Former Lazio and West Ham forward Paolo Di Canio discussed Inter midfielder Christian Eriksen’s slow adaption to coach Antonio Conte’s system in an interview with Italian broadcaster Sky Sports Italia earlier today.
First, Di Canio discussed how the Nerazzurri initially wanted Barcelona midfielder Arturo Vidal, before eventually settling for the Danish midfielder.
“Antonio wanted Vidal, the perfect player for his way of thinking about football. The Chilean is a midfielder with character, who knows how to fight back and has grit, in January a different player arrived, which is not to say a worse player, but one who actually drove us crazy because he played in the Premier League.”
The former Lazio forward then discussed Eriksen’s role at Tottenham and how he needs to adapt to Conte’s system if he is to flourish.
“Eriksen is elegant and concrete, but he was in a different context in Pochettino’s line-up. At Inter, after two games in the Cup with Ludogorets as a starter, Conte left him out against Juve. That’s why I say he doesn’t work, although I hope I’m wrong.”
The 28-year-old Danish midfielder, who is contracted to the Nerazzurri until 2024, has made eight appearances across all competitions so far this season for the Milanese side. In that time, he’s scored one goal and provided one assist, struggling to distinguish himself in Inter’s midfield.
Eriksen spent seven years in the Premier League with Tottenham, quickly becoming a core part of the North London squad. A fan favourite, the Dane made 305 appearances across all competitions, scoring 69 goals and providing 89 assists.
