Christian Eriksen: A thinker amongst the doers
football365.com/news/christian-eriksen-a-thin...
football365.comPosted Apr 21, 2016, 6:16 PM UTC
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football365.comSpurs fans have been complaining about his poor form for most of this season - maybe more than anything else - yet it HAS been a huge season for him. He's played at such a high level, consistently, for so long that people often take it for granted. Given his literally creative style of play it's easy to overlook his huge contribution. Like the man said, numbers don't tell the whole story: "It's about thinking."
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I honestly believe Eriksen could slip right into a team like Barcelona and he would look incredible.
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He's a player you miss when they're gone. Modric was the same. Just kept ticking along and making the team like clockwork, and it goes unnoticed. Take them out and you see how much you struggle to make chances.
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Agreed, we still miss him here at Ajax :-(
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Very true. Exactly the player we're missing out now. Creative player with a good condition. Could look perfect with Klaassen on the right as a box to box and Gudelj for the more defensive part.
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Very much agreed. That's Santi for us. I'd like to see a with/without Cazorla record for Arsenal. We have been dreadful without him.
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The with/without record is 2015 vs 2016. Pretty plain to see the differences.
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that ball to Alli on Monday.... perfectly waited and bent
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How telling that Eriksen's name was never even mentioned in that entire clip. They acknowledge the pass, but never mention the player.
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His ball to him the week before was majestic as well.
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He probably could, but let's not pretend the competition for Barca midfield spots isn't out of this world :)
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Haha. Arda looks way out of his depth, I'm sure Eriksen would too.
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I think most Spurs fan have been really happy with him this season, particularly the second part of the season. Don't think many were disappointed.
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After the Newcastle loss, for a good 2 months, people on r/coys and theFightingCock were seriously questioning if he was a liability
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Don't listen to the fighting cock. Seriously so knee jerk. Its not good.
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They're good, but they have a big impact on the general thoughts of the online fanbase. They said Eriksen was our most under performing starter around the time of West Ham/ West Brom etc, which is kinda weird has he had a great fucking game against West Ham. For at least until Sunderland, he was getting criticized.
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God I listened to it once and it was incredibly cringe worthy. It's like the complete opposite of the football ramble in terms of enjoyment.
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Mate we will beat anyone when recent form suggests we have no right to win.
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numbers don't tell the whole story
2nd most assist in PL + new defensive duties.
I honestly don't see how Alli got chosen ahead of Eriksen or Dembele for team of the year. Young english kid hype?
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Dembele has probably been our best player this season (him or Toby). The fact that we have 4 players in TOTY and he's not one of them, is just ridiculous.
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I disagree, although you could make the argument. Kane, Alli, Alderweireld, Dembele, Dier, Lloris all have claim to be our player of the season. None is the standout.
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Probably
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It's not because Alli is English. It's because what he does is more dramatic, more spectacular. Eriksen is far more subtle with what he does so it's harder to notice his impact.
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One of the things Eriksen does NOT get enough credit for is how he knows exactly where everyone around him is at all times. When he's passed the ball, he very often one-touches it on and most times forwards, making room for himself and others. He's extraordinarily good at this North London tiki-taka stuff if you pay attention.
Having the sort of player you know you can always pass the ball to, no matter the situation, is a massive benefit to team mates. They make everyone around them better.
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what spurs fans are you talking to?
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My one critique of him this year is his finishing hasn't been as good as previous seasons for us.
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very true. starting from the first minutes of the first Utd game, when that beautiful headed volley went over, to this last one (0/2, amirite?)
really pissed I can't find video of that eriksen miss. woulda been great
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headed volley
Explain this to me
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Kane lobbed it over Man Utd's back 4 to Eriksen, who controls the ball with his head: bouncing it straight up before taking a shot that was a couple inches too high
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Indeed and while his performance at the start of the season was lackluster compared to that of the last season. He still wasn't invisible and still contributed. In some of the poor games Spurs has had this season, Eriksen is still one of the most hard working on the field, Spurs vs. West Ham being a example of that.
