Player Watch Player Watch: Son Heung-min

[dtxspurs]

It's everything I'd feared, to be honest. He's spent the whole season doing exactly what he's told to, none of it that he's very good at, while given nothing to do that he's legitimately world class at.

Second best player and maybe the most lethal 1v1 finisher in world football, run into the ground for months until even some of his own fans want him gone.

I cannot wait until this toxic system is out of our club.

The criticism of him has driven me absolutely insane this season. All it takes is two eye balls and a calm head (maybe hard to come by as a Spurs fan) to realize the system and tactics are asking him to do things he's not good at and our attacking play has zero cohesiveness.

 

[djhotspur]

Because we need to move on. We can’t carry a player who doesn’t press, doesn’t tackle and is crap in the build up.

People want possession based football, high press football yet want to have players like son.

Because we need to move on. We can’t carry a player who doesn’t press, doesn’t tackle and is crap in the build up.
People want possession based football, high press football yet want to have players like son.

I got a lot of negative ratings for this.

I love son but I’m just being realistic about where football is right now. It’s a high press game and we currently have two players who don’t press and don’t track back. You just cannot carry two forwards defensively lacking in the prem.
We will get exposed because of it, and people will keep moaning that we don’t press, they will then moan we aren’t a high possession side because son isn’t that player either.
People want to get slot in but his system is high press, forwards do a lot of the possession and movement and son isn’t that.
He’s been a wonderful servant to the club but part of a painful rebuild is exactly that, a rebuild and we need to find a way to replace his goals whilst becoming a much better side.

 

[Jgplk1]

Because we need to move on. We can’t carry a player who doesn’t press, doesn’t tackle and is crap in the build up.


I got a lot of negative ratings for this.

I love son but I’m just being realistic about where football is right now. It’s a high press game and we currently have two players who don’t press and don’t track back. You just cannot carry two forwards defensively lacking in the prem.
We will get exposed because of it, and people will keep moaning that we don’t press, they will then moan we aren’t a high possession side because son isn’t that player either.
People want to get slot in but his system is high press, forwards do a lot of the possession and movement and son isn’t that.
He’s been a wonderful servant to the club but part of a painful rebuild is exactly that, a rebuild and we need to find a way to replace his goals whilst becoming a much better side.

I gave you a wtf (which is neutral anyway), as we have no idea if he's being asked to press.

I'm pretty sure he hasn't been asked to press by any of the last 3 managers, and Pochettino stopped us pressing so aggressively at the end too.

The video a few posts back shows that he's following directions, even to the detriment of his own game. I'd be very surprised if Conte was telling him to press, and he was just ignoring him.

If everyone else was pressing, while he was sauntering about on his own, I might agree with you.

 

[mil1lion]

One similarity to Dele is that the deeper he gets the worse he is. He should be playing as the most advanced attacker. We're not getting him in behind nearly enough this season.

 

[dontcallme]

I'm not shocked It's just disappointing how cut throat our fanbase is. Guys been incredible for years, he's had an off season and we don't back him to come good again.

I think players like Son can deteriorate pretty quickly.

From the outside it is very difficult to know if he’s having a bad season, being shackled by tactics or genuinely declining.

I definitely don’t want him sold but this could be the last chance to get any money for him.

I’d still choose to keep him though.

 

[SanDiegoSpur]

Missed this clip after the game:

https://v.redd.it/qt39j4o6izsa1/HLSPlaylist.m3u8?a=1683678973%2CY2M1YjYyYjViODEwNGNkNjFhZGQxNDA5NWMwNGU2MTRkNjNkYWVmNzc3ZmFkZWFlNzZkMmJhMzU4ZjY4ODk0Mg%3D%3D&v=1&f=sd

Explains a lot about his season if he's literally been asked not to shoot from where he's scored this exact goal about 25 times, because it's more important that we get the ball to Perisic to pointlessly stand up to not get headed in. Rough

I understand the criticism of the coaching and position Son is being asked to occupy, but in the interview above he is referring to the defense not wanting him to shoot from there, not the coaches. The interviewer himself confirmed the context

 

[spurs9]

He'll always score those goals. World class at striking the ball with either feet.

In the right system he will still score goals, but the problem is if we do get in, let's say Slot, I'm not sure how effective he'd be in the press. Kane may have similar issues these days.

With these new breed of managers the system is the most important part, not individual players so it's going to be interesting what happens with him and a few others.

Great achievement though well done Sonny

FYI, his tackles per game are the same as Feyenoord's RW (Kulusevski's are the same as Feyenoord's LW).

