well-Known Member
Aug 24, 2017
3,740
26,716
Think he and Alli just have to fight for their spots, much too cosy and happy to not risk paper cuts

Unlike lamela and son who even when playing poor are full energy for 90 mins

It's a shame we don't have proper competition for them.

If only there was a period of time in the year where we could bring players into the team to help freshen things up and give us more cover in certain areas...
 

TottenhamMattSpur

Well-Known Member
Aug 31, 2012
10,925
16,007
Feels to me like Eriksen and Dele have been told to play deeper to accommodate having Lucas further up the pitch, which is making him look better but causing those two problems.

I also feel like Dele is over thinking everything at the moment.
 

St José Dominguez

Well-Known Member
Jul 15, 2014
3,592
11,648
Feels to me like Eriksen and Dele have been told to play deeper to accommodate having Lucas further up the pitch, which is making him look better but causing those two problems.

I also feel like Dele is over thinking everything at the moment.

Seeing a lot of suggestions Dele has been poor so far this season but personally I feel he'd started the season pretty well. In previous three games he was top 3 in ratings for motm. Yesterday he was absolutely woeful but in previous 3 games he was getting stuck in, not hanging on to ball as much and still offering attacking threat from CM.

Yesterday his weakness of taking way too long to release a pass came back though, he was very bad but I don't think he was helped much by options at times. There were moments when he was on the ball and I was screaming for players to help him out as there was no one near him.
Im still not writing off possibility of him being in midfield 3 with a true DM if Son was offering an option for him on left. Only works though if Eriksen tries to stop ducking out of challenges.

Comparatively and considering levels they are capable of I think Dele prior to yesterday has started the season much better than Eriksen and Kane.
 

TottenhamMattSpur

Well-Known Member
Aug 31, 2012
10,925
16,007
Seeing a lot of suggestions Dele has been poor so far this season but personally I feel he'd started the season pretty well. In previous three games he was top 3 in ratings for motm. Yesterday he was absolutely woeful but in previous 3 games he was getting stuck in, not hanging on to ball as much and still offering attacking threat from CM.

Yesterday his weakness of taking way too long to release a pass came back though, he was very bad but I don't think he was helped much by options at times. There were moments when he was on the ball and I was screaming for players to help him out as there was no one near him.
Im still not writing off possibility of him being in midfield 3 with a true DM if Son was offering an option for him on left. Only works though if Eriksen tries to stop ducking out of challenges.

Comparatively and considering levels they are capable of I think Dele prior to yesterday has started the season much better than Eriksen and Kane.

I didn't say he was playing badly. I just think if he was playing more on his instinct, he'd had made more of an impact in games.
Reminds me of Robbie Keane, who would regularly screw things up if he had too much time and space, but was brilliant on the spur of the moment.
 

St José Dominguez

Well-Known Member
Jul 15, 2014
3,592
11,648
I didn't say he was playing badly. I just think if he was playing more on his instinct, he'd had made more of an impact in games.
Reminds me of Robbie Keane, who would regularly screw things up if he had too much time and space, but was brilliant on the spur of the moment.

In the games before yesterday he was moving the ball quicker than he has before, but yes his Achilles heel is that extra touch or three that really needs coaching out of him. I still think he could play the LCM role with time though and it hasn't stopped him finding himself in dangerous areas. Not that I'd suggest dropping Eriksen but Dele-Dier-Winks would be a much better 3 as Winks doesn't duck challenges but still has the passing ability. I can't see Eriksen ever working deeper unless the opposition is offering zero drive through the middle.
 

Trix

Well-Known Member
Jul 29, 2004
19,336
329,025
This, Alli is also off it but he's still young and will be inconsistent. These two look like they have forgotten how to play thier game.

IMO the problem with all three(Kane, Dele, CE) is exactly the same. Playing with 2 up top has forced them deeper to where they are less effective and less instinctive. It's worked out well for Moura but has hindered the other three imo.
 

