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In the end, Enze Postecoglou's decision to play Son Heung-min led to his worst game of the season.
'When the most reliable player in the team becomes a nightmare, everyone knows it's going to be a mess,' the English Football League said on Thursday (ET).
Tottenham lost 0-4 to Newcastle 0-0 in the 32nd round of the 2023-2024 English Premier League (EPL) season at St. James' Park in Newcastle, England, on Wednesday.
Tottenham pushed Newcastle around early in the first half, but conceded an early goal and began to crumble. Aleksandar Isak and Anthony Gordon scored in the 30th and 32nd minutes, respectively. Spurs then conceded another goal from Isaac six minutes into the second half, and finally fell behind in the 42nd minute when defender Fabian Scherrier headed home from a corner.
Son Heung-min looked to have a good start to the game with his crisp passing, but he was at his worst on the day, twice giving away goals. In the 30th minute of the first half, Son's misplaced pass allowed the opponent to score, and in the sixth minute of the second half, Son also lost the ball, allowing Isaac to complete his hat-trick. Coach Enze Postecoglou made an early substitution in the 13th minute of the second half, taking Son off and bringing on Dejan Kulusevski.
Son had a disappointing 58 minutes, creating two chances, winning four battles for the ball and conceding two goals. He was substituted early and didn't get to play until the end. The British media was also critical. The Football Association of Great Britain gave Son Heung-min the lowest rating in the team, a three, saying: "It was a bad day for the captain. He struggled to hold the ball up in the center of the park, and both of his goals came after he lost possession. He left the field after 58 minutes. The UK's Evening Standard gave Son a rating of 4, noting that he 'did little in the game and was substituted in the 58th minute'.
However, some have argued that Son's struggles were 토토 a tactical issue. It wasn't simply a matter of his own performance.
'Son has been there many times this season when Tottenham have needed him,' says Football Transfer Tavern. But against Newcastle, he struggled in the center-forward role. He touched the ball just 26 times and didn't have a single shot on target. He didn't even dribble forward," he said of Son Heung-min's performance.
'Postecoglou brought him into the Tottenham box too often, giving him the option of passing to Guglielmo Vicario or the defense, but that's not his strength. He's not a strong, holding striker that teams can play with, and he's not a driving force and comfortable in front of goal. Postecoglou replaced him after just 58 minutes, and the solemn look on Son's face said it all, explaining that the way he used him in the game didn't work.
In fact, Son has been very productive in front of goal this season, and his presence alone has made the flanking options come alive. Without him, it's not just Son Heung-min that will suffer, but also the other attackers.
After the game, Postecoglou commented on the poor performance against Newcastle: "I think it's a collective problem. I don't think it's one person's fault, I don't think we understood the game properly," he said of the team as a whole. However, the choice to drop Son Heung-min too far down the pitch to join the buildup at the back was certainly ineffective.
Tottenham, who are busy fighting for fourth place, were caught out by Newcastle. Son Heung-min couldn't save the day with one of his worst performances of the season. Knowing Son's undoubted strengths, Postecoglou will need to make some tactical adjustments for the upcoming North London derby against Arsenal.