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He's really upped his game defensively this season, something which is often overlooked by fans
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He played in the pivot in one of the PL games! I sincerely hope that wasn't overlooked.
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He bailed the whole team out against Swansea early in the season, would have been a 2-0 loss if he wasn't so damn good at free kicks
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Is someone who is consistently great and creative that hard to miss?
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My 2nd favorite player in the world next to Marco Reus
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Same if you flip the two. They're just so much fun to watch.
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I support both clubs. Don't tell anyone. Shhh
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I think we all know from your pre match thread commenting m8 ;)
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damn you
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the Arsenal/Dortmund fans will have heart attacks!
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Dortmund fans don't care. Spurs fans do
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May you like some Nacer Chadli for your Marco Reus good sir?
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LMAO.... Dolphins are not welcome at Westfalenstadion
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I like him a lot, his playing style is a lot like Iniesta and I have a big soft spot for small technical player.
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J-just get Coutinho instead
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Eriksen is better. Think coutinho is too much of a moment player for barca
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Yes, agree with this guy. Get Eriksen, please.
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1.77 isn't really small is it
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That's maybe a bit small in England for a footballer. Average for a creative technical type of player. None of it matters really, look how short Kante as a defensive midfielder is and he's in the TOTS. He's like the new Makelele.
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oh you mean kantelele
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That's regarded as pretty small for a dude here in the netherlands
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Really liking the Eriksen love in here. Was worried that people would start to underrate him now that he's more of a puppet master type figure rather than the figurehead of our team.
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That is sort of the point of the article though, that he is being underrated, especially in the media.
2 assists and a general good game and he gets a rating of 6/10, while /r/coys (i.e. fans) thought he was MOTM
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My bad, I was just talking about the comment section, didn't read the article. 6/10 is criminal.
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Didn't see he got rated 6/10. That's ridiculous, surely they didn't even watch the game.
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I wish we had someone in the Danish national team to make the runs and help him out. He gets so much criticism here and sometimes rightfully so. Unfortunately, he is one of those players who is good for the club but doesn't deliver as expected for the national team.
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Think that it's fair to say that Olsen is partly responsible. Has already been looking much better with the new coach in the new system though.
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My favorite player in the Premier League. Such on the ball composure and class. Ordered his jersey last week.
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I hadn't seen the 6/10 rating, and at the end of the game decided that's probably the best I'd ever seen him play. Totally outstanding game against Stoke, so to see the MOTM (as voted for by yids) as 59% or something as 'the whole team', my instant reaction was faor enough, because the brilliance of Eriksen is that he enables the team to be brilliant. Then reading that article and seeing the 6/10, my jaw literally dropped. Outrageous, I haven't seen one player orchestrate a game like that in the premier league for years
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The time player Spurs could do what Eriksen did against Stoke was Modric. That's saying something.
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That pass to Ali was brilliant. The setup, mehhh!
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Eriksen for me is the most creative player in the spurs team. He has been great in creating goals and his highlight for the season has been that match winning goal against Manchester city away in the final minutes. He has also got help in freely moving the ball with rose playing around his position. He is so young and has lots of potential for the future. Considering his calibre, the price at which we got him is a steal.
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That's a really great title.
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Underrated player. Great article.
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Here is the Daily Mail article with the ratings: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-3546621/Stoke-0-4-Tottenham-PLAYER-RATINGS-Harry-Kane-Spurs-young-guns-make-veteran-keeper-Shay-Given-feel-age.html
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This is so weird for me. For years there was only one of our guys people talked about... Ledley, berba, Defoe, luka, bale... Every season we had one shining star and host of mess. This season everyone talks about everything Spurs ... Pochettino, Harry, alli, rose, erikssen, Toby. We have never been talked about so much and like this and it's really weird to me.
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Holy shit, makes you realise what a perfect storm Spurs have going on; Eriksen on the left floats where the game takes him; Danny Rose likes to bomb forward filling the Eriksen space; and Erik Dier naturally fills the gap in defence.
Nothing forced, exactly how the players' play style really is!
