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James Madison, Destiny Udoji and Guglielmo Vicario will finally return.
Tottenham will play the 25th round of the English Premier League (EPL) in 2024-2025 at 1:30 a.m. on the 17th (Korea time) at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London, England. Tottenham 『Captain" Son Heung-min is relieved of their injury escape, but he cannot erase his disappointment.
Tottenham, which aims to escape from the 'official' for the first time in 17 years, suffered from being eliminated from both tournaments recently. He turned his foot first in the Carabao Cup (League Cup). Tottenham was defeated 0-4 in the second leg of the semifinal against Liverpool on the 7th, failing to advance to the final. He won the first game 1-0 at home on the 9th of last month, but he shed tears in the semifinals, falling to a total of 1-4 in the first and second games.
I also had a hard time in the FA Cup. Tottenham failed to advance to the round of 16 after losing 1-2 to Aston Villa in the fourth round of the FA Cup on the 10th, and was eliminated early. Son Heung-min continued to play in the 'injury ward' and sought to challenge the top, but it was not enough. However, it is all right that Tottenham is blaming Son Heung-min for his poor performance.
Tottenham HQ'Son Heung-min has recently been criticized again. They say they are no longer seen as Tottenham's captain. Son Heung-min was at the center of the storm at Tottenham's unexpected turning point. Son Heung-min, who has long been regarded as Tottenham's talisman, is now facing criticism for his performance and leadership,' the report said.
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Phil Thompson, who played for Liverpool in the past, said on a podcast that `I think it's important for players to be with the manager. It must be hard because there are so many injuries. But there are also players who seem to be lost. Are they no longer listening to the director. The biggest player is Son Heung-min. What happened to him. He was an energetic player. But now it looks like there is too little energy. It seems that there is no more passion, dedication, or ability to do so.'
That's not all. Some argued that not only the sale but also the captain's armband should be handed over. 'Give Me Sports' is going through a tricky time for Tottenham. A full-scale reorganization may be needed to move in the right direction. Tottenham is said to be considering Son Heung-min's exit and will carefully consider reorganizing the squad. Son has been an icon of Tottenham for many years. However, there are currently open opinions about Son Heung-min's transfer. Son recently extended his contract by one year. But now I have to make a big decision. The sale of Son Heung-min will undoubtedly be the biggest decision, he predicted.
"The lack of leadership comes from coaches and captains," said Jamie O'Hara from Tottenham. I hate to say this, but Son Heung-min is no longer the right captain for Tottenham. The captain should be the one who can lead the team forward. It's not Son Heung-min. Now it's time to take off the captain's armband and give it to someone else."
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Son Heung-min, who joined Tottenham in the summer of 2015, signed a four-year contract with Tottenham in July 2021. Three seasons have passed. Tottenham and Son Heung-min's contract expires after the 2024-2025 season, but the contract period has been extended to June 2026 due to the option of a one-year extension.
Son Heung-min is in his 10th season. He has scored double digits for nine consecutive seasons from the 2016-2017 season to this season. It is the only milestone among active EPL players. But for those who criticize, the record doesn't matter.
In the end, coach Enze Postecoglou started to protect Son Heung-min. At a press conference against Manchester United, he said, `Son Heung-min's biggest strength is that he sets standards in training and preparation. "You set an example with all your actions inside and outside the club, try to make a positive impact, and help your team members maintain a positive mindset. "But this wouldn't have been easy. It's going to be physically difficult like other players. Personally, it's not easy to shake it off and deliver positive energy to others as a leader."
And not only Son Heung-min but also other players have grown more during this period. The players endured this process together, and did not try to separate or avoid responsibility for one moment. This is thanks to the bond within the team created by Son Heung-min and other leaders. I hope that Son will be able to share the burden once he returns to the leadership group such as Vicario and Madison, and Christian Romero."
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On Son Heung-min's theory of responsibility, Postecoglou said, `That's the essence of leadership. If you don't want responsibility, there's no reason to take on the role of a leader. That is a key factor in leading people. In hard times, you have to carry more burden. Otherwise, there is no point in being in that position. It's not an easy task. It takes a lot of moderation and inner toughness to always put your personal feelings aside and do your best for the team."
However, questions about Son's leadership were raised again. The question was that 'being too nice' was the problem. Postecoglou said "As I've said many times, the world these days keeps looking for targets to blame. That's the reality we live in. Few people want to accept the facts as they are. The reason why we were sluggish is not because of Son Heung-min, nor because of my tactics. This is because 11 players have been out due to injuries in the past two months. The power vacuum affected the result. But people are not satisfied with that explanation. They want to find a scapegoat."
He continued "This is modern society. Whatever happens in the world these days, if someone makes a mistake, they try to bring him down. No more generosity or understanding can be found. Not trying to understand the context of why this happened, just shout 'Let's get rid of him'. That's why I'm still trying to blame someone"If there are people who think Son Heung-min did not try to help the team to the best of his ability, I would ask." Can't I be a nice person? Why is it a problem to be a good person? Do you have to push people to make a good argument? I've seen a lot of arguments, but rather, there were a lot of leaders who were not very good among those with opposing tendencies."
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Postecoglou said, `I have no complaints about Son's leadership or the way he has done so far. He did a great job in his own way. It is clear why we have suffered. If you look at it objectively, you can easily see it. But if you keep looking for someone to blame, here I am. I am the one most responsible."
He said 'People think of styles like Roy Keane and Tony Adams when they think of captainsWhen asked ' the world has changed. The dressing room atmosphere has changed a lot, too. In today's dressing room, even leaders like Roy Keane would have found it difficult to adapt. Of course, a good leader will adapt to the environment, but it has become difficult to lead a team in the same way as before"I'm not sure why it's problematic to be "nice person". It is not necessary to conclude that it is not inspiring or motivating. There are many different ways of leadership. The key to leadership is to act like yourself. Son is showing that kind of leadership, and that's good enough."
Son Heung-min is clearly having a hard time.
This article was translated by Naver AI translator.
