Sorry mate you are wrong.Agree with this, but if the deal is there to be done then Eriksen is an extremely good option for the squad, particularly against sides that defend deep against us and negate our counter attacking threat.
I do agree with others in that *if* we're looking at playing a 4-3-3 long term, we may benefit from a specialist DM more thank an AM, but I think it's also been clear that we lack creativity and have always struggled to break down defensive sides when Eriksen hasn't played in the last 5-6 years.
I certainly wouldn't be against signing him if the deal was good (for example the mooted swap deal for Sissoko).
If we’re looking for a midfielder we could do worst than look at Brighton’s Alcatraz. Great engine, tenacious box to box player. Only 22. A potential star. He’s Colombian but they got him from Orient so could be classed as homegrown
Spell check- dohYeah he’s a bit of a rock that guy. But I hear he’s locked in to a deal with Brighton.
He looked quite past it today vs Fiorentina. Inter fans giving him a lot of stick. more of the same it would seem after that tough spring he had. For what it’s worth, a 37-year-old Franck Ribery almost won the game for Fiorentina and looked incredible for his age. Got me thinking...
Reading over this thread makes me sad, truthfully. I really believe that core injury he was carrying back in 2018 has ruined him as a top-level player, and it’s no exaggeration to say he’s never looked the same since the 17-18 season. a core injury is going to manifest itself in many different ways, and is a sign of an overworked player, especially in a WC year. Let’s not forget just how much he gave to this club and was routinely in the top midfielders for ground covered. I think Eriksen, like Rose, Dier, Dele and somewhat Kane all ended up at the peak fitness of their lives during Poch’s prime from 15-18, and all had huge issues coming back from injury as the same player. They were younger, fueled by adrenaline and ambition, giving everything and we were flying at points. But to regain the heights, one of the flaws of our intensity under Poch made getting players back in after a knock even more difficult. And as we saw with Kane, Eriksen was rushed back too quickly due to poor squad building. Just never the same player, doesn’t trust himself and looks listless.
I said this in the NDombele thread but the second most important trait in a creative player is belief and the uncompromising desire to press, probe and play balls into dangerous areas. Eriksen was the best at being a relentless creator, the way Messi and KDB are, and losing that intensity has really made him suffer. He really deserves a lot more respect on here. However, for that reason I wouldn’t want him back. If we’re looking to spend £30m on a creative player let’s get one with a profile like Son, Modric, or Eriksen back in 2013, someone young with tons of energy looking to prove themselves, who demands the ball. Eriksen doesn’t do that anymore, and we should let him stay gone.
Eriksen was great for us until the last 12-18 months. He wanted to go, increasingly more desparate, and just lost his motivation. Doubt he’d have it back if he came back after only 8 months. What we need is someone like Eriksen or Lo Celso who can knit it all together.