That should do for this thread. We ask too much of him, but he's been doing very well still. ETH relies on him too much and still underestimates the physical aspect of the game in EPL.
Eriksen is too lightweight to play CM
- Thread starter VP89
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Definitely needs to be upgraded, he will then become a good bench option. At the same time with this season's squad he is an important starter as we don't have an alternative in that position available. This summer will be key in upgrading Eriksen and Martial, 2 decisions we have to get right.
This place never fails to make me laugh. All those players out there yesterday, and you’ve got the nerve to call him a nothing player? Such ignorance spoken with such confidence.Wow, here I thought Eriksen has been one of the standout players this year... 
Eriksen was left exposed at times yesterday by McTominay dropping back into the defensive line when Arsenal got close to the box. Crazy decision as it left only Eriksen and Bruno shielding the defence and neither are defensively disciplined enough, or quick enough to respond to a change of pace/dropped shoulder by eg Saka.
If EtH told McT to do that then he got it wrong, you can’t leave 2 against Arsenal’s 3 in the centre at the best of times, let alone when those 2 are Eriksen and Bruno.
If EtH told McT to do that then he got it wrong, you can’t leave 2 against Arsenal’s 3 in the centre at the best of times, let alone when those 2 are Eriksen and Bruno.
So did i hes been fantastic. For a 30 year old with a heart condition, hes been irreplacable.Wow, here I thought Eriksen has been one of the standout players this year...
I actually don't rate him that highly for his passing. He's definitely not in the same bracket as the likes of Scholes and other good passers we've had in the past. I wouldn't even say he's particularly any better than Martinez, in fact. It feels like he loses the ball too much and I don't recall any particularly impressive passes from him, certainly nothing inventive that would put him even in the realms of the likes of David Silva or Ozil.
My Spurs supporting mate said he's a bit of a passenger at time and he didn't particularly rate him, though he did have a couple of good seasons for them. But I'm seeing all the criticisms he had for him - he's a bit flakey to be playing in CM. Doesn't compete and often becomes a passenger in games. He should be a bench/small cup competition player at best for us.
My Spurs supporting mate said he's a bit of a passenger at time and he didn't particularly rate him, though he did have a couple of good seasons for them. But I'm seeing all the criticisms he had for him - he's a bit flakey to be playing in CM. Doesn't compete and often becomes a passenger in games. He should be a bench/small cup competition player at best for us.
Apart from when Fred replaces him we've looked a better team. Eriksen is a 60 minute player at home and should be a sub when away at the minute. Whether that is tiredness or otherwise I'm not sure.
Eriksen has been one of the best players for us this season,
one of the first names along with Casemiro on the teamsheet every week for me.
one of the first names along with Casemiro on the teamsheet every week for me.
Wow, here I thought Eriksen has been one of the standout players this year...
He has been, which is why he's so absolutely nailed on under ETH this season. People are weird.
That said, he's not perfect and we're obviously overly reliant on him right now. Ideally we'll bring in a midfielder who offers what Eriksen does and more, letting Eriksen effectively be our 12th player who rotates in and out of the side. It would be a positive sign if we have enough depth that Eriksen is on the bench quite a bit.
I'm assuming people have forgotten how awful our midfield was before he was in it?
The only issue with him in midfield is that there is no one nearly as reliable to replace him when he gets tired.
The same issue as with Casemiro except that I'm not sure there is such thing as an adequate Casemiro replacement. It'd just be nice to have someone to bring in who can at least vaguely do a similar job to either of them.
We have two reliable midfielders to play about 60 games in a season that's been squashed around a world cup. We just have to accept we're stretching ourselves and its going to show at times.
It's better than the last few season when we had 0 reliable midfielders. I mean how people watch Pogba, Matic, Mctominay for years then come to the conclusion Eriksen Is the one who can't play in that position, I'm really quite lost with. He's largely been excellent and is actually important there as he picks passes before teams can set defensively.
The only issue with him in midfield is that there is no one nearly as reliable to replace him when he gets tired.
The same issue as with Casemiro except that I'm not sure there is such thing as an adequate Casemiro replacement. It'd just be nice to have someone to bring in who can at least vaguely do a similar job to either of them.
We have two reliable midfielders to play about 60 games in a season that's been squashed around a world cup. We just have to accept we're stretching ourselves and its going to show at times.
It's better than the last few season when we had 0 reliable midfielders. I mean how people watch Pogba, Matic, Mctominay for years then come to the conclusion Eriksen Is the one who can't play in that position, I'm really quite lost with. He's largely been excellent and is actually important there as he picks passes before teams can set defensively.
How very accepting you are of opinions that don’t match yours. This thread is about Eriksen, not other players. And I’m not talking about yesterday.
Good grief he was woeful yesterday wasn’t he. But the fact that he can play well suggests to me that he simply got overrun in midfield due to a midfielder doubling up on Saka
He is our assist leader while playing in the central midfield. To call that a nothing player is so utterly silly that Judas had the only correct reaction to it.
If we had Frenkie, Enzo, or the actual long-term solution alongside Casemiro, Eriksen would be an absolutely phenomenal squad player to slot in there or for Bruno.
We don't, so we've been running him into the ground.
We don't, so we've been running him into the ground.
He’s been decent for a free transfer and has allowed us to move away from McFred but he needs resting, he’s played way too many games and he’s starting to look tired.
He plays the CM role just fine and has been one of our most influential players. He just doesn't have the legs to play as often as he has been playing, but we don't have much choice when the alternatives are McTominay and Fred.
