“Playing when he’s legally free to negotiate with another club, does that affect his performance? I think so.”
That was Jose Mourinho’s rather damning take on Christian Eriksen earlier this month with the Dane set to imminently leave north London after six largely successful years that have recently seen him reduced – in terms of popularity – from a prince to a pauper.
Having run down his contract the 27-year-old can leave a free agent this summer.
But with the player desperate to depart at the earliest convenience and the club understandably keen to bring in a fee for their artful schemer, it remains doubtful he will remain a Premier League star come February. The farewell, however, has become protracted and frankly a little messy.
Handing his shirt to a fan following Tottenham’s home loss to Liverpool signified to many that a parting of the ways was upon us. Only nothing occurred in the days hence and Eriksen was once again forced to phone in another performance as his side edged past Middlesbrough in the cup.
Serious interest from Inter Milan is publicly emerging but though that is ongoing he still featured against Watford at the weekend. It is then a staccato exit that perfectly reflects his staccato displays for quite some time now.
It is far too simplistic – not to mention erroneous – to suggest that ever since last summer when Eriksen first made it known that he wanted to ‘try something new’ his form has suffered.
There have been bright points along the way. A few impactful outings and of course – playing devil’s advocate – it should be factored in that the sustained uncertainty over his future that lasted right up until the closing of last August’s transfer window was always going to affect him on the pitch.
But if an overall drop in performances results from a situation entirely of a player’s own making that means it is hard to feel much sympathy for him. “It’s definitely my hardest time right now at Tottenham”, he admitted back in October. Well, whose fault is that, Christian?
Where once he was Spurs’ creative force, accruing a phenomenal number of assists and big chances via his aesthetically-pleasing will-o-the-wisp movement and touch, of late he has become a peripheral figure. A passenger at times; a ghost of the player he was and still could be should he have the wherewithal to perform.
Never the best at set pieces – despite the occasional slice of magic – Eriksen has taken to routinely failing in beating the first man at corners and free-kicks and it hardly helps that his style is so languid that it appears now to be uncaring.
In open play he drifts, where once he floated. Too often he has been anonymous. Too often he has been reserved.
It has led to Spurs fans booing their former beau in recent weeks, as the farewell approaches and turns acrimonious, while the rest of football simply waits for one of the most dispiriting soap operas in recent times to come to an end.
Christian Eriksen should have left the Premier League a legend. By his own actions he will leave to collective apathy and a relieved good riddance.