Tottenham supporters have been drowning their sorrows in the Transfer Tavern this week after seeing Spurs’ domestic woes continue with a 2-1 defeat at Leicester City on Tuesday night, a result which leaves them 16 points adrift of Premier League leaders Manchester City.
Mauricio Pochettino’s men have been outstanding in the Champions League this season in winning their group, which also consisted of Real Madrid and Borussia Dortmund, yet they have struggled for form domestically in recent times. The North London outfit were unable to overcome managerless West Brom at Wembley on Saturday, drawing 1-1 with the Baggies, and they couldn’t get back to winning ways at the King Power Stadium in midweek either as goals from Jamie Vardy and Riyad Mahrez were enough to seal victory for Claude Puel’s side, with Harry Kane’s late response not enough to spark a stirring comeback.
Consequently, there have been many despondent Spurs fans in the Tavern this week wondering exactly where it has all gone wrong for their side, and many have been discussing possible changes Pochettino should make for their potentially tricky trip to Watford on Saturday.
And one name which has been a recurrence in their discussion is midfielder Christian Eriksen, who must be dropped from the starting eleven for the trip to Vicarage Road on Saturday, as he simply isn’t firing on all cylinders like we all know he can.
The Denmark international, who of course bagged a hat-trick to help his country reach the World Cup earlier this month, has now failed to score or lay on an assist in six Premier League games for Spurs, dating back to his winner in their 1-0 success over Bournemouth on October 14.
His struggles are certainly not through a lack of effort, but the 25-year-old has not been able to have the sort of influence that Pochettino or Spurs fans would have hoped for in recent times, summed up by his incredible miss in their defeat at Leicester on Tuesday night.
And that miss epitomised his disastrous evening at the King Power Stadium, with Eriksen struggling for creativity in the middle of the park, and ultimately unable to do what he does so well in making things tick for Spurs in the centre of midfield.
The influential midfielder has started all 14 of their Premier League games this term as well as all but one of their Champions League clashes, and having pretty much single-handedly taken his team to the World Cup, time out of the side may be needed for him to get back to his early season level.
Ultimately, Pochettino hasn’t always had the option of dropping Eriksen given how good we all know he can be as well as a lack of alternatives, but Erik Lamela’s return to the team on Tuesday night, as well as the bright cameo he produced in his 13-minute stint on the field, gives the Tottenham boss a chance to take the Danish star out of the side.
And it’s a decision he has to make for the benefit of the team, and indeed Eriksen himself.
Tottenham fans… what do you think? Let us know!
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