Dean Saunders has told TalkSPORT that Son Heung-min looks is “suffering” from Antonio Conte’s tactics at Tottenham, as he is being forced to play deeper – comparing his situation to Damien Duff when Jose Mourinho arrived at Chelsea.
Son, 30, starred for Tottenham last season. He scored 23 goals in the Premier League and finishing joint first with Mo Salah. This season, after seven appearances, he has failed to score and has only managed to lay on one assist.
Last time out, against Marseille, Son struggled. But he still has the ability to change a game, getting Chancel Mbemba sent off. Antonio Conte was asked if he could rotate Son against Sporting Lisbon, and hinted at a potential change.
Discussing Son’s situation at Tottenham, ex-Premier League striker Saunders said that he believes Conte’s desire to make Spurs harder to beat is having an effect on Son. He likens it to Duff, who had to defend more under Mourinho.
“Son is suffering at the moment for Spurs, and it is a similar thing that happened when I was at Blackburn [as a coach]. Damien Duff, he scored 15 goals, went to Chelsea under Mourinho. He had him working back helping Ashley Cole.
“He ended up not getting as many goals, but lots more trophies. 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. You have to run back, we are a new Spurs team.”
Saunders: Son ‘suffering’ from Conte tactics at Tottenham
Son is struggling, but Saunders’ analysis is misplaced. Ultimately, Son starred in exactly the same system under Conte last season. He finished top of the goalscoring charts in the Premier League – albeit alongside Liverpool star Salah.
Ultimately, it comes down to just Son needing a goal. When Son does open his account, one would presume that the rest will follow. Whether he needs dropping to have a breather against Sporting Lisbon, remains to be seen.
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