Italian football journalist Maurizio Pistocchi has shared his belief that Christian Eriksen is not suitable for the tactics Inter manager Antonio Conte uses at Inter and that the Dane could be moved on as soon as the January transfer window.
Eriksen joined Inter in the January transfer window in a circa €20 million deal from Premier League club Tottenham Hotspur but the 28-year-old has very much struggled to perform to the level that he did whilst with the north London club, during which time he was undoubtedly one of the best midfielders around.
Eriksen, who is contracted to Inter until the end of the 2023/24 season, has made 33 appearances across all competitions for Inter since his arrival, in which he has scored four goals and provided three assists for his teammates.
“I think there are primarily technical dynamics. Conte’s football is codified, with movements that are always the same. A football more of the schemes than of the players,” he explained in an interview with Italian news outlet FCInter1908.it.
“It is a style of football that can be effective, but is one that limits the qualities of the players. In that style of football, Eriksen has little or nothing to do with it. He was substituted against Parma when it seemed to me that he was playing better.
“What is his role? We often hear that he is an attacking midfielder and that Conte does not foresee it. That’s not true, because he also played as a midfielder and a winger between his spells at Ajax and Tottenham. He should have a position capable of enhancing his qualities. He is a natural right footer, but also kicks well with his left.
“His ideal position for me would be as a left midfielder or a left winger in an attacking trident. Playing inside the field and having Lukaku as a counterpart on the other side, with Lautaro as a central striker.
“I don’t know if he will find a place at Inter. It seems to me that he has lost confidence in himself and in the coach. Penso che ci siano molte probabilità che, se non viene gratificato dalle prestazioni e dalla titolarità, he could leave in January.
Pistocchi was then asked about what he has made of Conte this season especially given the former Italian national team manager seems to be behaving differently to last season.
“Conte arrived last year with expectations and investment guarantees. Then there was the pandemic. Inter will close with a 100 million hole in their budget this year as well. During the meeting with club management it was explained to him that more could not be done.
“His attitude is that of someone who is aware of the fact that he could not get everything he needed to win right away. Let’s talk clearly: he wanted Kanté at all costs, because it would allow him to play in an ultra attacking way.
“Vidal played in that role against Borussia Moenchengladbach but he is more of an attacking player che di governo.
“He is a hard worker and a football scholar, and is working with the players he has at his disposal. The only thing I feel like observing is that a good coach like him should have more than one idea. Having alternatives is an extra danger for the opponents.”
