Opinion: Starter or super-sub; Where is Son most effective for Tottenham?

4-1 Leicester City. 1-0 AC Milan. The last week has been one to forget for Tottenham, but Sunday’s derby-day victory over West Ham undoubtedly softens the blow.

Whilst the 2-0 win over the Hammers was hardly one for the ages, for Spurs – led by Cristian Stellini, three points and returning to the top four at least helps paper over some of the cracks at the club.

The unlikely duo of Ben Davies and Emerson Royal combined to open the scoring early in the second half, with a more familiar partnership then doubling Spurs’ lead less than 20 minutes later.

Kane and Son – the Premier League’s most prolific goal-scoring duo (Premier League), did what they have largely failed to do this season; scoring a trademark goal as Spurs put the game to bed at a moment in the game.

At 1-0, the match could easily have swung the other way, with Jarrod Bowen testing Fraser Forster just moments after the opener, so the second goal was certainly needed to quell the nerves of the Tottenham camp.

And for Spurs fans, it was great to see Son get back on the scoresheet, with the forward delivering a smart finish from a precise Kane pass we have seen time and again in years gone by.

It’s no secret Son has struggled this season, with fans harbouring several theories for the Korean’s drop-off that have seen him go from Golden Boot winner to serial underperformer in less than a year.

Some posit that Ivan Perisic is to blame; that the advanced position of the Croatian occupies the space Son would otherwise thrive in.

And in truth, there may be some merit to this, as the games Son has had the most impact in – Sunday against West Ham and against Leicester in September, Perisic wasn’t on the pitch when Son scored his goals.

Others suggest that Son is simply burnt out, but given he has performed at such an elite level season after season for the last 6 years, an unprompted drop-off of this magnitude seems unlikely.

From 2016/17 onwards Son has goal contributions of 30, 29, 27, 30, 39, and 34 respectively across all competitions, so going from that to 12 – Son’s current tally (Transfermarkt), doesn’t equate to simply being burnt out.

Heung-min Son
(Photo by Daniel Chesterton/Offside/Offside via Getty Images)

Potentially, Son’s issues may not lie solely in his own game, but Tottenham’s as a whole, with an article courtesy of The Athletic highlighting exactly why Son could have struggled this season.

Whilst the article focuses on the passing patterns of all Premier League teams, looking specifically at Tottenham, and moreover through the lens of Son’s drop in form, the evidence is telling.

Essentially, the article concludes in the final third, Tottenham make more passes on the right side of the pitch compared to the left, and the value of said passes are also better (The Athletic); simply put, Kulusevski is more involved and yields greater value than Son this season.

Moreover, as shown by Spurs’ average Premier League pass map, Son’s involvement and interactions are minimal compared to his teammates, forming less of a partnership with his supporting wingback than seen on the right.

Source: The Athletic

Son – the orange circle highest to the left, is the recipient of fewer passes and interactions than Kulusevski – the green circle on the right.

Furthermore, he holds a deeper, narrower position than the Swede, and is generally less involved in attacking play, and given that Perisic’s marker – the green circle next to Son, sits far closer to him than Emerson Royal does to Kulusevski, this again bears weight to the train of thought that the Croatian is an influential factor In Son’s drop-off.

This lessened involvement is also shown clearly in Son’s underlying numbers.

Compared to last season, Son has fewer touches per 90 in the final third and opposition box, puts up less shot creating actions per 90, and makes less carries into the final third and opposition box per 90 (FB Ref); all areas he previously excelled in.

The numbers are clear, by all measurable data, Son is less involved in all facets of Spurs’ game.

But when appearing as a substitute, Son’s impact grows tenfold.

Son’s defining traits are his blistering pace combined with elite close-control, trickery and dribbling, and precise, two-footed finishing, altogether making him a handful for any defenders.

Now consider a defender who has endured the mental torture of facing Richarlison for an hour plus; being needless kicked, forced to match his relentless running and work rate, and dealing with his movement – again, that would be quite the handful.

In replacing him for Son, the Korean offers an entirely different test, wanting to drive with the ball or run in behind already tired legs, and if his performances against Leicester and West Ham are anything to go by, he does so successfully.

Of his five Premier League goals this season, four have come from substitute appearances, whilst his other goal has come in 20 starts, that hardly seems like a coincidence.

And whilst I’m not suggesting Son should never start again, there’s a lot to be said for being a Jermain Defoe-esque super-sub; regularly appearing off the bench to change the game for Tottenham.

This is something Conte will certainly now have to consider, as Son has clearly shown an aptitude and hunger for goals when appearing later in games, even if it’s just in the short term.

Granted, Son will want to be a starter, but he’s shown over the years to be a team player, and would likely accept any role Conte asks of him, especially if it’s one that could see him return to the goals.

For now, it’s just food for thought, but Son’s impact on Sunday won’t have gone amiss on Conte, so ironically, he may just have played himself out the starting Xi going forward.

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