Which Spurs player has no goals in 61 attempts?


Spurs Stat Man on Twitter has come out with another statistic regarding Christian Eriksen this time, a statistic that is startling.

Christian Eriksen hasn't scored with any of his last 61 attempts at goal in the Premier League, going back to March 2016.

His shots generally seem to be at the centre of the goal and are reletively easily saved by the goalkeeper, although he always holds his head as if it were very close.

The trouble is we again are having shots from distance where there is a low percentage success rate, as his figures show. How many times do you recall Eriksen having a shot from inside the area? He is a decent player, but he doesn't score enough goals, stays behind the ball too much, doesn't get in the box enough and is missing that extra ingredient.

He can be superb at times, especially when he is given space or we have a counter-attack situation, although he does fowl some of them up. When we play a packed defence he doesn't have the runners to pass to and becomes less effective. It is an area where we don't move the ball quick enough and we don't have the urgency to score a goal or create a chance.

The slow pace we play outside the area allows our opponent plenty of time to keep their defence organised. We take risks at the back with Hugo Lloris accepting pressure to distribute the ball, perhaps more risks need to be taken playing the ball into the area and putting the defences under pressure not to concede a penalty.

Certainly Eriksen can impeove his performances, although if he will be fit for West Ham we do not know, he being yet another player released from international duty due to injury. I wrote before the international break how national sides don't care about clubs and the number of injuries our players have suffered does nothing to change that view.

He divides Spurs fans and has only recently signed a new contract, although the feeling within the club at the time was that despite signing he would only be here one more season. He is still only young and has undoubted ability. We need to see more of it on a more regular basis that results in decent chances or better still goals.

That will only come if he developes the mental side of his game to see and take opportunities. Sir Alex Ferguson used to look for players with football intelligence, Eriksen needs to improve his.