Christian Eriksen

[lobob8]

On the one hand I'm absolutely gutted. Made me feel a little sick when I first saw the news, even though we all knew it was coming. I had hoped that this wouldn't happen. Wanted him back so bad, and it wouldn't have hurt as much if he'd just re-signed at Brentford.

Stepping back though, I'm calm and can accept it. I suppose if he did come back there would always be that fear of something happening to him, what with Conte's high intensity training and play style. After all he's been through I can't begrudge him this move.

He's always a legend for me, he was amazing for us for many years and I'm just happy he's still here. Wish him personally the best, but I hope he gets the van de Beek treatment and collects his paycheck from the bench. We move on.

 

[Aphex]

I went from that because that’s how language works. If you say that someone needs to be paired with defensively aware players the implication is that they are not defensively aware. The alternative is that he is also defensively aware which makes the point redundant. You’ve also said he shirked challenges, bottled 50:50s and wasn’t defensively effective. So it’s not that much of a mystery how I got here is it?
Eriksen was an effective defensive player at spurs because he pressed hard and high which was his role, and an important one as if someone isn’t pressing teams can play through them. The point that he and Fernandes in the same 3 is unbalanced isn’t in dispute

He absolutely bottled 50/50s and shirked challenges. I watched him every game for years. His ability isn’t in dispute but he was not a player who got involved in challenges.

 

[fishhhandaricecake]

Absolutely. He's not going to do the ugly stuff and put his foot in when needed. Can't think of a match where I've seen him get into a physical battle with an opponent if I'm honest.

He’s not the most physical player but I certainly don’t think Eriksen lacks ‘steel and determination’, physicality and strength yes but he often runs further than any other player on the pitch and had a habit of scoring last minute winners, if he didn’t have steel and determination he’d not be running as far or scoring and creating goals late on, he’d be giving up.

Also completely disagree that B.Fernandes lacks steel and determination, he carried that Man.U team on his own for quite some time same with Sporting.L.

Each to their own opinion but it seems that some are underrating Eriksen or finding weaknesses with him that aren’t there just because we’ve decided to not go for him.

 

[glacierSpurs]

I trust Conte knowing his limitations somewhat from their days in Inter that he didn't persist in getting him.

Left a sour taste he actually chose United nonetheless. Gutted but won't be for long.

 

[neogenisis]

United is an odd one for sure, but hey...who gives a flying f**k.

 

[Wheeler Dealer]

Would have been a great option to bring off the bench for games where teams sit deep and require that bit of creatvity to breakdown..

 

[Shanks]

Good luck to him, I’m sure he’d have come back if wanted.

he wasn’t, so wish the guy all the best

 

[sundanceyid10]

Very very bad news. I’m gutted to be honest, I felt sure he would come back here. I know we have signed some physical players and he isn’t that, but variety makes a squad and we could sure use some of his creativity and skill.

 

[lobob8]

Very very bad news. I’m gutted to be honest, I felt sure he would come back here. I know we have signed some physical players and he isn’t that, but variety makes a squad and we could sure use some of his creativity and skill.

Agreed man, we all thought it was nailed on. As others have said, it'll hurt less if we end up getting someone just as good as a CAM, we could use one.

 

[Yid-ol]

Agreed man, we all thought it was nailed on. As others have said, it'll hurt less if we end up getting someone just as good as a CAM, we could use one.

Do we need a CAM? Does Conte use one in his formation?

I always thought the CM 2 were defensive/box to box players and the creativity was from out wide (or Kane for us also). Other than that formation I don't know if/what others Conte uses.

 

[rossdapep]

He absolutely bottled 50/50s and shirked challenges. I watched him every game for years. His ability isn’t in dispute but he was not a player who got involved in challenges.

He did at times but we certainly had a team at that time where it wasn't really required for him to do that, like Hazard at Chelsea.

Problem for United is they have a few like that.

 

[fishhhandaricecake]

Do we need a CAM? Does Conte use one in his formation?

I always thought the CM 2 were defensive/box to box players and the creativity was from out wide (or Kane for us also). Other than that formation I don't know if/what others Conte uses.

Yea as you say no need for a CAM if we play 3-4-3 again which by all accounts we will be. Eriksen would’ve given us the option to switch to 3-5-2 although we should be able to do that with a mix of all of our current 4 anyway.

But a great example is when Conte was at Chelsea he had Fabregas. He didn’t play him that regularly but when a game was tight and needed a different approach then Fabregas would play and pick passes and open up doors the physical box to box CM’s couldn’t do, that is the type of CM I believe we are missing which could be the difference between us winning a trophy or not.

If we signed a world class RWB like Perisic on the other side then I’d be a bit less concerned but without that I think we might struggle to break a few very well drilled defensive sides.

Anyway Conte will know best so if he thinks we need a player like that ok sure we will get one, just not eriksen it seems unfortunately, especially as he will significantly strengthen one of our rivals.

 

[Stoof]

Very very bad news. I’m gutted to be honest, I felt sure he would come back here. I know we have signed some physical players and he isn’t that, but variety makes a squad and we could sure use some of his creativity and skill.

I think that’s probably on the side of dramatic. Especially given what it could mean for exploring other potential more rounded pegs for our holes.

 

[zepstar]

I like Eriksen as a person and as a footballer. Such a clever player. But I’m glad that we didn’t return to this particular nice warm comfort blanket this time. I see our decision not to indulge ourselves in a piece of nostalgia for nostalgia’s sake as real progress.

Tottenham in the past would have got him in, despite him not really being what we needed. Our history is littered with examples of this sort of carry on. Don’t get me wrong. Love it. Love the feeling of it when it happens. Watch all the vids. Klinsmann. Sherringham. Bale. Freund. Clamours for Modric. Clamours for Poch.

Time to look to new horizons.

 

[Armstrong_11]

Gutted we didn't bring him home.

but I guess if there is a manager who knows what he can, and cannot do, it's Conte.

 

[WeGotLedley]

Are the rumours on his salary ask realistic? Saw 200k & 10m signing on fee, which if utd got close to for a 3 year deal is pretty insane (and well done to be fair to his agent), just not sure if anyone reliable has heard what they actually ended at?

 

[glacierSpurs]

Are the rumours on his salary ask realistic? Saw 200k & 10m signing on fee, which if utd got close to for a 3 year deal is pretty insane (and well done to be fair to his agent), just not sure if anyone reliable has heard what they actually ended at?

I hope is even higher. So United can continue to burn their money!!

 

[Ron Burgundy]

I think he'd have made a lot of sense, and would have definitely added something to the squad, but I'm not super disappointed. Good luck to him

 

[isaac94]

not too bothered tbh, I trust conte if he doesn't fancy him, still remember him downing tools for the last 6 months to get the move, wish him the best however as seems a nice guy and we had good memories

 

[Locotoro]

I think if we wanted Eriksen then he'd have signed for us already.
But I suspect he probably wanted assurances over playing time that we just could not give him and as a result he went elsewhere.

Personally, I would have brought him in to rotate with Kulusevski as a RWF (playmaker). But that would mean having to sell Lucas which given his contract situation wouldn't be easy and Eriksen coming in impacts our HG situation too.

It's a shame but it wasn't a right fit I suspect.