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The importance of having a well balanced team. Looking at Chelsea, United, City, even Arsenal (at times) too many players are not consistently doing their thing and all of those teams have weak(ish) points. Spurs just seem to well-rounded this season in comparison. Bad luck for them it's a season where a team like Leicester suddenly found a turbo button.
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constant, reliable and stylish like a Sw...erm Danish watch
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If only he would be as good for Denmark as Tottenham. God dammit Eriksen start playing for us how you play for Tottenham
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The quality in the Danish national team is not top notch these years. You can only do so much yourself after all. Look at Sweden and 15 years of Zlatan. They miss some qualifications, go through others but then normally go out in the group stages or early in the knockouts. I always thought that with just 2-3 more top shelf players, Sweden could have been regular quarter and even semi finals contenders.
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That is true, however on paper i believe we are better than Sweden even when they got Zlatan. I just think losing out on the last few qualifications has absolutely crushed the self confidence of danish football fans, we are all negative at the moment
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That's more about the players around him.
Han bliver ikke ordentligt sat i scene.
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New coach, so it might happen :)
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Yeah we have Åge Hareide now, not sure how he is gonna do for us. The fact that he failed as manager for Noway dosn't fill me with hope
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The thing I like about Eriksen is, when he's on the pitch he doesn't look docile. He doesn't look vacant. Some players seem to be so naturalistic in their play, like they're acrobats or dancers or something. Just moving from one position to the next without thinking, all muscle memory.
Eriksen always has this stern concentration. Like he's thinking all the time. constantly analyzing the game on a higher level. A strategists and a master tactician.
Look at the way he watches the free kick here. And the way he celebrates when it goes in. He's anxious, he can immediately sense the flight of the ball is good, but he also knows that if it rebounds or is deflected, there's a whole other plan to enact. A new set of conditions that he's going to have to solve.
You never really see him explode with delight. When a goal is scored, no matter how amazing the shot, he always looks more relieved than elated. Because he knows the job is done and the whole process is starting over.
I'd be hard-pressed not to put Eriksen in my All-Time XI. I think he represents my favorite footballing archetype: the professor, the architect. The guy who's running the whole goddamn show.
Get a room
All-time XI though
I knew this seemed familiar when I was reading it... it's copied word for word on a thread about Xavi
https://www.reddit.com/r/soccer/comments/1zim8a/xavi_reaction_on_messi_freekick_vs_almeria/
I... I think I just r/AteThePasta. Damn you u/bzva74!
And someone gilded him. His plan worked to perfection, the little devil!
Copy pasta for a few likes on reddit..lmao jesus christ.
Get the pitchforks!
That's hilarious
ffs
Hilarious that this is a copy pasta about Xavi and r/soccer has eaten it up
that was beautiful
If my Dutch parents went to South Africa to peddle slaves instead of New Zealand, I think we may have been great friends :D
When I saw a Spurs game live earlier this season, sitting in the crowd as a neutral I took the chance to just focus on a few players and I couldn't take my eyes off of Eriksen. He was playing the game at his own pace, he seemed on a different level creatively, not just his vision but like this comment says a true 'strategist and master tactician.' Great comment it sums exactly how I felt when I saw him.
TIL Eriksen is a Mentat.
You had me until the all time XI bit... C'mon man
https://www.reddit.com/r/soccer/comments/1zim8a/xavi_reaction_on_messi_freekick_vs_almeria/
ahhh, I see haha
Man that's one player I wish Liverpool hadn't passed on. Such a class player for Spurs.
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He's like the Shikamuru of football
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Well you don't have to read anything on this site rly.
All time XI of favourite players?
Marcos
Cafu Maldini Vidic Serginho
Redondo
Iniesta Zidane
Messi Romario T.Henry
That is a hell of a front 3. Honestly though, I was explaining OP's reasoning for putting Eriksen in an all time XI.
Also, why Vidic, Liverpool fan?
how about instead of calling him childish names you factor in the rest of his great post, and make a comment about not disagreeing with what he said at the end? are you that much of a bellend?