‘Every single time’ – Ex-Spurs man criticises Heung-min Son for defensive tendencies
Ex-Tottenham Hotspur player Jamie O’Hara has heavily criticised Son Heung-Min for being responsible for allowing Kalidou Koulibaly to score the opener for Chelsea in the London derby. Tottenham and the Blues fought out a 2-2 draw on Sunday in a feisty Premier League affair. Koulibaly and Reece James scored the goals for the hosts at […]
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Ex-Tottenham Hotspur player Jamie O’Hara has heavily criticised Son Heung-Min for being responsible for allowing Kalidou Koulibaly to score the opener for Chelsea in the London derby.
Tottenham and the Blues fought out a 2-2 draw on Sunday in a feisty Premier League affair. Koulibaly and Reece James scored the goals for the hosts at Stamford Bridge, while Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg and Harry Kane netted equalisers for the visitors.
Son had a fairly quiet game in the final third for his high standards, and the South Korean was also arguably lacking when it came to his defensive duties.
That was particularly noticeable during the west London outfit’s opener on the day when Koulibaly scored from a volley inside the box after Marc Cucurella whipped in corner.
Son was seen to be ball-watching rather than closing down the space around the centre-back, leaving Chelsea’s new signing with enough space and time to hammer home. The forward also stepped up for James’ goal rather than covering the marauding wing-back.
O’Hara did not hold back when analysing that particular play as he has suggested Antonio Conte should not use Son to defend set pieces around Tottenham’s own box.
The ex-midfielder pointed out that Son’s body language shows how his mind is focused on scoring and breaking on the opposition at all times, rather than defensive priorities.
Speaking to talkSPORT, O’Hara said: “The problem with Son is, and I know Graeme Souness was digging him out a little bit, in terms of his defending and he’s right.
“When you’re an attacker, you come back to defend but it’s the last thing you want to do. All you can think about is the ball breaking down and I want to go that way to score. And you can see that in Son, every single time we have a set-piece.
“Instantly, if the ball’s not around him to go and win, he’s thinking ‘I’m off’. But what he’s got to remember is he’s got to defend the box first and help the team get rid of it, then move.
“He’s just a typical striker, a typical centre-forward. Don’t even bring him back, he can’t defend.”
Spurs Web Opinion:
Conte should realise this by now and take appropriate action during training sessions. The boss has to give a firm assessment to Son regarding what had happened against Thomas Tuchel’s team, especially when he was supposed to be playing left-midfield in a four.
That is not acceptable in any case, as one always has to put in the effort even if defending is not Son’s strong suit. In fact, the 30-year-old himself admitted to understanding the importance of putting the team above personal glory to Hugo Lloris after the victory against Southampton (Football.London).
Hence, Son himself must self-reflect and do better from now on for the greater benefit of the team.
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