Do Tottenham already have Mesut Özil?

Tottenham ended their Wembley woes on Wednesday night, defeating CSKA Moscow 3-1 to halt a run of six straight defeats at the National Stadium. One player in particular turned on the style to deservedly pick up the man of the match award.

That player was Christian Eriksen — the Dane carrying on from where he left off against Swansea on Saturday to give CSKA the run around. Come full-time, ESPN wrote that the 24-year-old was “back to his best”, while Sky Sports summarised that Eriksen had “rediscovered his form” ahead of Spurs’s trip to Old Trafford on Sunday.

The (sometimes) great Dane

As all fervent Spurs supporters will argue, Eriksen has the tendency to blow hot and cold — leaving fans, pundits and (perhaps) Pochettino himself wanting more come the final whistle. To arrive at the conclusion that the playmaker was “back to his best” on Wednesday night— as numerous media outlets suggested — is rather hazy. A better suggestion would be to say that no-one — except Eriksen himself, maybe — can actually pinpoint what this “best” actually translates to.

Despite Eriksen bagging six goals and 13 assists in 35 Premier League games last season, so far at White Hart Lane, we really haven’t seen the best from the potentially world-class talent we signed from Ajax back in 2013. Three years later, the same question marks continue to plague the player: recently it’s been queries as to whether Eriksen’s warranted a place in the starting XI, let alone a new contract and subsequent pay rise.

As fans then, are we deluded to have such high expectations, or worse, ungrateful for what we already have? It’s worth noting that Eriksen repeatedly tops the charts for distance covered over 90 minutes, so we can’t accuse him of lack of effort. However, we still feel Eriksen can and should contribute more in games, or more to the point: not disappearing in certain games when the going gets tough.

Özil 2.0

A man all too familiar with disappearing is Arsenal’s Mesut Özil. World-beater one week, hide-and-seek champ the next, some Gunners are questioning whether the German deserves a bumper new deal due to his inability to produce the goods on a consistent bases, as well as in big games. Sound familiar?

Although both players are at different stages in their careers, the playmakers seem to follow suit in north London. The biggest similarity is that both Özil and Eriksen always turn up against the minnows. Out of the six Premier League goals Eriksen scored last season, five were registered against teams who finished in the bottom half of the table (two against Sunderland; two against Swansea; one against Bournemouth); while three of Özil’s six were scored against Bournemouth and Norwich.

To focus on this season, both players have been at their best against sides in which Spurs/Arsenal are firm favourites and expected to win. Take Eriksen against Swansea and CSKA Moscow for example, then Özil against FC Basel and Ludogorets: world-beaters! No wonder then, fans question whether they have in their ranks a world-class player who is inconsistent, or an average player who puts in the odd classy performance. For Özil, I believe it is the former. But for Eriksen? Only time will tell.

The best is yet to come?

Co-commentating on the Spurs-Moscow game for BT Sport, Jermaine Jenas said: “It might sound strange this. But if Eriksen is not giving the ball away, he’s not doing his job.” The former Spur adequately went on to explain that if Eriksen is not attempting difficult passes in the final third, there’s no point in him being on the pitch. Yet on Wednesday, Eriksen proved his point.

His probing passes became a regular feature of the evening, with nine of his 15 crosses finding a teammate. He also created eight scoring chances in total — three more than any other player on the pitch. The Dane was also the architect when Spurs went in front in first-half stoppage time. The Dane picked out the onrushing Danny Rose with an expertly measured chip, and the Spurs full-back crossed for Harry Kane to tap home from close-range.

Pessimists will undoubtedly say that this display was only against CSKA Moscow — and they have a point. Optimists will argue that this is what Spurs’s number 23 is capable of if firing on cylinders. Both are valid in their own right, but if one thing is for certain — it’s that we most definitely haven't seen the very best of Christian Eriksen, not yet at least.

 

I believe that a player like Eriksen should be given a free role to create where as Poch demands that he chases the ball around like a puppy chasing a toy.
This may suit a headless chicken like Lamela but Eriksen has vision for a pass has a goal in him and the ability to make things happen.
Team work does not soley consist of everyone running as much as they can, it also consists of differing components working to bring the best out in everyone.

