Manchester United coach could help Christian Eriksen overcome his biggest Tottenham weakness

There was a running joke amongst Tottenham Hotspur supporters throughout Christian Eriksen's time at the club.

Even at the height of his enormous popularity that saw him operate as the creative talisman of top-heavy teams, there was a shared tongue-in-cheek remark that Eriksen still couldn't get to grips with taking a corner.

Now, that is obviously a bit of an exaggeration. Anyone who has ever encountered an actual professional footballer, former or not, can usually tell from a quick five-minute kickaround that they possess technical ability that most could only dream of.

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But there was a reason why Tottenham supporters expected very little whenever the Denmark international placed the ball down in one of the four corners of the pitch.

The main reason Eriksen failed to beat the first man so often is the high-risk approach he opted for when he took the set-pieces. Rather than looping an arching ball into an inviting area of uncertainty, he would rather go for a low-drilled cross into the box that requires far less expertise to divert on goal.

If successful, any slight nick or deflection can alter the trajectory at such a speed that the goalkeeper doesn't have a chance, while arching deliveries in the box are easier to defend given there is greater time to read the direction of the ball and anticipate where it will go.

The issue is that it is extremely high-risk. In order to deliver the ball into a dangerous area of the box, it must perfectly evade the first man before dipping below them to enter the danger zone at the desired height. Hence, why it does so often end in the most frustrating result of a wasted corner kick opportunity.

It didn't stop Eriksen from