Son Heung-min (33) and James Maddison (29, both from Tottenham), who showed disharmony, became the targets of criticism.

The British outlet 'Football Insider' reported on the 7th (Korean time) that 'Jamie O'Hara pointed out that James Maddison and Son Heung-min disappointed the team.'

Tottenham Hotspur faced AZ Alkmaar in the first leg of the round of 16 of the 2024-2025 UEFA Europa League at AZ Stadion in Alkmaar, Netherlands, at 2:45 a.m. on the 7th and lost 0-1 after a poor performance.

As a result, Tottenham is in a situation where they must win the second leg. After their poor performance in this away match, they are set to face a challenging second leg.

Tottenham started with a 4-3-3 formation. Son Heung-min, Matisse Tell, and Brennan Johnson positioned themselves at the forefront, while James Maddison, Rodrigo Bentancur, and Lucas Moura filled the midfield. Destiny Udogie, Kevin Danso, Archie Gray, and Jed Spence formed the back four, and Guglielmo Vicario was in goal.

AZ Alkmaar also deployed a 4-3-3 formation. Lado, Troy Parrott, and Ernest Poku formed the attacking trio, while Peer Koopmeiners, Ziko Burmeister, and Jordi Clasie handled midfield duties. David Møller Olfe, Alexandre Penetra, Wouter Hoes, and Maikuma Seiya constituted the back four, and goalkeeper gloves were worn by Rom Jaden Ousu-Oduro.

Tottenham, aiming to score first, faced bad luck by conceding an own goal. In the 18th minute of the first half, during a corner kick situation, Parrott's shot was blocked by Moura but inadvertently deflected high into the net, resulting in an own goal credited to Moura.

Tottenham finished the first half trailing 0-1 and continued to struggle with their offense in the second half. Tottenham substituted Son Heung-min and Maddison for Wilson Odobert and Dominic Solanke. Although Tottenham had hoped for a goal from the returning Solanke, he fell injured again, leading to yet another substitution with Dane Scarlett.

This is the worst result for Tottenham. Despite being evaluated as superior in terms of overall strength, they were overwhelmed by Alkmaar's pace, leading to a poor performance and a failed outcome. Furthermore, they lost a starting forward to injury again after his return, failing to secure both results and performance.

Especially, Solanke's injury is unfortunate. Tottenham has been suffering all season due to injuries to key players, and the likelihood of further sidelining Solanke has increased.

In addition, the most absurd yet disappointing moment came during a free-kick situation in the 34th minute. There was a miscommunication between vice-captain Maddison and captain Son Heung-min. Maddison took the kick in front of Alkmaar's penalty box. Instead of shooting immediately or crossing into the box, Maddison passed the ball to Son Heung-min. During the ball touch process, Son made a mistake, and it was unclear whether he intended to stop the ball or pass it back to Maddison.

Afterwards, Maddison expressed dissatisfaction towards Son Heung-min, and the opportunity was wasted awkwardly.

Both players struggled during the match. Son Heung-min recorded three shots, but none were threatening. Additionally, he had no chances created, one successful dribble, and one successful cross, with only one touch inside the opponent's box.

Maddison had two touches inside the opponent's box, seven passes in the attacking zone, and a pass success rate of 90% (35/39), but had no chances created or shots. Eventually, both were substituted to the bench in the 27th minute of the second half.

After heading to the bench, both players continued their conversation with dissatisfied expressions. The substitutes Pedro Porro and Dominic Solanke also struggled to create opportunities, resulting in another 0-1 defeat for Tottenham.

'Football Insider' noted that 'Son Heung-min and James Maddison disappeared at critical moments' and pointed out that Son and Maddison, who should have taken on the role of 'leaders,' failed to dominate the game.

According to reports, O'Hara criticized them through 'Sky Sports,' saying, 'Today's performance was really poor. Key players and leaders like Son Heung-min and Maddison must show more. They need to take control of the game.'

He added, 'AZ Alkmaar is a good team. They circulate the ball well, take risks, and attack aggressively. However, Son Heung-min barely touched the ball. Maddison is called a 'creative genius,' but he accomplished nothing.'

Meanwhile, 'Football Insider' also addressed the future of manager Ange Postecoglou. The outlet noted, 'Postecoglou was once selected as a candidate for Premier League Manager of the Month, but on the same day, the team delivered one of its most lethargic performances of the season. Last season, Tottenham left a strong impression with fast-paced, aggressive football. However, this season, injuries have made it difficult for Postecoglou to maintain his style.'

It continued, 'In the match against Alkmaar, Tottenham was busy moving the ball to the flanks and failed to create any real threats. Currently, the future of manager Postecoglou remains uncertain, and if performances like the one against Alkmaar continue, his tenure at Tottenham may not last long.'

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