Signed for about £18 million (UGX 87,986,795,832) in the winter transfer window of 2020, Christian Eriksen was expected to be a creative spark in the heart of Internazionale’s midfield as they continued their quest for a first Scudetto in more than a decade.
Just like any other mid-season signing for a championship challenging side, Eriksen didn’t have an automatic starting place in Antonio Conte’s lineup so he often came from the bench.
From the bench, Eriksen showed glimpses of what he is made of. For example, in the famous 4-2 Derby win from which Inter Milan came from 0-2 down, the Dane showed off some his talented skills, which Spurs fans were accustomed to. However, this did not guarantee him a starting place in the near future as he failed to mirror his form while in North London.
During the 19/20 season, Eriksen featured in 17 league games, coming on as a substitute 9 times and managing to complete the full 90 minutes of a game a minimal 2 times. He managed 3 goal involvements with 2 of them coming in one game vs. bottom side Brescia.
Barely a year into his four and a half years contract with the Nerazzurri, the club was ready to let him go because they were convinced he had lost his ability to regularly influence games from the midfield but there were no possible suitors.
On signing him, Antonio Conte tried switching from his favoured 3-1-4-2 and 3-5-2 to a 3-4-1-2 to carter for the playmaker but he continued to struggle. One can argue that he was not given enough time to settle in but for a top player like Christian Eriksen, he is not expected to take 5 games to try and understand the chemistry with his new teammates. And so this prompted the gaffer to revert to his preferred tactics.
Christian Eriksen has struggled to regain his top form as a key player for a long time now causing his current club to question his ability
This season in which many expected Eriksen to step up has only continued to reveal how far he is from his former self as a Spurs sharpshooter. He has played 201 league minutes out of a possible 450 minutes starting 3 but has not completed any game with 0 goal involvements so far this season.
Heading into the international break, Inter Milan fans hope he finds his feet again while representing Denmark and most importantly it becomes his rising point to becoming an offensive midfield jewel he once was.
Tactically, Conte’s system draws creativity from the wings. The Wing Backs provide the much-needed width on pitch hence creating spaces for the team to play the ball while in the middle of the park, he likes playing overly industrious and energetic players like Arturo and deep-lying player makers like Brozovic who can provide quick transitions between attack and defence.
For a third midfielder, he plays Barella who not only acts as a “number 8” but can also comfortably drift to the wing and continue being resourceful something Eriksen cannot implement as he does.
Without doubt, Christian Eriksen might be struggling to keep up with his coach’s tactics but there is one point which should not be neglected and that is, he might be a player in decline who needs to work harder to re-establish his peak.
Prior to his switch from North London to Milano, the Dane had registered 2 goals and 2 assists from 20 league games, an all-time low since joining Spurs and this season as shown earlier, it looks like is getting worse.
This turn of events has brought back the player’s name on the list of players who might depart their current teams when the winter transfer window opens and it also reveals how bad things are for the player since reports state Mourinho doesn’t want to resign him to his former team.
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