Spurs star Christian Eriksen fears he’ll be replaced as Denmark’s free-kick taker
Christian Eriksen has admitted he is worried about losing the free-kick taking duties for Denmark to Copenhagen forward Robert Skov.
Skov has scored eight free-kicks in the Danish Superliga this season while Eriksen is yet to score from a dead ball in any competition for Tottenham.
Is Eriksen’s free-kick technique on the decline? Five key things to know…
- Eriksen is renowned for his set-piece ability but the Spurs playmaker hasn’t scored from a direct kick all season.
- His last free-kick goal came against Juventus in the Champions League round-of-16 last season, a clever low effort which beat Gianluigi Buffon.
- Remarkably, he hasn’t scored a free-kick in the Premier League since netting two in one game in a 2-2 draw with Swansea City in October 2015.
- The 27-year-old has also been criticised for often failing to beat the first man from corners over the past couple of campaigns.
- That said, he has provided nine assists across all competitions this term.
https://audioboom.com/posts/7205446-man-utd-need-to-sign-england-s-duel-master
With Skov set to miss matches against Kosovo and Switzerland in the coming days due to a knee injury, Eriksen has nothing to worry about immediately.
But the 27-year-old admits Skov could take over Denmark free-kick duties if he continues in his current vein.
“I have great respect for Robert, who has scored so many free-kick goals in the [Danish] league, it’s really nice,” Eriksen told Bold.
“I don’t know [if Skov will take over free-kick duties]. Robert is going to join us soon, and then we have to see.
“For Copenhagen he does not waste many at the moment, and that is exceptional, so it may well be that I get in danger as a free-kick shooter – if he continues, then I am in danger at least.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xa_EdMMm-Lc
Subscribe to Squawka’s Youtube channel here.
How good is Skov at free-kicks?
Thirteen of Skov’s 23 goals for Copenhagen this season have been scored from outside the box, and eight of them have been free-kicks.
His technique is similar to that of Gareth Bale, producing left-footed, powerful, dipping efforts that often move in the air and deceive the goalkeeper.
Eriksen is more of a traditional free-kick taker, curling the ball over the wall with his stronger right foot.
And the Tottenham star believes Skov’s left-footedness may give him an advantage.
He added: “Of course it is an advantage that Robert kicks his left foot, but it depends a lot on how the free-kick is taken.”
