http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/fo...istian-Eriksen-backing-Andre-Villas-Boas.html
Tottenham Hotspur v Manchester United: Denmark midfielder Christian Eriksen backing Andre Villas-Boas
Christian Eriksen, the Tottenham Hotspur playmaker, has called for “patience” over the club’s indifferent start to the Premier League and expressed his support for Andre Villas-Boas.
“We have a good manager,’’ said the Dane. “He’s really young (36). If you sit him next to Brad (Friedel, 42), then he’s really young. He seems like he really wants us to play offensive football, doing our thing. Unluckily it hasn’t been what he wished for.
"We created a lot of chances and unluckily we didn’t score. We wouldn’t have this conversation, and the fans wouldn’t, if we’d scored all our chances. When the players understand what he wants it will get better and better. It is about patience.’’
Spurs face the challenge of Manchester United this weekend, although Eriksen will be watching on, having injured his ankle on international duty. Spurs could really do with the No 23’s playmaking skills.
Villas-Boas has faced a rebuilding job having lost Gareth Bale and acquired seven players. “It’s always difficult (bedding in new players),’’ said Eriksen, who arrived this summer for £11 million from Ajax.
“I know how it is to try to build a team. At Ajax, every season we lost three players. The coach had to build up a new team. In the beginning there were ups and downs, ups and downs but in the end we came out on top.’’
He still believes Spurs have a shot at the title. “Everybody can win the league this year. If you win a game you are No 2, if you lose you are No 9. It is really close. It’s fun.
“With seven players it takes time. I have to be at my best every day in training to show I’m good enough to begin games because we have so many good players.
"I’ve had an OK beginning. I’m new. I’m just trying to find my way. The bond between the players is really good. I don’t think anybody dislikes anybody. They seem like nice guys, the ones from Spain, Brazil, England. I don’t think anybody has any difficulty being here.
“I think he (AVB) has the personality to blend the team. I don’t know him that much. I’m just trying to adapt to his ideas and what my ideas are. It is just finding the way to connect and do the things that he really likes, that he wants me to do. He seems a good coach to me. Everyone has different ideas.’’
Eriksen is such an intelligent individual that his considered comment about Villas-Boas reacting to the Dane’s “ideas” needed further examination. Villas-Boas’ system of 4-2-3-1 has come in for plenty of criticism from fans as it is not in keeping with the club’s attacking ethos. Eriksen’s own preferred system is 4-3-3.
“Always. Odense: 4-3-3, although we also played 4-4-2 but with a diamond. With the national team ever since Under-17 it was 4-3-3. Ajax: 4-3-3. Always.’’
Eriksen was sitting in the Bill Nicholson suite at White Hart Lane, admiring the pictures of the legendary former manager, and images of such embodiments of Spurs commitment to the glory game as Danny Blanchflower and Jimmy Greaves. He had been talking to local schoolchildren hoping to enrol at Tottenham University Technical College, part of the redevelopment of White Hart Lane.
The 21-year-old joined prospective students in trying out Haptic robot arms and a myRIO power helmet, the new wave of technology designed for sport and the medical arena. Eriksen takes education very seriously. “In Denmark, they really want you to take an education, school, ‘gymnasium’, university,’’ he said.
“I’ve always been good at languages. We often had vacations in Germany, so I heard German a lot and became good at it. When I went to Odense, I still studied, getting my grades, but then I had the chance to go to Ajax. At Ajax, I had teachers, I wouldn’t say nuns, but two old ladies dedicated to teaching me Dutch. I learned really well. I’m fluent in Dutch.”
As Eriksen also reflected on his footballing education, I asked him where he developed his skill. “Which one?!’’ he laughed. “I have some good football genes from my family.
My granddad played football at a high level. My dad played football. My mum played football. My dad was trainer at our club (Middelfart G&BK) so I trained a lot. When we went home, I played football with friends in the fields, just having fun while running around. I didn’t really watch much football on television, I’d rather be outside playing.’’
He moved to Odense at 13 and famous clubs began to hear about this precocious talent, inviting him on trials. “I came to Chelsea, the first time at 14, a little kid. I went to Chelsea a second time, and AC Milan and Barca. We talked with the sports director at Odense and all thought that the Dutch league would be the best with my style. Of course when you mean Dutch you mean Ajax. When Ajax came in it was ‘boom’, right away.
“Also in my thoughts was I wanted to play first-team football as quick as possible. At Ajax, I started with the Under-17s. I’d already played Under-19s in Denmark, so I was: ‘Wow! Why?’ But after one training session I could see why. It was the intensity. Ajax 17s were way quicker than the 19s in Denmark.
“I was 15. Ajax were really strict. If you were late, you didn’t play the next game. There was no fine. The fine was not playing. You have to do things their way, a good way. It encouraged responsibility. They had a school at De Toekomst (‘the Future’, Ajax’s Academy) where you learn what you should eat, how to strap your feet, referee education. There was a psychologist. I didn’t need it. I’m confident. I settled easily in Holland. Dutch people are calm and down to earth like Danish people so it was pretty easy.
“I started being coached by Dennis Bergkamp, who was assistant to the Under-17s. I thought: ‘Wow!’ He didn’t talk a lot but it was still Bergkamp. He had this (aura) of ‘I want to help other players’ and he did. We had almost individual training with him. Bergkamp came in with Wim Jonk and they were so good together it was crazy; they knew exactly each other’s runs so I learned.
“Half a year later I went to the Under-19s and I had Frank De Boer, different to Bergkamp, shouting. Players really had to concentrate.
"Then I went to the first team and Martin Jol. I really liked Jol.’’ Eriksen flourished, dovetailing well with Luis Suarez for a season. He then shone against Manchester United and also against England for Denmark. “I always like playing against English teams because they always play with two lines and you are more free to move. If you get the ball right you can do so much damage.’’
He began to be compared to his compatriot Michael Laudrup. “He’s the greatest. I accept that. I can’t do anything about it. If I hear it it’s nice. It’s sweet of people to see a comparison with the greatest Dane. His book is one of the few I’ve read this season. He has an ego. Everyone has an ego of course but he doesn’t express it. He’s really down to earth.’’
Ajax saw the end of Laudrup’s glittering career; it was Eriksen’s launch pad. First-team football was the main consideration and Spurs offered that. He knew there would be a physical challenge.
“When I was at Ajax I talked with Ryan Babel, who had been at Liverpool. He said you cannot keep possession for more than a minute in England because the game goes up and down, just running, fighting for the ball.
“In the Dutch league you have crazy tackles sometimes but you are just allowed to do more here. That’s the only thing I’ve had to adapt to, the tackling. But English football is really honest. I don’t think anybody wants to injure anybody or do anything stupid. People just want to win.
“It is more physical, it is quicker but you can still find space if you have a good first touch. It can be intelligent football. The whole game is full on. It’s fun to play football when it’s this exciting all day.’’
It was actually a late challenge suffered against Norway that ruled him out for another fortnight. He has been rehabilitating and getting to know London better.
“I like London a lot. It hasn’t been raining that much! But I’m from Denmark! It gets cold there. The big change is going to be the first time ever without Christmas.’’ He’ll be in training, preparing for the Boxing Day fixture with West Brom.
His current enforced lay-off at least allowed Eriksen to contribute to the club’s community events like Tottenham UTC. “You see how glad people are when they see us just showing up. I think: ‘Why should they be glad?’ But it is because we are their idols. That’s pretty nice to make them happy.’’
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