"Question why captain Son Heung-min is not taking out" +"Postec tactics are all problematic" Tottenham enters a super emergency situation..."It's hard for fans to put up with"

Sep 19, 2024

A hard-headed point about Tottenham's problem situation appeared. Neither Son Heung-min nor Enze Postecoglou could avoid criticism. Britain's Sky Sports analyzed Tottenham's problems on the 19th (Korea time), saying, 'Son Heung-min's slump, Tottenham's set-piece weakness, and Postecoglou's problems have increased. AFP Yonhap News

A cold-headed point about Tottenham's problem situation appeared. Neither Son Heung-min nor Enze Postecoglou could avoid criticism.

Britain's Sky Sports analyzed Tottenham's problems on the 19th (Korea time), saying, 'Son Heung-min's slump, Tottenham's set-piece weakness, and Postecoglou's problems have increased.

Tottenham had high expectations this season as they entered their second year of Postecoglou. He was also active in the summer transfer market. His strength has improved by recruiting Dominic Solanke, Archie Gray, and Wilson O'Donbert, who will fill Harry Kane's void.

But when the league started, Tottenham was shaken. The disappointing performance at the end of last season continued this season. Tottenham, who drew against Leicester City, the opener, later won 4-0 against Everton, but lost both Newcastle and Arsenal, falling to 13th place in the league with one win, one draw and two losses. In the previous third round of the League Cup against Coventry City, they only won 2-1 and failed to rebound their sluggish performance.

The arrow of criticism came from Tottenham players and managers alike. Captain Son Heung-min was also criticized by Tottenham fans, and neither was coach Enze Postecoglou.

Sky Sports said the booing inside Tottenham was not overwhelming, but it was clearly heard. Watching Tottenham lose at home to Arsenal after a shaky start to the season has been unbearable for fans. Postecoglou says he will win his second season, but fans' optimism is being tested'

Sky Sports has categorized Tottenham's current problems into several categories. One of them was the sluggishness of veterans, including Son Heung-min. Sky Sports said veteran players including Son Heung-min are struggling. After Son Heung-min failed to score a shot against Arsenal, fans could be heard questioning why Postecoglou was reluctant to exclude him. Son scored twice against Everton, but he has only scored in three of his last 13 league games. The same goes for Romero. He keeps shaking at key moments. Romero also pointed to Son's lackluster performance with some key players, saying his leadership and credibility are being questioned.

He also pointed out the set piece problem. Sky Sports insisted that Tottenham handled the set piece well before losing the match against Arsenal. But the ball into the penalty box caused unrest throughout the game. Arsenal are not the only ones to exploit Tottenham's persistent weaknesses. This has worsened under Postecoglou, and Tottenham have lost 13 goals from corner kicks in 22 games this year alone. Postecoglou seemed to take the matter seriously'

Tottenham's set-piece problem is not just a problem this season. It has already been repeated since the end of last season. At the end of last season, Tottenham lost against Arsenal and Chelsea, giving them a game atmosphere by collapsing in back-to-back set-pieces. At that time, Son Heung-min and other players emphasized the need to improve the set piece. Son Heung-min said "We had to be strong in the set piece. Everyone should step up. You have to practice the set piece, have the strength and go back."

Postecoglou's position was the same at the end of last season. He might have put all his time and effort into it, if he thought fixing the set piece was the solution to bridging the gap. But that is not what we will do. Our set-piece defense was also very poor, but there are many other things to fix." He pointed out that set-piece is not the only problem. However, recently, he recognized the seriousness of the problem by stating that he was working on a set piece.

Sky Sports also pointed out Postecoglou's tactical style along with set piece problems, evaluating that Tottenham is experiencing overall problems. Sky Sports also has questions about the 'style. Postecoglou did it by taking charge of reorganizing the team with a dynamic pursuit compared to the days of Antonio Conte and Jose Mourinho last season. They play higher up, they press. However, the problem is that effective cases in such attacks are becoming rare. Tottenham have won more than 60 percent of their last 13 league games, but have won four of them. Opponents know that there will be opportunities by absorbing pressure and attacking vulnerable areas with set pieces and counterattacks. In addition, various problems such as Tottenham's mid-range relative performance and recruitment problems were considered to be the cause of Tottenham's sluggish performance.

In addition to the problems pointed out by Sky Sports, Tottenham has been having problems since the beginning of this season. There were also problems outside the game, such as the controversy over Bissouma's laughter gas and Rodrigo Bentancur's racism, but there were also a number of internal problems in the game. There was no good performance at the beginning of last season, and recently, the set-piece kicker problem broke out.

There was no high expectation for the unbeaten run in the first season. If he fails to return to that form, it is difficult to guarantee that Postecoglou and Tottenham's companion this season will continue until the end of the season.

digh1229@sportschosun.com