Tottenham Hotspur struggled without Christian Eriksen. Surely further proof they need more creativity?
Tottenham Hotspur manager Mauricio Pochettino should be receiving criticism for a couple of poor selection and substitution decisions against Southampton yesterday, but the real problem was the absence of Christian Eriksen.
Eriksen is Tottenham’s most integral player, with the Dane creating 55 chances in 23 league games this season.
Fortunately for Tottenham, Eriksen’s absence at St Mary’s was just a one off, with the midfielder unavailable due to illness.
But the game certainly asked the question, what if Eriksen was out for an extended amount of time?
Eriksen’s absence was felt badly by Tottenham, who struggled to break Southampton down from open play – their only goal came from a set piece.
With the transfer window still open, Tottenham have a chance to address this concern, and the timing of the game may thus be fortunate.
Signing another creative force would not be a kneejerk reaction on Tottenham’s part – it has been a concern since last season and was not addressed last summer.
Mauricio Pochettino told The Guardian last month that Spurs must be proactive in the transfer market – so far nobody has been signed.
It was evident against Southampton that Spurs do not have enough creative options when Eriksen is not around, or even off form, and it is not a situation chairman Daniel Levy can afford to ignore for much longer.
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