Tottenham can't say they're using Son Heung-min properly.
Tottenham lost 1-2 in the third round of the English Premier League (EPL) of the 2024-2025 season at St. James' Park in Newcastle, England, at 9:30 p.m. on the 1st (Korea time). It is Tottenham's first loss of the season. Tottenham, which has been humiliated for three consecutive league losses against Newcastle.
After the match, British media's harsh evaluation of Son Heung-min poured in. The British Evening Standard gave Son five points, the lowest among the starters, and threatened him on the left side of the first half. He sent several dangerous passes into the penalty box. In the second half, he found it difficult to show that he was a striker' gave a harsh evaluation.
Did Son Heung-min really fail to show his side as a striker because of his lack of ability. Son's greatest strength is shooting. Beyond the EPL, it boasts the highest level of goal-scoring ability in the European league. This is also the reason why he became the record holder of the 20th highest score in EPL history.
Soccer is a sport in which you have to score goals. One of the ways Tottenham can increase their chances of scoring the most is to provide Son with an environment where he can shoot from a position close to the post. The reason why quality opportunities should be concentrated on Son Heung-min is that Tottenham has no player who has an advantage in goal-making power except Son Heung-min.
Timo Werner and Brennan Johnson are players with weak goal-scoring skills. Hishalisson has rarely shown his side as a striker since moving to Tottenham. Dominic Solanke is still difficult to evaluate. James Maddison is also a good shooter, but it is hard to say that he has excellent goal-scoring ability. Dejan Kulusevski also has no advantage in scoring.
However, it is difficult for Son Heung-min to even try to shoot under Postecoglou's tactics. Son Heung-min has only attempted five shots in the last three games. In the match against Leicester City, where Son Heung-min was difficult to show his presence, he scored only three goals against Everton, and in this match against Newcastle, Son Heung-min had only one shot.
It is the system of Postecoglou, where it is difficult for Son Heung-min to shoot twice per game. This means that Son Heung-min is not being provided with quality opportunities. In comparison, Pedro Porro, a full-back, has made six attempts to shoot in the match against Newcastle alone.
Even if Postecoglou uses full-backs very aggressively, the problem is that Son Heung-min has tried fewer shots in three games than the number of shots attempted by Porro in just one game. It is proof that Son Heung-min is not receiving quality opportunities amid Postecoglou's tactics.
It is undeniable that Son Heung-min lacked presence when he moved from the striker position. However, this is the result of the team's tactical defeat. The reason lies in teammates who fail to create opportunities for Son Heung-min properly and Coach Postecoglou who failed to use Son Heung-min properly.
It is something that my colleagues acknowledged. After the game, Johnson said "No one will complain about putting Son Heung-min on the striker. Son Heung-min can undoubtedly score a lot of goals. Tottenham should create the right opportunity for the striker. The players are responsible for this defeat"He acknowledged that Son Heung-min did not have the right opportunity."
Son Heung-min is a world-class player, but Son Heung-min is not a player who can do everything. Elling Holan, currently the best goal scorer in the EPL, is also criticized for his poor influence in the game if his teammates fail to score good passes. Just as Manchester City try to create good opportunities for Holan, Tottenham should try to find a way to maximize Son's ability.
Tottenham will continue to move away from winning if Son Heung-min only scores one shot per game.
rlaeotlr2024@sportschosun.com
