Well done my Son... you deserve an Oscar for the best supporting act

HOW apt it is in Oscar season that Son Heung-min is beginning to give Christian Eriksen a run for his money in the best supporting act category at Tottenham.

When he arrived from Germany he did so with a reputation for scoring long-range goals, someone with an eye for the spectacular. But I still questioned whether he or any of his team-mates could step up to the plate, as Spurs needed them to, whenever Harry Kane was missing. Son swiftly sent me my answer, with a nice dollop of humble pie on it, by proving that he could. He took his goalscoring to another level last season with 21 in all competitions, and this time out, with 15, he is showing again why Mauricio Pochettino has such faith in him. Eriksen deserves the plaudits for everything he has done for Spurs – the Dane has been exceptional – but only now are we finally waking up to the impact Son has on the team as well. We’ll have to wait to see whether Pochettino prefers Son or Erik Lamela against Juventus tomorrow. But I’d go for Son because he’s a man in form, he’s scoring goals, and he’s playing with a smile on his face. Lamela has flattered to deceive other than in spells here and there and, in a game with both teams prepared to have a go, Son’s goals could make a real difference. He has settled into English football exceptionally well and has made a bigger impact on our game than any Korean before him.

Park Ji-Sung was a go-to player for Sir Alex Ferguson in the biggest of games for Manchester United but, in terms of creativity, I don’t think anyone could argue that he was above Son.

Son can state his case again against Juve tomorrow in what could be a classic Champions League tie.

But even if Spurs do get through, I’m not sure how much further they will go in the Champions League this season because the competition is stiff, to say the least.

Yes, they beat Real Madrid in the group phase and were excellent in Turin last month, those first nine minutes apart, but when the big names of Real and Barcelona and Bayern Munich turn up for the big matches at the business end of the competition I’m not sure the Londoners will be able to live with them.

If they can reach the quarter-finals, or even last four, though, they will have enjoyed the sort of run that will inspire confidence for the later rounds of the FA Cup this season, or either domestic cup next season.

And how important that will be because they’ve got 15 months to win a trophy before their manager or their star players start getting itchy feet and consider a move to a club with whom they can win some silverware.

Former Southampton manager Pochettino’s record of becoming the first non-European manager to win 100 Premier League games at the weekend is all well and good, but it’s trophies that count and he will want to start winning those sooner rather than later.