‘I’m trying to win games’ – Ange Postecoglou admits he’s not afraid to substitute Spurs fan favourite
Ange Postecoglou has insisted that his main priority is to win matches, suggesting that he will continue to take off Son Heung-min in the latter part of games if he feels that will help the team.
Despite being Tottenham’s club captain, Son has been replaced towards the latter part of matches on more than one occasion this season.
The 31-year-old has reportedly been experiencing groin problems lately (The Athletic), and some have speculated that Postecoglou’s decision to take him out of games later on is to prevent him from suffering a major injury given the forward’s fitness concerns (Evening Standard).
Son also participated in the entire 90 minutes of South Korea’s 6-0 victory over Vietnam the previous week, scoring a goal in the second half. Son plays for Tottenham.
Ange Postecoglou provides an explanation for his decision to replace Heung-min Son.
Although the forward’s limping throughout that match may have worried some Spurs supporters, he is anticipated to be fit to start this evening against Fulham (Football.London).
When asked about Son not completing 90 minutes for Spurs recently, Postecoglou has said (via Vavel): “As long as he’s still scoring goals I couldn’t care, mate. He’s scored six goals and scored for South Korea at the weekend. Son has got to where he is because of the person he is. I’m not going to change his part of that because you take all of these things in context.
“If anything, you can learn from people like that. That’s the beauty of the position I’m in [as] you come across different people every time you go along this journey and you learn from all of them. In terms of his physical well-being, he’s well looked after and he knows his body.
“I made the substitutions [against Arsenal and Liverpool] because I wanted to win the game, mate. I’m not trying to look after players; I’m trying to win games. If I think making substitutions will help us do that, I don’t care who it is. It doesn’t matter if that is Son, James Maddison or anybody else.
“In the games we’ve had so far, we’ve just needed different things, and – depending on who you’ve got available to come on – you make those decisions. If their maximum is 70 minutes in a game, then that’s fine. I’m more than happy with that.”
sprus Web Opinion
Son is very much a team man and not someone who is likely to throw his toys out of the pram if and when he is taken off, as the 31-year-old wants to win as much as anyone else. Postecoglou is evidently trying to foster that sort of attitude across the squad.