Son Heung-min braces for new coach as Tottenham eyes Postecoglou's dismissal

Will Son Heung-min (33, Tottenham Hotspur) soon meet a new master? Tottenham Hotspur has reportedly decided to part ways with manager Ange Postecoglou (60).

The U.K. 'Football Insider' reported on the 15th (Korean time) that "Tottenham could decide to sack Postecoglou this week. According to sources, if Tottenham loses in the UEFA Europa League (UEL), his departure from Tottenham could be confirmed as early as this week."

On the 13th, Tottenham lost 2-4 in the Premier League (PL) round 32 match against Wolverhampton at Molineux Stadium in Wolverhampton, England. As a result, Tottenham remained in 15th place with 37 points (11 wins, 4 draws, 17 losses). The gap with 17th place West Ham United (35 points) is now only 2 points.

Former Tottenham scout Brian Keen noted, "It was a shocking performance. Tottenham looked very ordinary. Thankfully, there are three teams at the bottom of the standings facing relegation," adding, "Now they have lost 17 out of 32 league matches. Normally, a manager would be sacked. Postecoglou will not be with the team next season, but since they plan to bring someone new in, I think he can manage the team until the end of this season."

However, Postecoglou is expected to step down if he loses in the UEFA Europa League (UEL) quarterfinal second leg against Eintracht Frankfurt on the 18th. Tottenham drew 2-2 in the first leg at home, so they must win the away match to reach the semifinals.

'Football Insider' reported, "For Tottenham to qualify for the next season's UEFA Champions League (UCL) and for Postecoglou to keep his position, they must win the UEL. After suffering an embarrassing defeat to Wolverhampton on Sunday, Tottenham plummeted to 15th in the PL standings."

The outlet continued, "Postecoglou's fate at Tottenham could be decided on Thursday. If Tottenham is eliminated from the UEL, they may decide to bring in a new manager. Although Postecoglou's contract is valid until June 2027, he could leave the club two years after succeeding Antonio Conte."

Previously, European football transfer market expert Fabrizio Romano also made similar comments, stating, "If Tottenham does not win, there is a high and concrete likelihood that they will replace Postecoglou with another manager at the end of the season."

Of course, realistically, Tottenham's chances of lifting the UEL trophy are not very high. The club has not reached the top since winning the League Cup in the 2007-2008 season. Breaking a 17-year drought without a trophy is not easy. Above all, facing Eintracht Frankfurt, who is currently third in the Bundesliga, is a significant challenge.

The good news is that Son Heung-min may return. He missed the match against Wolverhampton due to a bruise but is expected to participate in the crucial fixture against Frankfurt.

Postecoglou said after the Wolverhampton match, "Son Heung-min should play on Thursday. As mentioned earlier, he was shocked, and it did not make sense for him to accompany the team today, so we managed him. We focused all efforts on ensuring that he could play in the match on Thursday night."

Meanwhile, Tottenham is quickly looking for a successor to Postecoglou. Marco Silva, Fulham manager, Andoni Iraola, Bournemouth manager, and Oliver Glasner, Crystal Palace manager, are being mentioned as strong candidates, and it is already reported that Tottenham has made contact with them.

[OSEN]