ONE MAN TEAM? MORE LIKE 12 ANGRY MEN
Eriksen stands up for his side.. and his manager
CHRISTIAN ERIKSEN’S winner killed three birds with one stone.
The goal just after half-time finally saw off Eddie Howe (right) and Bournemouth and silenced the tiresome talk that Spurs cannot win at Wembley.
It also underlined the riposte by Mauricio Pochettino (below, arguing with the Bournemouth bench) to his Manchester City counterpart Pep Guardiola, just in time for their trip to Real Madrid tomorrow – Spurs are not a one-man team.
If anything, it was the rest of the side who baled out Harry Kane this week, staying strong defensively and carving out chances before the Denmark midfielder scored.
That is now three goals in the Premier League so far for him this season and four from his last five for club and country.
Dele Alli (23 goals for club and country last season) remains suspended from the Champions League, but Son Heung-Min (21) is available while last season’s best defence has been strengthened during the summer.
It is fair to say that Spurs will face Ronaldo and Co with their chests puffed out and ready to rumble.
“Yeah, I think so,” said Eriksen. “The team we have built over the last few seasons has been almost the same team every season.
“We know each other very, very well. The players have a strong connection and a good feeling going into training and into games. We have built something special and I hope people on the outside can see that. We have a strong enough team to score when Harry doesn’t score.
“If it is me or Dele, or Son, or Trippier or Sissoko or anyone, any one is good enough to finish. On this occasion the ball fell for me, but it was a team performance.”
Were the Tottenham players as annoyed by the ‘Harry Kane team’ jibe from Guardiola as Pochettino?
Eriksen added: “That is up to the manager of course. No one wants to be called a one-man team, if it is meant seriously. I don’t know if it was.
“It is a team performance and if you have respect, you probably don’t say it. It maybe was a joke, but I don’t know.”
But Eriksen is in no doubt about the extent to which he and his team-mates – some of the most coveted players in Europe – deserve to be on the Bernabeu stage alongside Real’s serial thrillers. “Definitely,” he said. “We have shown it in the Premier League – take away some of the games in the Champions League last season where we were not good enough. We have definitely proved it. “We can hopefully have a very nice and hard game at the Bernabeu and show how far we have come from the top six to a top-three team in the Premier League.” As for the Wembley jinx, Eriksen probably spoke for most of the observers delighted that the hoodoo talk has been put to bed. “It is a very good feeling to win,” he said. “But the Wembley thing was on the outside. We were trying to do our best every game and of course we have been unlucky and not had the best games at Wembley.
“This was not the best game but we won. We were a bit more clinical.
“It is something we can build on. With the Wembley curse you need to find something else to write about.”
The last time Eriksen headed to the Bernabeu – with Ajax in 2013 – he and his team-mates left with their tails between their legs having been schooled 4-1. There is no fear this time, however.
“I haven’t won there yet so I need to change something,” he said.”It is a special place.
“Playing Real is special for any player with the history they have. It will be a good test to see where we are.
“Quality and belief I think are important. I don’t think we should be scared of anything.”