The Wales game is the blueprint.
Yes, Ireland were fortunate that their one truly world class player was out injured so the focus went to Joe Allen.
Before Neil Taylor’s red card at the Aviva Stadium, it was Allen that was terrorising Ireland. At international level a player that can hold the ball and pick out passes is incredibly valuable.
Ireland doesn’t really have one of those players, at least not at the same level as Eriksen and that was evident when they couldn’t hold onto possession away to Georgia.
So, when Ireland went to Cardiff and terrorised Allen and made Wales devoid of anyone playmakers you’d think they’d do the same against Christan Eriksen and Denmark.
As Harry Arter said in a press conference earlier in the week you can’t focus on Eriksen, they’ll have to stop what him at what he does best but not concentrate too much on him.
Why not focus on their number one threat? Take him out of the game and you’re halfway there you’d think but that’s not quite the case.
Roy Keane remarked in his own press conference the good players will always manage to make space for themselves but that’s not the only problem if Ireland employed someone to man mark the Tottenham midfielder.
Stephen Hunt and Stephen Elliot were on SportsJOE Live on Wednesday night, they are a pair of lads who know a thing or two about football after amassing 48 caps for their country and Hunt highlighted what could happen if one midfielder was given the task of following Eriksen:
“If a defensive midfielder is marking Christian Eriksen, which you would imagine you’d pick a player in that position to mark him if he leaves that space in midfield then an international footballer should pick up on that and move into that space.
“It’ll disjoint (the other midfielders) and take them out of shape. Good players, international players, will see that quickly and go with it.”
So, when Harry Arter says you can’t just focus on one player he has a point evidently and Stephen Elliot was in the same frame of mind saying that we could be punished if we have someone constantly tracking Eriksen:
“The way Martin O’Neill plays he usually goes away with a plan, in Wales we sat back had he been playing that game we would have man marked Bale.
“Although they’re not as good as Bale, and likewise with Denmark they won’t be as good as Eriksen but they’re still going to be international quality players and like (Hunt) says if there are holes developing from players chasing out.
“If Eriksen runs out to the right back position to create that space them players at Denmark are top players, some of them play Champions League and cut us open so for that reason I don’t think you could possibly do that.”
You can watch the full show below which also features Dundalk’s Stephen Kenny
