The young players of Tottenham are not as desperate as captain Son Heung-min (33, Tottenham).
Tottenham drew 2-2 with Bournemouth in the ‘2024-25 Premier League Round 28’ held on the 9th at their home ground, Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London, England. With 34 points, Tottenham has fallen to 13th place in the league.
Tottenham conceded the first goal to Tavernier in the 42nd minute of the first half. In the 65th minute, they suffered an additional score from Evaniusong, bringing the score to 0-2. It was a critical defeat for Tottenham.
In the 67th minute, Sar connected a pass from Lucas Berival for a consolation goal. Son Heung-min overcame the crisis of defeat. In the 84th minute, Son Heung-min converted a penalty kick to equalize at 2-2. Tottenham was satisfied with not adding another goal and drawing.
Tottenham, who has fallen to 13th place in the Premier League, has only one challenge left for the title, which is the Europa League. However, they lost 0-1 in the first leg of the Round of 16 away match against Alkmaar. An absurd own goal from Berival occurred and became the decisive goal.
In the last three matches, Tottenham has been very lackluster with 1 draw and 2 losses. Head coach Ange Postecoglou's tactics are also puzzling. Most importantly, he excluded Son Heung-min from the starting lineup in the critical match against Manchester City. He rotated Son Heung-min, believing they had no chance early in the match against Manchester City.
But the results are disastrous. They lost to Manchester City and also ruined their Europa League hopes. They gained nothing at all. To make matters worse, the young players are not performing properly. Only captain Son Heung-min is enduring a much tougher situation.
Ahead of the second leg against Alkmaar, Son Heung-min pointed out the complacent attitude of the younger players toward the match. Son Heung-min said, "Just running hard alone won’t lead to victory. A strong mentality is always essential in games. The attitude of working hard and the skill set are always fundamental issues."
This shows that the players are playing with such a lax mentality. Tottenham will play the second leg of the Round of 16 in the Europa League against Alkmaar on the 14th. In the first leg, Tottenham suffered a shocking defeat of 0-1. To advance to the quarterfinals, Tottenham must win by at least two goals at home.
This is the only competition this season where Tottenham can challenge for the title, but the outlook is not bright. This is why Son Heung-min, who is without a title at Tottenham, encourages his juniors.
As a professional player, it is natural to run hard. Players who fail to do so are weeded out. The current Tottenham team lacks basic fundamentals.
Son Heung-min said, "There’s no need to mention individual performances. Football is a sport that cannot be won unless you give 100%. You must concentrate 100% and take it seriously. To win, you need to respect the opponent and give your best, especially at home." He voiced his frustration.
Tottenham must change. Son Heung-min pleaded, "There’s another big game at home on Thursday. We need the strength of supporters, players, and staff. We must turn the situation around."
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