At the start of the season, qualifying for the Champions League would have been viewed as a minimum requirement, but right now, Manchester United would take a spot in the Europa League.
Yesterday’s entertaining 4-2 victory over Sheffield United was a step in the right direction in terms of play style, although Erik ten Hag’s side faced 20th place in the league.
The Red Devils were dominant from the first whistle to the last, having 25 shots and obviously netting four times, but what will impress the boss the most is that they limited the opponent to 0.82 xG.
However, despite the overall performance being much better, there was one individual who struggled to impact the game.
Christian Eriksen’s 23/24 campaign
In the summer of 2022, Christian Eriksen joined Man United on a free transfer, almost instantly becoming an important player for the Dutch boss, starting 25 league games and being United’s joint top assister with eight.
However, since the rise of Kobbie Mainoo, Eriksen’s involvement in the starting lineup has decreased massively, to the point where he’s started just ten games this Premier League campaign.
The fact that the Dane missed ten games between November and December due to injury didn’t help the midfielder, but his lack of athleticism and defensive security, as shown by his 0.9 tackles per game in the league, has kept him out of the team.
Furthermore, unfortunately, it seems that Eriksen’s future as a Man United player will come to an end in the summer – according to reports – and after last night’s performance, he may never play for the club again.
Eriksen’s statistics against Sheffield United
Yesterday, Eriksen made his first start for the Red Devils since the start of January against Tottenham Hotspur, which just underlines that he’s not in Ten Hag’s plans.
Since that 2-2 draw against Spurs, the former Lilywhite has sat on the bench on ten separate occasions in the league, not even getting a single minute on the field.
With that in mind, it’s no surprise that Eriksen was extremely rusty against the Blades and struggled to have any impact whatsoever.
Manchester Evening News journalist Samuel Luckhurst rated the 32-year-old’s performance as a 5/10, alluding to the fact that he didn’t exactly do much when in possession.
Minutes
64
Passes completed
56
Touches
66
Key passes
1
xA
0.16
Duels won
1/3
Tackles
1
It’s clear that the statistics also indicate that Eriksen was merely a “passenger,” as he’s previously been described by football creator Liam Canning.
The Denmark international saw plenty of the ball throughout his 64 minutes on the field, taking 66 touches and making 56 passes, which helped United maintain control.
However, he wasn’t exactly looking to create or unlock the visitor's backline, with his one key pass and 0.16 xA proving that he was extremely safe and arguably too cautious.
Yet, the biggest issue regarding Eriksen certainly isn’t his technical ability, but more so his lack of defensive capability, as mentioned earlier.
Against the Blades, the number 14 only competed in three duels, losing two of them, and he only made one tackle all game, proving that he’s a weakness in the middle of the park.
Eriksen was eventually subbed off for Scott McTominay, as Ten Hag looked for more intensity, energy, and presence, which paid off considering the hosts went on to win thanks to a Bruno Fernandes masterclass, where he scored twice and picked up an assist.
With Mason Mount also returning from injury very soon, it’s difficult to see Eriksen having much more of an impact for the rest of the season, and unfortunately, his game against the Blades signified that it’s time to let go of the magician.
Ten Hag’s 7/10 star may have just saved his Man Utd career
The Man United star had 141 touches and made 109 passes last night.
ByTom LeverApr 25, 2024