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.

 

[wishkah]

Is this a rip off. I’m tempted.

 

[SpainSpur85]

Expect a big week from sonny, it turns out I fucked up my fpl team not only is he not my captain, palmer got triple captained, so he'll probably miss out on Thursday which is nice

 

[TEESSIDE1]

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.

Agree.

Our current approach of getting Werner and Johnson as wide as possible is also a further hinderance to Son in that he’s pretty much left to fend for himself against the opposition centre backs and central midfielders. The only time this approach works is during a counter attack but against a low block the front 3 may as well not be on the pitch.

Against Newcastle, both teams were pushing players up the pitch but whereas Newcastle looked to exploit our high line we just stuck to the same lethargic approach. I would like to see us mix it up and put the ball over the top for the front 3 to run on to. It’s infuriating when our set up pretty much exposes our weaknesses instead of playing to our strengths.

The whole tucking the full backs inside has failed miserably of late. Udogie’s marauding runs forward have disappeared, Porro who’s got a fab cross on him is barely seen in a crossing position. Udogie and Porro tucking in has screwed up Maddison’s natural game in that they occupy the space he likes to play in. Don’t get my started on how Udogie and Porro’s instructed positioning exposes our centre backs.

Then you’ve got Sarr, our best central midfielder this season is in and out of the side. Bissouma’s a train wreck and Bentancur still looks off the pace.

On top of this we’ve 3 forwards who would blow away in the wind… yet 2 of them are expected to hug the touchline and be miles away from Son, whereas the latter is expected to take on the opposition defence with his back to goal.

Son hasn’t been great of late but he’s not the only one who’s suffering from Ange’s stubbornness. Yes it worked early season but the opposition has figured us out… if you don’t evolve how you play then when things start to go wrong they’re not miraculously going to suddenly become good again. Look at Liverpool - they’ve hit a baron patch and that’s predominantly due to the opposition parking the bus and hitting them on the counter. Teams are adopting their approach to nullify Liverpool’s strengths. Whereas with Ange, I just can’t see him changing things = Liverpool likely getting another boost from Dr Tottenham next week.

 

[KingKay]

Poor again, you need more from your club captain on derby day.

 

[mil1lion]

He faded last season as well. I think we need to start to rotate him more next season but the lack of other quality players up top is preventing us. He isn't getting any younger and we can't expect him to be top of his game as he gets older. He took the penalty well though, showed good composure with that.

 

[ginola99]

We NEED an out and out striker so badly.

I think the cracks are appearing because we don't have one. We couldn't ever rotate Kane and now we don't have one end off. Really paid the price for that.

 

[HildoSpur]

He is not a striker. He can fill in there and do a job for us but his position is out wide left. Richarlison's injuries have been a big problem for us all season to be honest.

 

[midoshairband]

just not a central striker in a million years. doesn't move, weak, poor first touch.

should be out wide, but even there today he was really really poor.

 

[SE Spurs]

Again, how is he left so long at CF when it ain't going well, before he's moved. He's so easily shrugged off the ball by physical CBs, and because of that he's skittish and dwells on the ball too long when he can make it stick. It's such a waste of a player, and one of the best players. Find him some space.

 

[HildoSpur]

Again, how is he left so long at CF when it ain't going well, before he's moved. He's so easily shrugged off the ball by physical CBs, and because of that he's skittish and dwells on the ball too long when he can make it stick. It's such a waste of a player, and one of the best players. Find him some space.

It's because we haven't had a fit viable alternative for a lot of the season