I actually think he will be fine, as it is much easier to press when the team is pushed up and the opposition has little space compared with when you are dropped back and the opposition have lots of space to work in and add to that we will in theory have the ball more and will be defending less.

 

[alfie103]

I think my concern with Son is that his game is really suited to counter attacking football where he has a lot of space as it really plays into his strengths such as his pace and ability to score with both feet. However, if we play a lot further up the pitch then his weaknesses such as his creativity and first touch will be exposed a lot more.

 

[mil1lion]

I think my concern with Son is that his game is really suited to counter attacking football where he has a lot of space as it really plays into his strengths such as his pace and ability to score with both feet. However, if we play a lot further up the pitch then his weaknesses such as his creativity and first touch will be exposed a lot more.

He was fine under Poch though

 

[AnotherSpursFan]

Cant win shit with two James Harden in a team. Pls stand up Son and Kane

 

[DannyNZ]

The Dier Son combo was embarrassing today.

 

[djhotspur]

The Dier Son combo was embarrassing today.

We need to start richie, danjuma over son and kulu

 

[TropicalYid]

Needs to be dropped now. Sorry to say.

 

[nuttynoah]

I think Mason will play to Son's strengths and he'll have a good end to the season.

 

[Impspur1]

Because we need to move on. We can’t carry a player who doesn’t press, doesn’t tackle and is crap in the build up.


I got a lot of negative ratings for this.

I love son but I’m just being realistic about where football is right now. It’s a high press game and we currently have two players who don’t press and don’t track back. You just cannot carry two forwards defensively lacking in the prem.
We will get exposed because of it, and people will keep moaning that we don’t press, they will then moan we aren’t a high possession side because son isn’t that player either.
People want to get slot in but his system is high press, forwards do a lot of the possession and movement and son isn’t that.
He’s been a wonderful servant to the club but part of a painful rebuild is exactly that, a rebuild and we need to find a way to replace his goals whilst becoming a much better side.

Absolutely this, time to stop being sentimental and build a team, selling Harry and Son ( as hard as that will be to take) helps that process. We are where we are and need to start again. Savvy recruitment with a purpose and an idea based on a style that fits recruitment. If fans see this I don’t think the sensible ones will complaining to much

 

[robotsonic]

Yes please, let's sell one of the best players we've had in the PL era, one half of the best strike duo of PL history, and last season's golden boot winner, because he's been played out of position all season and asked to do everything that he's bad at in service to a manager that couldn't see past his own pride, and it hasn't worked.

Honestly.

 

[NEVILLEB]

Rewatching the highlights from the Newcastle it is clear than Son is not closing players down with any sense of urgency or respect for his teammates.

This makes me think he wants to leave the club.

Quite a few of the early Newcastle goals originated from him giving the right back too much time to pick a pass.

Tragic.

 

[C1w8]

Rewatching the highlights from the Newcastle it is clear than Son is not closing players down with any sense of urgency or respect for his teammates.

This makes me think he wants to leave the club.

Quite a few of the early Newcastle goals originated from him giving the right back too much time to pick a pass.

Tragic.

It's largely a lost cause if the players behind arent following you - otherwise you just take yourself out of the game once the ball is passed around you.

Literally nobody on our front line (or anywhere through the team for that matter) presses at the moment, maybe a few months ago deki might but even he's given up. This is not something new, we've been like this all season.

The whole team is passive.

 

[CarrickSpurgus]

Rewatching the highlights from the Newcastle it is clear than Son is not closing players down with any sense of urgency or respect for his teammates.

This makes me think he wants to leave the club.

Quite a few of the early Newcastle goals originated from him giving the right back too much time to pick a pass.

Tragic.

It has nothing to do with him wanting to leave IMO , He's always been weak as piss when it comes to any form of physicality ie he's easily bullied off the ball, half arsed attempts at challenging aerially, never crunches into any tackles and i've never seen a footballer let alone Pro footballer who cannot anticipate what his opponent is going to do worse than he can .If anyone on here has played the game at any level you'll know about guessing and cutting out/intercepting passes because you read certain situations and you just know ( most of the time) he literally goes the opposite direction ALL of the time.

 

[wrd]

Rewatching the highlights from the Newcastle it is clear than Son is not closing players down with any sense of urgency or respect for his teammates.

This makes me think he wants to leave the club.

Quite a few of the early Newcastle goals originated from him giving the right back too much time to pick a pass.

Tragic.

I think it's simple human/animal nature to preserve energy when you don't know what you're doing