Spot on. Ideally we get Enzo or Frenkie and can use Eriksen as a fantastic option of the bench.
I thought your first sentence was silly until I got to your second one.
He's been a terrific signing, I don't see how some of you can complain so much about him.
Obviously he has weaknesses in his game which other teams are going to try and exploit, and we can't always cover those because of the other midfielders we have, especially if Casemiro isn't available.
We look a much worse team without him though.
Obviously he has weaknesses in his game which other teams are going to try and exploit, and we can't always cover those because of the other midfielders we have, especially if Casemiro isn't available.
We look a much worse team without him though.
He's a good player who has a lot to offer, but not in a midfield 2 in our hardest away game of the season so far.
He can certainly play CM in games where we are likely to dominate, especially next to Casemiro.
He can certainly play CM in games where we are likely to dominate, especially next to Casemiro.
We beat Arsenal before, Liverpool, City and Tottenham with Eriksen in the middle ... and now people here making some laughable comments.
Yes we need a stronger CM who can also pass the ball especially away from home and Eriksen can be a rotational option but to call him useless is ridiculous.
Yes we need a stronger CM who can also pass the ball especially away from home and Eriksen can be a rotational option but to call him useless is ridiculous.
You clearly don’t understand football like the gurus here because he’s only been a major part of a team that has had the best run of results in the last 10 years since Fergie left and been a major factor in the transformation of our midfield which has become the most creative we’ve been for a long time. But yeah he’s a “nothing” player for some.Wow, here I thought Eriksen has been one of the standout players this year...
I agree with this.
I think the biggest issue with Eriksen is how many games we expect him to play. He basically hasn't had a break all season and we can't expect him to play a game every 3 days and still play at his best.
Think we should just go with our "big-game" line up - Bruno RW, Eriksen #10 and Fred as #8 as default.
Antony can come on as the Eriksen supersub every game instead of Fred.
Antony can come on as the Eriksen supersub every game instead of Fred.
So basically as default we go with Bruno as our RW who isn’t our best RW, Eriksen as #10 who isn’t our best #10 and Fred as #8 who isn’t our best #8?
I’m fully on board with this.
Yep.
Eriksen's not the best #10 only because Bruno is better, he's a pretty good #10.
Bruno is our best RW based on current form. (Maybe Rashford's better but I don't want to go there). He does fine dropping into space on transitions and putting in the killer ball to Rashford.
Fred's not the best #8 but our best #8 can only play 60 mins a game so :-/
It was Pogba last season. In fact I think he was 3rd in the PL and he was the epitome of “nothing” in most games.
Lethargic on the ball, non existent off it.
The majority of Eriksen’s assists have been simple passes. Watch matches, not stats.
Horses for courses. He’s fine in a game like Bournemouth at home. Shouldn’t even be on the bench in a game like Arsenal away. He offers leas than nothing in a game like that.
Should be on bench but not starting
His freekick to Casemiro wasn't simple. Plenty of them require him to read the game. Which is what he does. His line breaking passes have set us up time and again this season.
We need a player who is as intelligent as him but more press resistant ie a FDJ type player. Eriksen is a great am asked to play as an 8. It's not ideal but it's the best we have at the moment.
Nonsense. It’s the same player who’s played there against Arsenal, City, Liverpool and spurs and we’ve won them all. So not sure which courses you are referring to.
To suggest he’s not even worthy of the bench is ridiculous. So the likes of Fred and Mctominay should be ahead of him?
Yeah could have got Tielemans now AND a cheap backup CDM if we hadn't got Antony so late and left ourselves skint
He isn't too "lightweight" to play a CM role (alongside another CM/DM, in some kind of double pivot) if the circumstances are favourable.
He's clearly nowhere near a complete CM, though. His outstanding qualities are very much on the offensive side of the spectrum. In unfavourable circumstances, he can easily be a liability.
We know this, though - I have a feeling I've made the exact same post at least once before.
He's a very good player - we will hopefully make good use of him for several seasons to come. But he - obviously - has to be used right.
He's clearly nowhere near a complete CM, though. His outstanding qualities are very much on the offensive side of the spectrum. In unfavourable circumstances, he can easily be a liability.
We know this, though - I have a feeling I've made the exact same post at least once before.
He's a very good player - we will hopefully make good use of him for several seasons to come. But he - obviously - has to be used right.
I like him at 8 until we have a player with his calmness, skill and range of passing to play in his place.
He makes an enormous difference to the way we play and is vital, imo. But, as I (and many others) have been saying, he’s good for one half of football only. We have to get the game won in the first half and bring Fred and Garnacho on at the break and play the second half on the counter.
He makes an enormous difference to the way we play and is vital, imo. But, as I (and many others) have been saying, he’s good for one half of football only. We have to get the game won in the first half and bring Fred and Garnacho on at the break and play the second half on the counter.
Deserves so much credit for his performances and now hard he works for the team, but he's not a two way midfielder, and there is simply no competing for the CL or Premier League trophies without those types of midfielders. I still think this was a brilliant signing as a free transfer, but he'll be phased out as a regular starter next season unless our hands are tied in the transfer market.
It's embarrassing how weak he is in the challenge, in fact it's almost like he refuses to put his foot in or close down.
He's a fantastic footballer but he's honestly frustrating the life out of me.
He's a fantastic footballer but he's honestly frustrating the life out of me.
Agree with that. Thought that’s how we we should have gone against Arsenal, worked v City. Though I would have put Garnacho at LW and Rashford in the middle.