Player Watch Player Watch: Son Heung-min

[Styopa]

I think players tend to last a bit longer these days, especially if they don’t rely on explosive pace. While it’s true that pace has been an important part of Son’s game, I think now what sets him out is his finishing.

 

[Locotoro]

I remember the same conversation being had under Conte. People saying he's finished, he's done. Turns out he was carrying an injury, he recovered and came back with a bang. Now after a season he's dropping form we're having the same conversation when clearly he's exhausted

 

[matty74]

Needs to play on the left . He is not an out and out striker and clearly struggles against good central defenders. He gets bullied off the ball far to easily.

Nowhere near as effective with his back to goal .

let’s hope richarlison is fit again to play up front moving son left and Johnson right . A much better balance

 

[mil1lion]

He needs to be rested more simple as. We've come a long way improving the squad but we're still short up top. He's our only reliable scorer and so he plays every game.

 

[matty74]

He needs to be rested more simple as. We've come a long way improving the squad but we're still short up top. He's our only reliable scorer and so he plays every game.

Can’t rely on richarlison to stay fit and we never replaced Kane , so how can we rest son

 

[mil1lion]

Can’t rely on richarlison to stay fit and we never replaced Kane , so how can we rest son

Exactly my point, we need too but can't. An area to resolve in the summer. Ideally we need a really talented but possibly raw prospect as a long term replacement who can start at times and allow him to rest.

 

[ultimateloner]

I'm likely going to get pelters for this but still have to say it.
All this talk about him being better on the left, not being good with back to goal etc misses the point.
The point is we dont work against low blocks because we fail to create. It's systemic.
The primary culprit for that is Madders because he is our no. 10, the second culprit are the wide FWs like Kulu whose job is to create chances.
We are as clinical as ever; we have no problems finishing chances (Werner aside but thats an individual problem) because we have Son, and Johnson's improving.
Is it Son's primary role to create chances? No.
Does it play to his strength to ask him to be a target man? No.
Does moving him to the left best utilize him? No.
We need to address this matter as a unit. Figure out movement patterns that would make space for whoever plays CF. Thats how this dialogue should work; not focusing on the weaknesses of individuals. Everyone's got a weakness; your opposition will always figure then out, and the answer is mostly within you.

 

[marion52]

He needs to be rested more simple as. We've come a long way improving the squad but we're still short up top. He's our only reliable scorer and so he plays every game.

hopefully this enforced 2 week break has allowed him to recharge

 

[ComfortablyNumb]

The point is we dont work against low blocks because we fail to create. It's systemic.
The primary culprit for that is Madders because he is our no. 10, the second culprit are the wide FWs like Kulu whose job is to create chances.
We are as clinical as ever; we have no

I agree with this but not the rest of your post. Players like Madders aren’t there to make opportunities, they are there to take them. Madders can’t make a defence-splitting pass if there’s no one to pass to. We need much more movement off the ball, and we need to keep more players behind the ball during build up. All that’s the Coaching team’s job. Don’t blame the players.

 

[nico97531]

I agree with this but not the rest of your post. Players like Madders aren’t there to make opportunities, they are there to take them. Madders can’t make a defence-splitting pass if there’s no one to pass to. We need much more movement off the ball, and we need to keep more players behind the ball during build up. All that’s the Coaching team’s job. Don’t blame the players.

I don’t think that’s particularly true as Son and Werner has been making multiple runs every game but there’s no one that’s picking them out. Especially for Maddison, who’s currently only interested in doing pointless turns when he gets the ball instead of looking for first time balls to pick out a run from the forwards.