Local criticism of Son Heung-min is mixed. In reality, there is a conflict between the argument that the release should be considered and the argument that it is too harsh.
“Does coach Anji Postecoglou really have the courage to exclude Son Heung-min, who is no longer an irreplaceable player?” said British Football 365 on the 21st (Korea Standard Time). “The player who surprised us the most among Tottenham’s three attacking players is Son Heung-min. Son’s career is not on an upward trajectory anymore.”
The reason why this claim came out was because Son Heung-min’s performance in the league’s opening match against Leicester City was poor. Tottenham, where Son Heung-min played, only drew 1-1 against Leicester City in the first round of the English Premier League in 2024-25 season at King Power Stadium in Leicester, England, on the 20th.
Against Leicester, Tottenham seemed to take the lead with Pedro Porro’s first goal of the header at the 29th minute of the first half. However, it allowed the equalizer to Leicester’s living legend Jamie Vardy at the 12th minute of the second half, only to be satisfied with earning one point.
Son’s lackluster performance stood out. Starting as left flanker, Son failed to score a single effective shot and was substituted in extra time in the second half. Central striker Dominic Solanke and right winger Brenner Johnson were not very good either, but Son’s performance was very serious considering his experience and position in the team.
Football 365 also pointed out this point. “We will not judge too harshly that Solanke missed several opportunities in his debut game. Johnson did not finish in a good position, but he will not judge too harshly,” the media said. “For the two young players, there is reason to believe that their careers will continue to rise.”
However, he made harsh comments on Son. “He surprised us the most. His career does not seem to be on an upward trajectory anymore,” the media said. “It is clear that Son has displayed tremendous performance for Tottenham. However, he should now express it in the past tense. He can no longer be regarded as an irreplaceable player.”
“Son Heung-min is a perfect choice for Tottenham’s various attacks. However, it should be seen as one of many options now. He is no longer eligible to be selected as a starting player in all games, and he has no questions about this,” he added. In other words, starting players in every game is not a given even for Son. It is in line with Postecoglou’s question of whether he has the courage to bring Son down to the bench.
The media also argued that Tottenham should consider releasing Son Heung-min. “We have included Son Heung-min on the list of players that each club should sell this summer. This may be a little excessive, but half of the 17 goals Son Heung-min recorded last season came from the first 10 games after the opening, and he scored only five goals in 15 games after the Asian Cup,” the media said, explaining that Son was sluggish as he went into the second half of the season.
“With no goals against Leicester, Son Heung-min has only two goals and two assists in his last 10 league games,” he added.
On the other hand, England’s The Boy Hotspur said, “Jamie O’Hara harshly criticized Tottenham stars after the draw against Leicester,” claiming that the criticism against Son Heung-min and others was a little excessive.
The media reported, “Son Heung-min had an early advantage over Tottenham, but he failed to show any meaningful performance. He was ahead for most of the game, but failed to take full advantage of it. O’Hara criticized Tottenham stars after the game, especially Son’s performance. O’Hara insisted that Son Heung-min should have shown greater influence in such an important game.” 스포츠토토
According to the media, O’Hara said, “The second half was disappointing. Son Heung-min was not very good. He should have overpowered Leicester in the first half,” pointing out that Son Heung-min’s involvement in the game dropped significantly and that Tottenham did not clearly overpower Leicester.
The Boy Hotspur thought Ohara’s evaluation was harsh on Son Heung-min.
Having played for nine years since joining Tottenham in 2015, Son has emerged as an indispensable club legend for Tottenham. He has become the fifth scorer (162 goals) in Tottenham’s career and has played in 400 matches (408 matches) for the 14th time in Tottenham’s history, rewriting the club’s history.
In the 2021-2022 season, he tied for the top scorer with Mohamed Salah (Liverpool) with 23 league goals, becoming the first Asian player to win the Premier League top scorer title.
Last season, he was appointed as captain by coach Anji Postecoglou, and he will wear the team’s first non-European captain’s armband. Son Heung-min, who has already been captain of the South Korean national soccer team since 2018, also served as captain of Tottenham and united the Tottenham squad with his friendly leadership.
After overcoming his slump in the previous season, Son scored 17 goals in the league and secured his 10th assist in the match against Sheffield United, recording his 10th career 10-10 in a single season. He was on par with Chelsea legend Didier Drogba. Four times in total were Erik Cantona (Liz/Manchester United) and Frank Lampard (Chelsea), with Wayne Rooney (Manchester United) and Mohamed Salah (Liverpool) scoring the most 10-10, with five times in total.
Given Son Heung-min’s achievements at Tottenham so far, it seems premature to criticize him for being sluggish after only one match against Leicester. Son needs to show a clear performance in the upcoming match against Everton to calm down criticism.
