Lee Cheon-su expressed concern about LAFC coach Mark Dos Santos' use of Son Heung-min. Separate from the team's results, he raised the issue from a long-term perspective.
Lee Cheon-su analyzed LAFC's current flow on his YouTube channel on the 6th, saying "LAFC is currently unbeaten in six matches with no goals conceded, but I think it is quite "dangerous soccer." This kind of flow will never last until the end."
He continued, "This is a typical habit of an inexperienced head coach. Dos Santos' style of soccer now will not hold until the end of the season," and explained, "When planning for a year you must look at the whole. American soccer clearly has the characteristic of 'some get a lot and some get less.' Under such a system, the defense can collapse at any time."
He also added, "There will inevitably be a period when the team's defense wavers, and if the attack doesn't click at that time the match will be lost (helplessly). If you lose one or two games the rankings are quickly caught up and become precarious. In fact, this is a common mistake of inexperienced coaches worldwide."
These remarks relate to how Son Heung-min is being used. Last season Son Heung-min, together with Bouanga, was responsible for most of the team's goals and acted as a finisher. However, this season his role has become more of a playmaker.
In recent matches Son Heung-min actually led the team's attack with four assists in the first half alone, but his personal scoring numbers are stagnant. His only official goal this season was a penalty, and he has gone nine consecutive matches without scoring since.
Based on his experience as a player, Lee Cheon-su commented on Son Heung-min's choices: "When I watch my matches again now I often think, 'Why didn't I shoot then and instead passed?' My view on what people call 'greed' is somewhat different. Many people have seen highlights of Lee Cheon-su's playing days and think I was a very selfish player. If you watch a full match you see I passed the ball a lot during my playing days," he said.
He then expressed his view on Son Heung-min's current situation.
Lee Cheon-su said, "As time passes, Son Heung-min will probably look back on this season and think, 'Shouldn't I have done more then?' There are many situations where he could have pretended to pass and taken the ball to aim for a goal. He passes when the teammate is not in a position to score. I fully understand that mindset. But Son Heung-min is an attacker with a clear strength in finishing. I hope and lament that this (current lack of field goals) will end before the CONCACAF World Cup."
Ultimately Lee Cheon-su's criticism focuses on direction rather than the team's results. Although LAFC currently leads the Western Conference, he analyzes that failing to maximize the strengths of a key attacker could affect long-term competitiveness.
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