Eriksen

[dagraham]

I know we are only 5 games into the season, so this may seem knee jerk but Eriksen's performances are slightly concerning me.

At first I just thought he's a bit out of form at the start of the season, but the more I see I'm starting to worry that the way we are playing doesn't suit him. He's not your typical "high energy player", more a typical Spurs player (flair, plays at his own pace, inconsistent).

Even though our 3 attacking players are supposed to interchange, more often than not he seems to end up on the right, where he is quite ineffective. Even when moving inside he just doesn't seem to be the player that ended last season.

This isn't a Poch bashing thread, but he's our best outfield player and we need to get the best out of him. Dare I say it but Sherwood actually got more out of him by giving him more responsibility and utilising him on the left cutting in or as a pure No.10.

Could be he just needs a kick up the arse, but I think it may be more than that.

 

[DEFchenkOE]

Could be that the fluid interchanging of positions doesn't suit him. He's on the edge of games too much at the moment and maybe needs to play deeper to get more involved in the game. I'm not convinced he's a no10 and always played in a midfield 3 for Ajax.

But Poch doesn't use a midfield 3 so Eriksen needs to be the main guy behind the striker imo or at a push on the left.

Maybe Poch should try this for one half v Forest

Eriksen - Stambouli - Bentaleb

 

[InOffMeLeftShin]

Could just be that we haven't found the balance yet. He has the quality to fit in and perform even if he isn't a high energy guy. We can't be all energy all the time just that at the moment we are trying to forge that identity. Once the squad feels more comfortable with it, it should in fact give Eriksen more license to be creative.

 

[mpickard2087]

Balance isn't right yet. Him and Lamela need to learn how to effectively co-exist in the same team.

 

[JerryGarcia]

He put in more of a shift against Sunderland than I've ever seen from him and against West Brom I thought he was better than most of our players although he didn't put in the same amount of work. I'm not concerned by him at this point as the team are all trying to find their way. It's easy to forget how young he is, he will be slightly inconsistent.

 

[dagraham]

Balance isn't right yet. Him and Lamela need to learn how to effectively co-exist in the same team.

Agree and one of the big problems for me is that our attacking 3 are all too similar. No pace at all and both Eriksen and Lamela get pushed off the ball too easily.

Against shit like QPR who gives us time and space it's fine, but even a team like West Brom who closed us down and put pressure on us physically exposed the problem.

 

[mattstev2000]

Alternatively it could just be that Eriksen isn't the most consistent player in the world at the moment and he's currently in one of his dips in form.

I certainly haven't seen anything in the system or other personnel during the games we've played that would prohibit him from playing well, he just seems to be a bit 'not at the races' at the moment.

 

[HobbitSpur]

Agree and one of the big problems for me is that our attacking 3 are all too similar. No pace at all and both Eriksen and Lamela get pushed off the ball too easily.

Against shit like QPR who gives us time and space it's fine, but even a team like West Brom who closed us down and put pressure on us physically exposed the problem.

It is all about letting opponents dictate the game. If we pressed high like we are supposed to it would not allow the opponents to settle and put pressure on us. We are giving opponents to much time (and/or respect).

If we press hard , we make space and put pressure on them, thus not allowing to pressure our guys.

As well as understanding each other as a team, we just need to up our game.

 

[neptunes]

I know we are only 5 games into the season, so this may seem knee jerk but Eriksen's performances are slightly concerning me.

At first I just thought he's a bit out of form at the start of the season, but the more I see I'm starting to worry that the way we are playing doesn't suit him. He's not your typical "high energy player", more a typical Spurs player (flair, places at his own pace, inconsistent).

Even though our 3 attacking players are supposed to interchange, more often than not he seems to end up on the right, where he is quite ineffective. Even when moving inside he just doesn't seem to be the player that ended last season.

This isn't a Poch bashing thread, but he's our best outfield player and we need to get the best out of him. Dare I say it but Sherwood actually got more out of him by giving him more responsibility and utilising him on the left cutting in or as a pure No.10.

Could be he just needs a kick up the arse, but I think it may be more than that.

Why him only? Should be concerned with the whole squad. This was seen also against the Partizan. Unfortunately I cannot see one player who plays for the fcuking jersey and sweats blood. Bunch of softies. No commitment at all. The Poch has a lot of work to do to turn things round. Hope I do not fear the worse.....He needs to start kicking some arses at the training ground.

