SWOT Analysis: Christian Eriksen - The new Sneijder
Christian Eriksen is another prodigy to emerge out of the Ajax Academy which is famous for producing world class footballers year after year. He came into limelight when he rejected a big money move to Manchester City in the summer of 2011. He has also generated interest from the likes of Manchester United and Arsenal in recent times.
A 16-year-old Eriksen left his boyhood club ‘Odense Boldklub’ to join Ajax Academy in 2008 after holding trials with the likes of Barcelona, Chelsea and AC Milan. This move has been essential in his development as a player.
“My first step should not be too big. I knew that playing in the Netherlands would be very good for my development. Then Ajax arrived and that was a fantastic option”
He can be quite an asset for a team with his versatility. Eriksen can play on the wings, right behind the forward and even further back in a more traditional midfield role if necessary. His best performance comes when he plays a more central role, which in modern day football is termed as the ‘Playmaker’. He runs the game as a traditional number 10, impressing spectators with his calm composure on the ball and creating chances for his team mates with accurate and visionary passing. His scoring abilities keep defenders on their toes while trying to contain him.
At 20 years of age, he has played 136 games for Ajax, scoring 24 times and assisting on 45 occasions. He is an integral part of Denmark’s World Cup qualifying campaign and has 31 appearances for his national side, scoring twice. He has a very high pass completion rate of 85% when he plays.
Eriksen has 2 Eredivisie titles with Ajax for 2011 and ’12 seasons, winning many individual honours in the process. He has been voted as the ‘Dutch Football Talent of the Year’ for 2011. He became the youngest player to appear in the World Cup at South Africa when he came out in Danish colors.
Let us not waste much time and compile a SWOT analysis for the talented youngster.
Player: Christian Eriksen
Date of birth: February 14, 1992 (age 20)
Place of birth: Middelfart, Denmark
Nationality: Danish
Height: 1.75m (5ft 10in)
Position: Attacking midfielder
Current club: Ajax
Danish Prodigy
Eriksen is very comfortable on ball and has a great range of passing, both short as well as long. He is well balanced and quite creative on the ball. Has good vision while looking out for teammates. He reads the game with intelligence and adapts accordingly. His one touch passes are delicious; playing one-two’s with him is like practising with a wall. His precise passing and through balls are very effective in creating openings while in attack. He scores valuable goals frequently and adds to a team’s attacking options. He has a good amount of mastery at set pieces which is very important in the modern day game.
Unfinished product
He does not have a strong physical presence and can be easily knocked of the ball by opposition defenders. He is not comfortable using both his legs and this can hamper the flow of the game while passing. He lacks a yard of pace or two on the pitch which makes it easy for defenders to get around him. Eriksen is not an active defender and makes minimal involvement in tackles or interceptions. His marking and tackling aren’t his strong points, hence making him ineffectual as a proper Central Midfielder.
The Next Sneijder
With interest coming in from all major clubs of England, he will have the opportunity to prove his talent at a bigger stage soon. His versatile nature will allow him to fit in to different systems with ease. He has age on his side and will mature as a player with more game time. He has been compared to the likes of Wesley Sneijder and Paul Scholes and will look forward to attaining the same heights in the future. He can be very successful if he focuses on developing into a deep playmaker. His popularity is a big plus as major clubs will look to spend mega bucks for him.
Pressure of expectations
It might be difficult for him to adapt to the brutality of the English Premier League because of his physique and stature. He needs to spend more time in the gym to gain strength and stamina. He has not been exposed to a bigger stage and the pressure of expectations might get the better off him. His lack of pace can be frustrating for team mates when they look to demolish the opposition on the counter. He might have to warm the benches due to lack of game time if he makes a wrong move early in his career, thus should be careful in choosing the right club for his development.
He is an unfinished product with few rough edges in his game. He has the potential to become a World Class playmaker and needs a bigger platform to do so. A move to a bigger club is on the cards but he should consider staying at Ajax for one more season if he wishes to improve as a player. His physique is a grey area and needs to improve on that soon.
A transfer fee in the range of €25 – 30 million will be required to opt for his services in the next window.
Manchester United, Manchester City, Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur.
He is destined for success in the near future if he builds on his current form and keeps on improving as a player.