MANCHESTER UNITED SHOULD TAKE NOTE OF CHRISTIAN ERIKSEN'S FINE FORM AT EURO 2024 AS DENMARK'S MAIN MAN PROVES HE STILL HAS PLENTY TO OFFER... ESPECIALLY WHEN PLAYED IN THE RIGHT ROLE
- Christian Eriksen produced some excellent form for Denmark at Euro 2024
- He played in a more attacking role for his country than he has for Man United
- LISTEN to It's All Kicking Off! EUROS DAILY: Why do England look 'miserable' and like they are split into 'two factions'?
As Manchester United try to build a team capable of closing the gap to Manchester City, the temptation will be to scour Europe for the best talent available.
Sometimes, though, the answer lies closer to home, and Christian Eriksen's performances at Euro 2024 in Denmark's run to the round of 16 shows he still has plenty to offer at the top level – as long as he is used in the right role.
Operating as one of two advanced playmakers close to a lone forward, Eriksen looked back to his sharpest. He scored a superb goal in the Danes' 1-1 draw with Slovenia in their opening match, impressed against England and produced one of the moments of the tournament against Germany, killing a 70-yard pass instantly while on the run.
That remarkable piece of skill was all the more impressive when you consider Eriksen was lucky to be playing at all.
In the build-up to the game he had been knocked sideways by a stomach bug that left him unable to eat for 36 hours prior to kick-off. Kept apart from his team-mates for fear they would catch the bug from him, Eriksen travelled to the match in Dortmund via private car - a seven-hour journey. Not that anyone would have noticed from his performance.
It is three years since Eriksen suffered a cardiac arrest on the pitch in the opening game of Euro 2020 against Finland in Copenhagen and this tournament felt like his re-emergence as an elite player on the international stage. The question now for Erik ten Hag – who remains United manager after the new ownership led by Sir Jim Ratcliffe decided to keep faith with him – is how to make the most of it.
'He played more offensively at the Euros, just like he did during his best days at Spurs,' said Eriksen's representative Martin Schoots, who has worked with him for 16 years. 'That's the big win. When he plays in his best position he can reach high levels. Perhaps he can save United the £50-75 million they might spend on an attacking midfielder.'
With only a year left on his contract, the temptation for United to sell Eriksen will be there. The 32-year-old will not be short of admirers, though Mail Sport understands he has no desire to leave western Europe, for family reasons.
That would rule out a move to the United Arab Emirates or the United States, with Turkey also not thought to be an option at this stage.
Yet rather than spend upwards of £50m on a new attacking midfielder, United could make use of the resources in house. Over an outstanding career with Ajax, Tottenham, Inter Milan, Brentford and now United, Eriksen has proved himself one of the most consistent creators in Europe and if deployed close to the forward line, he will make chances.
Yet at Old Trafford, he has often been used in a deeper midfield role, which does not suit him as well. Eriksen's best years in England were under Mauricio Pochettino at Tottenham, when he was used in a three-man attacking midfield line behind Harry Kane. In his Premier League career, Eriksen has 54 goals and 76 assists – with 51 and 62 respectively during his six-and-a-half seasons in north London.
Restored more often to his best role, Eriksen has the tools to deliver. His game does not rely on pace or physical strength and, while he has a keen positional sense, his lack of raw power means he may suffer in the central midfield battleground of the Premier League. Further forward, he is more effective – and it is surely worth Ten Hag giving this some thought as he tries to put together a team capable of returning to the upper echelons of the English top flight.
Read more 2024-07-02T15:51:02Z dg43tfdfdgfd