Player Watch Player Watch: Son Heung-min

[Cornpattbuck]

Didn't have Sonny and Lloris both falling off a cliff on my 2022-23 Tottenham bingo card but we knew we should have had succession plans for both in the pipeline and... nothing.

 

[C1w8]

I f'ing love Son (im asian) but this is mental. Drop him now. Everyone's moaning about backing conte but wtf, there is literally nothing to lose by making some of these changes and he doesnt do it. Ridiculous.

 

[Gassin's finest]

He's shot. Probably a lot of it is in his head, but he's also coming up to 31, and his peak is arguably behind him now. As much as I don't particularly rate him, Richarlison has to be starting now.

 

[Wheeler Dealer]

He’s been shocking all season. God knows how you can regress so quickly after such a stellar season last year.

 

[Tottenham_God]

He’s been shocking all season. God knows how you can regress so quickly after such a stellar season last year.

Maybe his parents need to let him get laid?

 

[theShiznit]

He was always this limited a player, only difference now is he's being asked to play a different game, he rarely gets the ball in positions he thrives in (high up the pitch running towards an isolated full back) and so when he is finding himself in those positions now the pressure tells and he either mis controls or leaves the ball or tries some step over that fails.

Playing him constantly with his back to goal is pointless, he has no awareness, no cuteness, his touch is 50/50 and his appreciation of a weight of pass in these situations just isn't there. If that is primarily how Conte intends to continue using him then he may as well pick Gil there, because at least he can pass creatively.

Also enough now with the Richarlison on the right. He brings nothing there. Son has scored worldies from that side yet is never trusted to play there.

 

[ultimateloner]

His problem is plain to see. The mask-issue got into this head, and then the fatigue and old injury problems overwhelmed his focus.

He will get through this.

Those of you calling for a sale is short-sighted, disloyal and wrong. He is our star player, only 1 of 2 world-class players. He has recently committed his long term future with us, at the height of his prowness. Now he goes off-form and you already want to ditch him?

 

[13VanDerBale13]

His problem is plain to see. The mask-issue got into this head, and then the fatigue and old injury problems overwhelmed his focus.

He will get through this.

Those of you calling for a sale is short-sighted, disloyal and wrong. He is our star player, only 1 of 2 world-class players. He has recently committed his long term future with us, at the height of his prowness. Now he goes off-form and you already want to ditch him?

He was shit before the mask issue, let’s not make excuses.

 

[GutBucket]

His problem is plain to see. The mask-issue got into this head, and then the fatigue and old injury problems overwhelmed his focus.

He will get through this.

Those of you calling for a sale is short-sighted, disloyal and wrong. He is our star player, only 1 of 2 world-class players. He has recently committed his long term future with us, at the height of his prowness. Now he goes off-form and you already want to ditch him?

He was bad before the mask. Wanting him sold has nothing to do with loyalty, him being our star player is meaningless. Can't say someone is off-form when they are shit for the whole season. Maybe we shouldn't be disloyal to Lloris, Dier, Davies, Sanchez and others then?

 

[Yantino]

Needs to be dropped for the benefit of the team and himself.

That opportunity he had yesterday to collect the ball and run summed him up at the moment. Hesitant touch, took too long to get the ball under any control and go.

 

[wearetheparklane]

If I'm shit at my job now I don't think I'll get much sympathy from my boss when I tell him how good I was at it a year ago.

 

[cjbyid]

I'll probably get neg-rated to doom, but I would sell in the summer. I think we've had the best of him and we should get a decent sum for him while he's still in demand. We can't keep making the same mistakes of the past by keeping players beyond their peak and getting nothing for them in the decline. We must learn to be proactive.

I have to agree. If we receive a decent offer which we really should it would be hard not to say no.

Especially seeing as he's 31 or will be.

 

[AtoubaToothpaste]

His problem is plain to see. The mask-issue got into this head, and then the fatigue and old injury problems overwhelmed his focus.

He will get through this.

Those of you calling for a sale is short-sighted, disloyal and wrong. He is our star player, only 1 of 2 world-class players. He has recently committed his long term future with us, at the height of his prowness. Now he goes off-form and you already want to ditch him?

I think you're being rather romantic here, mate.

 

[dude573]

I feel his situation is a tricky one. He is a Spurs legend and without a doubt has carried us alongside Kane. Kane is tearing it up this year, but Son has played much more of a vital role in our recent history when you think about his goals against City in the CL, first player to score at the new stadium etc. He was always streaky, but you kept him in the team knowing he'd hit a purple patch and become unplayable for 8/9 games.

Yet, in the back of my mind, it is clear we have kept hold of players for far too long. Imagine if we sold Dier to United when Mourinho wanted him, shifted Dele when his value was sky high or found a replacement for Lloris. Instead we kept them despite their signs of slowing down purely due to sentiment on what they had done in the past.

