Dean Saunders names the Spurs star who is ‘struggling’ amid tactical tweak

Former Aston Villa and Liverpool striker Dean Saunders believes that Heung-min Son is struggling at Tottenham Hotspur as a result of the tactics which Antonio Conte is employing.

The South Korean has failed to score in eight appearances in all competitions for Tottenham this season, during which he has had 19 shots at goal and has only found the target with seven of those attempts (WhoScored).

It is a stark contrast to the form which the 30-year-old displayed last season which saw him scoop the Premier League golden boot, along with Liverpool’s Mo Salah having scored 23 times in the English top flight while also providing nine assists (transfermarkt).

Saunders has claimed that Son can no longer look to stay further up the pitch and has to track back and help with his defensive duties, which will mean potentially sacrificing the amount of goals he is able to score during a campaign.

He told talkSPORT: “I think Son is suffering at the moment for Spurs, and it is a similar thing that happened when I was at Blackburn.

“We had Damian Duff, he played on the left and scored 15 goals, and went to Chelsea under Jose Mourinho, and he had him working back helping Ashley Cole all afternoon.

“He ended up not getting as many goals, but he did have lots more trophies in his cabinet, and lots more money in the bank.

“You might just have to say to Son, look, you can’t play the way you used to, where you were floating on the half-way line when we are defending, and we get the ball to you and you’re off.

“You have to run back, we are a new Spurs team, we are not the flimsy Spurs team that would win one game, and then get beat in another.”

SpursWeb Opinion

Son is a quality player and has proven that time and time again for Tottenham, however, so far this season he does not look himself.

His confidence appears to have taken a knock which is evident to see when he is presented with a goalscoring opportunity and even his first touch has not been up to his usual standards.

Conte has to look to bring Dejan Kulusevski back into the starting eleven for Saturday’s match against Leicester and Son is the man who must drop down to the bench.