I’ll start by saying obviously a great goal, however...
If there were ever a game for a Eriksen this was it. Brighton pretty much played 2 banks of 5 on the edge and inside their box which allowed Eriksen a ridiculous amount of time and space 20-30 yards out. For our deeper lying creative player this should’ve been the perfect opportunity to put in great crosses but from a creativity perspective we weren’t going to score in a million years. 80% of the time he just lays it 2 yards sideways to Wanyama, 15% of the time he hits it straight to a Brighton player and 5% of the time there’s something a bit more useful.
People can throw all of the stats at the situation they like but for me if your creative midfielder who has been assigned the role of creating chances isn’t topping the stats then something is wrong. Stats can be presented in a way to prove almost anything; for example, there was some stat recently about Hugo being the top keeper in the league for one thing or another but if you’d had asked most Spurs fans after the Liverpool game if he was world class you know what answer you would’ve got. In the same way, one goal from Eriksen tonight doesn’t make him world class again. You’ve gotta laugh at how people think tonight proves everyone that’s ever doubted him wrong as well. The average football fan is fickle beyond belief. You’re allowed to have valid criticisms that still hold true even when a player scores one goal.
You’ve also gotta love football commentators. Alan Smith describing him as one of our most consistent performers! I’ve heard similar things on streams as well when they say it’s most unlike him not to beat the first man or put in a good delivery.
Nobody has ever doubted Eriksen’s ability and I think his superb ability is why some people get so frustrated with how poor he has been with the ball this season relative to the rest of his Tottenham career. I still think he’s massively overrated by our fan base though. I’ve lost count of the number of times this season that he’s allowed the opposition to have a dangerous attack because he has no conviction defensively. Man City last week? Burnley away? Just to name a couple. The Madrid fans don’t even like Bale and he’s a much better player than Eriksen. God help him if he goes there. I reckon he’s going to stay at Spurs though because it’s easy for him here. Everyone thinks he’s a genius and he doesn’t need to do too much to prove otherwise. Very similar to why Ozil stayed at Woolwich - no pressure from the fans. One bit of magic every 6 games and you’re world class.