 

[lenny7]

Share your concerns to be honest, let's hope it's just a lull and he's back to his awesome self soon (hopefully by the weekend for the big one).

 

[dagraham]

It is all about letting opponents dictate the game. If we pressed high like we are supposed to it would not allow the opponents to settle and put pressure on us. We are giving opponents to much time (and/or respect).

If we press hard , we make space and put pressure on them, thus not allowing to pressure our guys.

As well as understanding each other as a team, we just need to up our game.

Agree partly, but it's also about balance within the team and squad. We pressed against Liverpool, but they passed through us and the times we did regain possession we didn't have the tools to trouble their defence, even though it's the weakest part of their game.

 

[HobbitSpur]

Agree partly, but it's also about balance within the team and squad. We pressed against Liverpool, but they passed through us and the times we did regain possession we didn't have the tools to trouble their defence, even though it's the weakest part of their game.

I think that we were just too slow against Liverpool and it was easy for them to counter the little pressure that we did show. Also, and I am not trying to condone dirty play, but we were getting beat all over the pitch and we did not receive one yellow card during that game.

 

[Kendall]

Without the ball, Lamela and Eriksen are absolute passengers. On the ball, both are guilty of trying to overcomplicate by being too cute.

 

[mattstev2000]

Without the ball, Lamela and Eriksen are absolute passengers. On the ball, both are guilty of trying to overcomplicate by being too cute.

Eriksen I agree with but Lamela has been pressing and chasing like a loon when's he's not on the ball for the last few games (although less so yesterday).

In fact he's probably going a bit overboard in some of the games as he can get out of position by chasing the ball too much.

 

[Kendall]

Eriksen I agree with but Lamela has been pressing and chasing like a loon when's he's not on the ball for the last few games (although less so yesterday).

In fact he's probably going a bit overboard in some of the games as he can get out of position by chasing the ball too much.

There's a huge difference between genuine pressing and running around like a loon. Players seem to be able to get away from/get the ball away from a chasing Lamela quite easily. He has zero ability to use his body to put people under pressure, he just runs at them at full pace and with a drop of the shoulder any half decent player can get past that.

 

[danielneeds]

He's young and is going to have dips of form that is natural. Also, I think we are seeing why some top teams had doubts about him when he was at Ajax, when things aren't going his way, he does tend to just drift through games.

The balance is not right too, he would have thrived with someone like Wellbeck making runs for him to find.

 

[mattstev2000]

There's a huge difference between genuine pressing and running around like a loon. Players seem to be able to get away from/get the ball away from a chasing Lamela quite easily. He has zero ability to use his body to put people under pressure, he just runs at them at full pace and with a drop of the shoulder any half decent player can get past that.

Think you're being rather hard on him. There have been plenty of times where his pressing has successfully won the ball back and got us moving forward again. I think he needs to just do it a more intelligently, I think he's a bit overeager at the moment both with and without the ball.

 

[Bowlesinho]

I would love to see Eriksen play a little deeper as one of the 2 cms.

He probably never will as he's not a ball winner but ever since Modric left we lack someone who can pass in the centre of the field.

I actually thought we had started to consider this and followed the 'Modric model' of giving him a season starting on the left and cutting in, before moving him centrally when he got use to the hustle/bustle of the prem.

Something like:

-----------Stambouli--------Eriksen-----------
Townsend------------Lamela-------------Chadli
--------------------Soldado-------------------

We'd obviously be a lot weaker defensively but at least we would be more potent going forward.

 

[nidge]

Eriksen I agree with but Lamela has been pressing and chasing like a loon when's he's not on the ball for the last few games (although less so yesterday).

In fact he's probably going a bit overboard in some of the games as he can get out of position by chasing the ball too much.

Problem for me is that when Lamela presses it's on his own. No one goes with him.

Within the team there are meant to be triggers that set off the team press but this doesn't seem to happen.

 

[jezz]

Personally I think Ade fcuking the whole system.
He constantly moves backwards were the AM3 are, this wouldn't be so bad if he didn't hold onto the ball for so long (or if he could actually trap a bag of cement)
If he's the target man up front, he should get the ball give it and go, but he doesn't.
It's killing the game in the final third.