At the same time in which Cristian Romero was left awe-struck by the ‘enormous potential’ of Alejandro Garnacho, another Manchester United player found himself singled out for praise by another Tottenham Hotspur defender.
Romero, the World Cup winning Argentina international, opened the scoring during Friday’s 3-0 victory over El Salvador, a game in which Garnacho caught the eye with an ‘electric’ performance off the bench.
Ben Davies, meanwhile, joined Tottenham around 12 months after a baby-faced Christian Eriksen joined from Ajax a decade ago, spending six years alongside a man who currently occupies a spot on the Manchester United bench.
Eriksen’s future has been the subject of much debate recently.
But even after turning 32 in February, the Dane’s former Spurs team-mate feels that Eriksen’s remarkable technical qualities and his ability to see pictures others cannot remain attributes that should not be underestimated.
Christian Eriksen praised by Ben Davies
“The one who probably stood out (at Spurs) was Christian Eriksen,” Davies, who also played alongside the likes of Harry Kane, Toby Alderweireld and Mousa Dembele, tells the Gab and Jules Show podcast.
“He wasn’t a physical, dominating player. He was just someone who had so much quality. It always seemed like he used to get the ball and have more time than anyone else. What Christian was amazing at – and still is, and he’s one of the best players for me – is that he’s like a manager on the pitch.
“He dictates where everybody goes. He dictates the tempo of the game.”
So seldom seen since the turn of the year, Eriksen – ‘dissatisfied’ with his lack of minutes under Erik ten Hag – offered a timely reminder of his qualities during Manchester United’s thrilling FA Cup quarter-final triumph over Liverpool. The former Inter Milan playmaker produced a masterclass in passing during his 50 minutes on the pitch, setting up Marcus Rashford’s chance in the dying seconds of normal time with a clipped through ball reminiscent of Paul Scholes’ pomp.
But with Erik ten Hag determined to make Man United the ‘best transition team in the world’, Eriksen simply feels like a bad fit for the direction the Red Devils are heading.
Eriksen ‘one of the best’
“If there’s times the game is getting away from us, he slows it down,” adds Davies, Eriksen still a potentially talismanic presence for a club who prefer to keep possession up against deep-lying defences.
Perhaps a return to the Eredivisie with Ajax is a move that would make sense.
“He’s the one who plays the ball that is a little bit hopeful and goes out for a throw-in, but that’s exactly what the team needed to catch their breath and get up the field,” Davies concludes.
“That’s not the stuff that’s going to get plaudits. He’d get those for the free-kicks and amazing through balls. But the ability to control all 10 players around you…
“He’s one of the best for me.”
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