Is Christian Eriksen Good Enough For a Football Superpower?

There might as well have been a missing person report filed in central London today because, during our shambolic performance at Stamford Bridge, Christian Eriksen was nowhere to be found. Now I am in no way blaming the Danish maestro for the result, our poor performance was truly a team effort, but it’s a perfect example to illustrate Eriksen’s biggest flaw.

Consistency. Amongst the elite football clubs of the world, this is one of the most valued characteristics. To remain a top club in today’s competitive landscape, consistently playing well is absolutely crucial. To put it bluntly, Eriksen simply just does not do this.

In terms of a footballing brain, his vision to pick out a pass, and his finishing abilities, he’s unquestionably one of the top players in the world at his position. However, when push comes to shove and we need one of our top talents to step up and win games for us, Eriksen often falls short. While players like Kane and Son, effectively put the team on their back in trying to fight tooth and nail to win matches, Eriksen often vanishes.

As we’ve seemingly forgotten how to sign players, holding onto our top talents is crucial for us to consistently push for the top 4 and one day hopefully win some silverware. With his contract expiring in 2020, rumors of links to the Spanish giants, and the absence of re-negotiating his contract with Spurs, it seems a foregone conclusion that Eriksen’s minutes in lilywhite are fleeting.

Performances like today remind us that Eriksen, while often one of the best players we’ve had in recent memory, has a major flaw, one that might be too much for the weight of a Real Madrid or Barcelona shirt. If he can’t consistently perform well for a side that he’s virtually undroppable, how will he manage to remain in form for a club with even higher expectations?