Johnny J

Not the Kiwi you need but the one you deserve
Aug 18, 2012
18,118
47,879
IMO the problem with all three(Kane, Dele, CE) is exactly the same. Playing with 2 up top has forced them deeper to where they are less effective and less instinctive. It's worked out well for Moura but has hindered the other three imo.
Alli is particularly bad deeper. Same as at the world cup.
 

Trix

Well-Known Member
Jul 29, 2004
19,336
329,025
Alli is particularly bad deeper. Same as at the world cup.

Definitely. IMO we have some excellent players at the club but if you don't play to their strengths they look very ordinary. A manager can have all the tactical nous in the world but if the players can't play to the game plan then it's a complete waste of time.

How often do Pool or City change formation and when they do how often are their better players being asked to play out of there natural/preferred position?
 

coys200

Well-Known Member
May 22, 2017
8,436
17,403
Watching the game again the only moment eriksen showed some urgency to get forward we scored. I think he was too shackled worried about helping dembele. I think 4231 suits us better. It frees dele/eriksen/moura/Kane to do the damage and keeps us more solid in the centre. I actually thought dele and eriksen could play in a 3 but I’m not so sure now. I think it’s why we’ve been giving up so many chances and it restricts their attacking intent to much.
 

SdB

Well-Known Member
Aug 23, 2013
1,367
1,878
IMO the problem with all three(Kane, Dele, CE) is exactly the same. Playing with 2 up top has forced them deeper to where they are less effective and less instinctive. It's worked out well for Moura but has hindered the other three imo.

Kane for me looks better with Moura up there with him, at least now he is making a few decent forward passes e.g assist at Man Utd.

Kane's outfield play has been woeful since his injury last season for us AND for England. Not sure how Moura is the problem all of a sudden.
I'm not a great fan of Dele simply because he pisses about far too often with the ball, when he moves it on quickly he's generally very good. He needs to consistently play with intensity and purpose for the team and not his 'match of the day' flicks.
Eriksen is Eriksen, a complete coward in the tackle but does come up with the odd great pass and great shot. I'd sell for £100m

Poch clearly at fault yesterday as you simply cannot play Eriksen and Dele in any 3 in MF but certainly not with a clearing waning Dembele.

I never know if it's because I'm older and in the grumpy zone but so many on here (not aimed at you Trix) are far too easily pleased with player performances that I can't tolerate.
 

Trix

Well-Known Member
Jul 29, 2004
19,336
329,025
Kane for me looks better with Moura up there with him, at least now he is making a few decent forward passes e.g assist at Man Utd.

Kane's outfield play has been woeful since his injury last season for us AND for England. Not sure how Moura is the problem all of a sudden.
I'm not a great fan of Dele simply because he pisses about far too often with the ball, when he moves it on quickly he's generally very good. He needs to consistently play with intensity and purpose for the team and not his 'match of the day' flicks.
Eriksen is Eriksen, a complete coward in the tackle but does come up with the odd great pass and great shot. I'd sell for £100m

Poch clearly at fault yesterday as you simply cannot play Eriksen and Dele in any 3 in MF but certainly not with a clearing waning Dembele.

I never know if it's because I'm older and in the grumpy zone but so many on here (not aimed at you Trix) are far too easily pleased with player performances that I can't tolerate.

Not interested in Kane playing forward passes from CM/AM personally. What I want him to do is hold the ball up occupy and pull CB's around in turn making space for others, and primarily get on the end of stuff.

I'm not blaming Moura, and there is no question he has been our best player so far over the four games we have played. The problem is while he looks good the likes of Dele and Eriksen look like fish out of water playing deeper to accommodate two up front. There is little point getting 15 goals out of Moura if it restricts Dele and Eriksen to 5-6 each. On top of that if we stick to this 2 up top nonsense where does Son fit in?

If Dele and CE look poor having to play deep I hate to imagine Son doing the same.

Imo we have 4 quality AM's in CE, Dele, Son, and Moura and in order to get at least 3 of them on the pitch you can't play 2 up front. it has to be either 3 in behind Kane or 4-3-3 with at least two of the 3 CM's being more defensively minded.
 
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