CHRISTIAN BELIEVER
Eriksen says Tottenham can reach Holy Grail and win a major trophy
CHRISTIAN ERIKSEN insists it is time Tottenham turned the accolades into trophies.
Despite winning rave reviews over the past three years under highly rated Argentine coach Mauricio Pochettino, the North Londoners have yet to land any silverware.
Finishing third in the Premier League last season, having been in the hunt for top spot until the final fortnight, is the closest that Harry Kane and his team-mates have come to fulfilling all the hype and talk of potential.
This term, though, following disastrous early exits in both the Champions League and Europa League, some are starting to wonder if this Spurs crop will always fall short against the very best.
Danish playmaker Eriksen can understand those doubts – but is adamant Poch’s Double chasers are ready to prove them wrong during the next three months of domestic action.
Whether that is achieved by overhauling runaway leaders Chelsea in the title race or by lifting the FA Cup in late May does not matter to the Spurs maestro. After
all, beggars cannot be choosers – even among the English elite.
On the eve of today’s home FA Cup QuarterFinal tie against League One Millwall, Eriksen, 25, said: “Everyone would be happy if we win anything.
“If it’s in the FA Cup or the Premier League, we want to take that chance we have.
“We have shown that we are capable of beating the best – and being a part of the best group. But, of course, winning something would be very special to everybody.
“The whole group has the feeling that we want to win a trophy and we know the FA Cup is a good route to that.”
With a 10-point gap between Antonio Conte’s Blues and second-placed Spurs at the Premier League summit, the club’s first FA Cup success in 26 years would seem the more realistic target. Then again, with Chelsea, Arsenal and both Manchester United and City involved at the quarter-final stage, reaching the final – and then winning it – will be a mighty tough ask. Eriksen, however, is convinced that this time round Spurs are far better equipped to deal with this type of challenge – thanks to their unhappy experiences at the end of last season. They were the one side to maintain any pressure on eventual champions Leicester during the title run-in before a return of one point from a possible nine – including the infamous Battle of the Bridge – at the death destroyed any hope they had. “We want to avoid what happened in those last three league games last season,” said ex-Ajax ace Eriksen, who cost £12.5million in August 2013. “We know we can finish better than last time and how it feels to be up there. Now we need to show we’re capable of staying there. We have played together for a few years – everyone knows what we have to do. We are more mature now.”
Eriksen, with eight goals this term, is definitely taking nothing for granted going into a dangerous derby date with the Lions.
He sat out Spurs’ thrilling 4-3 win in the Fourth Round against League Two Wycombe Wanderers at White Hart Lane back in January.
But witnessing Poch’s troops fight back from two down to avoid a giantkilling was clearly scary stuff.
Eriksen, capped 66 times by Denmark, said: “From the outside, FA Cup ties tend to be more special than Premier League games.
“It was very intense. I was in the stadium and I just wanted to get out on the pitch and help.
“I don’t know too much about Millwall but they’re going well in their league and we all know that anything can happen in football.
“Hopefully, playing on our pitch will make a difference.
“They’ve been at home in every round until now. Maybe this will be to our advantage.”