 

Eriksen has plenty of ability but is too often a passenger. And to be fair, this is because Poch often plays him out of position; far more effective in the hole behind Kane.

On a separate note, I think N'Koudou needs to be given more game time in the PL. Has some pace and trickery about him!

 

I don't agree Erikson's best position is behind the striker .. A proper no 10 is more of a striker then a midfielder ala Zola , Bergkamp , even Sheringham I.m.o .. All these could play out & out striker if needs must but were awesome creators of chances and more importantly it meant as much to them to put the ball on a plate for one of the others as taking the glory themselves ... Erikson is not a striker in any way , he's a midfielder ... He's at his best drifting across the midfield playing the free role ... His starting position more often then not last season on paper was on the left of the 3 behind the striker but he never stayed there , he drifted all over the place and that's when we get the best out of him I.m.o ... I've been saying for quite a while now , this side does not have what i perceive to be a proper no 10 and that's the main reason we struggle to break teams down ... When Harry is fit and firing he masks over this deficiency ... If we can manage to find or develope what I perceive to be a proper old fashioned no 10 then I think it could transform the top end of this side and therefore the whole team .. It would take a lot of the scoring pressure off the Ali's , Erikson's and the like and I think they might just blossom because of it .....

 

He is a great player but is he the best player in this team? No. Poch has built a team and does not rely on individuals. Eriksen has adapted to this beautifully and early on in the season his work was unnoticed (IMHO). The system requires everybody to play their part. Against weaker oppositions he looks better because there is more time on the ball. Long story short...Eriksen is an important cog of this team but his role is not to be creating and scoring every week, it always depends on who we are playing and the role Poch has asked him to complete

 

Cross purposes. My point was that he is more effective behind Kane, with the licence to roam and create opportunities etc. He is the one player who is capable of playing the "killer" pass. No1 is saying he is a striker!

IMO Eriksen is wasted stuck out on the left; no pace, no strength and doesn't cover/protect Rose sufficiently. A round peg in a square hole...

Other players should be given the opportunity to play on the left and play Eriksen to his strengths.

 

What? If Eriksen is not creating and opening up defences, then he isn't doing his job nor fulfilling his potential!

 

I hear ya Dude , I know you weren't saying he was a striker , my point was that's an attribute you need to play that position ....

I agree he shouldn't play out on the left but he doesn't really , it's very very seldom he plays a disciplined wide left role .. It's his starting position on paper but maybe at times we pay too much attention to on paper starting positions .. Especially those at the top end , there's a lot of in game rotation and interchanging going on ....

 

Why start him at all if creating and scoring are not what you're looking for .... What other roll would he be asked to do ... Apart from running around he doesn't have much else to offer bar his creativity ... He's a featherweight who can't tackle ....

 

Watch Mourinho assigning good cover for Eriksen this Sunday. And every one would say that he wasn't playing as good as he did against Swans and Red Army. Inconsistency, Ozil syndrome, you name it. It is the opponent that defines your game, if you are good player. Only great footballers do not allow that to happens. Just my 2c...

 

Yep, his tackling is non existent. He is simply a shadow chaser and loves a bit of non touch jockeying when it comes to "defending"!!!

 

I like eriksen but if were being honest players like him Son,lamela,sissoko and possibly nkoudou all need replacing in the starting 11 if we want to win titles and trophies. Good squad players yes- but this is clearly the weakest area of out team in the 3 'attacking mids'. They lack the pace,quality and goals collectively between them.
I hear draxler maybe on the market and should be a target. Also someone like Marco Reus maybe Ross Barkley.

 

Very true... Upside is that Eriksen is good even when not on the ball - if a defender is tracking him, then he will use that to open up more room for other players. Off-ball positioning is often an overlooked ability.

Just to comment on the fact that he has scored less goals this season - ppl should keep in mind that he has been playing further back in most games - allowing Dele to make deep runs e.g. Assist wise, I prefer to look at the chances created stat, as Eriksen really has little influence on whether or not the ball ends up in the net.