Son continues journey from Olympic failure to Spurs’ indispensable man
Heung-Min Son has given Mauricio Pochettino something to think about. The South Korean has scored three goals in Tottenham’s last two games, delivering crucial away wins at Middlesbrough and CSKA Moscow. He has proven himself to be a more genuine goal threat than Vincent Janssen, Spurs’ nominal number nine, still adjusting to the pace of the English game.
It was only when Janssen was hauled off, and Son moved into his central role, that Spurs started to threaten in Russia. Four minutes later Son had put them ahead. It is no slight on Janssen, who has a lot of adjusting to do, to say that right now Son is a more dangerous striker.
After Tuesday night’s Russian win, Pochettino explained that moving Son into Janssen’s spot was done to give Spurs “more mobility in offensive positions”. On Sunday Spurs host Manchester City and there must be a temptation for Pochettino to keep Son in that central role.
Given how high up the pitch City defend, pace in behind could be the best way of hurting them. Moving Son there would also allow Spurs to play another attacking midfielder in the band of three behind him.
With Harry Kane out for another six weeks with his ankle injury, Spurs need their cutting edge back up front. Right now Son looks like the only person to provide it. The South Korean international, though, went out of his way to say just how important his team-mates were too. “We have great players to score,” he said at CSKA Arena, late on Tuesday night. “Harry is a great player but so is Vincent Janssen. It is not just me who tries to score but we all try to score more goals.” Pochettino went as far as to say that Son was “on fire” after match. Son made sure to generously spread the flames amongst the rest of the Spurs team too. “I am very happy to hear these words, ‘on fire’, I don’t know what to say,” he smiled. “I try my best and I want to help my teammates every game. The teammates help me a lot.”
It is quite the turnaround for Son to now be one of Spurs’ most important players. His first season, after arriving for £22million from Bayer Leverkusen, was badly affected by injury and slow adjustment. He had a difficult summer, as South Korea failed at the Olympic games in Rio. Son was crestfallen and wanted to go back to the Bundesliga. Wolfsburg offered good money and the deal was ready to go before Pochettino intervened. Son was going nowhere.
“It is true that after Olympics I was very upset,” Son admitted. “I was really down because I wanted to win some medals for my country. My heart was already in it, for six months beforehand, but after Olympics I thought now I have to focus on the season. It was not easy but everyone, my family, my teammates, helped me a lot and made me stronger than before.”
After returning from Brazil, Son had to get up to speed, but the evidence on the pitch suggests that he is now as sharp as any of his team-mates. “I had pre-season and I feel really fit,” he said. “We played four games at the Olympics. It is true I am in great form and have made a great start. But I have to keep working hard so I finish like this.”
All of a sudden, six weeks into the season, Son is Spurs’ indispensable man. It has taken one year but now he looks like he is taking his chance. “I want to play every game, every player is the same,” Son said. “I’m really happy to stay here and play in the Premier League and Champions League. For every player it is a dream to play Premier League and Champions League. It is a dream come true.”