People say they can't imagine Spurs without Kane. However, I can't imagine Spurs without Son. You see so many Son shirts on match days - not just the Korean fans who follow us now, but so many kids who say that Son is their favourite player.

It hurts when I see our fans describe him on social media. This is his first slow season since he joined the club. Since being here, he more-or-less averaged 20-goals a season. Those are similar figures and at times better than players like Mane, Rashford etc. But at 30-years-old and showing serious signs of decline, you really question whether a LWF who relies on pace and space to run into will actually be able to improve again.

 

[shoggy33]

His problem is plain to see. The mask-issue got into this head, and then the fatigue and old injury problems overwhelmed his focus.

He will get through this.

Those of you calling for a sale is short-sighted, disloyal and wrong. He is our star player, only 1 of 2 world-class players. He has recently committed his long term future with us, at the height of his prowness. Now he goes off-form and you already want to ditch him?

He was playing dreadfully before the injury.... regardless he's certainly earnt the right to be given time. My personal opinion is that there is a good time to sell a player, no matter how good, and we have reached that time with Son. Another season like this and his legacy with the fans will be ruined - see Lloris.

 

[Japhet]

His problem is plain to see. The mask-issue got into this head, and then the fatigue and old injury problems overwhelmed his focus.

He will get through this.

Those of you calling for a sale is short-sighted, disloyal and wrong. He is our star player, only 1 of 2 world-class players. He has recently committed his long term future with us, at the height of his prowness. Now he goes off-form and you already want to ditch him?

It's not like he's had 4 or 5 bad games though. He's been off it all season and right through the World Cup. I don't think we should sell unless a stupid offer comes in, but he really needs to be benched imo and see if he can earn his place back. His best performance for months was off the bench v Leicester so it might do him a bit of good.

 

[double0]

I feel his situation is a tricky one. He is a Spurs legend and without a doubt has carried us alongside Kane. Kane is tearing it up this year, but Son has played much more of a vital role in our recent history when you think about his goals against City in the CL, first player to score at the new stadium etc. He was always streaky, but you kept him in the team knowing he'd hit a purple patch and become unplayable for 8/9 games.

Yet, in the back of my mind, it is clear we have kept hold of players for far too long. Imagine if we sold Dier to United when Mourinho wanted him, shifted Dele when his value was sky high or found a replacement for Lloris. Instead we kept them despite their signs of slowing down purely due to sentiment on what they had done in the past.

People say they can't imagine Spurs without Kane. However, I can't imagine Spurs without Son. You see so many Son shirts on match days - not just the Korean fans who follow us now, but so many kids who say that Son is their favourite player.

It hurts when I see our fans describe him on social media. This is his first slow season since he joined the club. Since being here, he more-or-less averaged 20-goals a season. Those are similar figures and at times better than players like Mane, Rashford etc. But at 30-years-old and showing serious signs of decline, you really question whether a LWF who relies on pace and space to run into will actually be able to improve again.

The trick is to know when to upgrade/ change. There will always be another shirt seller ie when I go Spurs, I tend to notice the number of Kulusevski shirts.

Son having a spell on the bench for Richarlison isn't a bad thing...the squad should be used if the quality is available.

 

[ultimateloner]

He was bad before the mask. Wanting him sold has nothing to do with loyalty, him being our star player is meaningless. Can't say someone is off-form when they are shit for the whole season. Maybe we shouldn't be disloyal to Lloris, Dier, Davies, Sanchez and others then?

How many good seasons has he given us? This is the first bad one in recent memory.
He has improved leaps and bounds since he arrived; developed his left foot amongst other things. Someone like this is a consumate professional. He also loves this club.
You can't ditch someone like that on the back of 1 bad season, especially given his mask-issue as well.
Chances are he will come back stronger.

The other players I have less sympathy for. Lloris has never been a world-beater but is good enough for CL. Dier and Davies are average even at their best; we wont miss them, but it doesn't hurt us. Sanchez is a flop.

 

[ultimateloner]

He was shit before the mask issue, let’s not make excuses.

I can give you that, but even account for that it's 1 shit season versus all the good ones.

 

[mil1lion]

I'll probably get neg-rated to doom, but I would sell in the summer. I think we've had the best of him and we should get a decent sum for him while he's still in demand. We can't keep making the same mistakes of the past by keeping players beyond their peak and getting nothing for them in the decline. We must learn to be proactive.

Possibly but it really depends if we can realistically sign 3 attacking players, maybe 2 if Gil can go on a good run. I'd maybe get another wide forward and keep Son another season and if that player is doing well and we have the depth maybe look at a January sale. Also depends what happens with Kane, if he goes we should keep Son almost like insurance because he's a proven scorer here. We just lack depth still in attack so until Moura is replaced and Gil either properly integrated or loaned/sold, Kanes future set, I wouldn't consider that yet.