Tottenham Hotspur forward Son Heung-min defends manager Antonio Conte following Southampton defeat
Speaking to the BBC after last night’s 3-2 loss to Southampton (h/t Mirror), Tottenham Hotspur star Son Heung-min insisted that manager Antonio Conte cannot be blamed for the defeat.
The South Korean superstar got on the scoresheet in a game that saw the Saints come from behind twice to hand Spurs a nasty loss at home, denting their chances of finishing in the top four spots of the Premier League.
Assessing the game, the 29-year-old said that he was disappointed with how the match turned out, and admitted that they were capable of doing much better.
“To be honest, very disappointed and gutted. Especially being at home and leading. We should do much better than this, conceding the same goals in five minutes. Very disappointing.”
Son displayed his usual goalscoring form last night, giving his team the lead in the second half after being played in by Lucas Moura. However, two goals in as many minutes from the Saints towards the end of the match saw Tottenham lose all three points.
Pleased with Conte
The loss will come as a big blow for Conte and Co., as they were looking to make ground in the Premier League table as top-four rivals Manchester United dropped points on the weekend. This gave Spurs a chance to draw level with them on points in the battle for fourth place, but Saints had other plans in mind.
Reacting to the defeat, Son defended his manager and asked his teammates to stand up and take responsibility for the loss, saying that Conte has been trying to give them a winning mentality.
“We are so pleased he (Antonio Conte) is giving us so much positive vibes and energy and a winning mentality. If we lose, players should take responsibility. We have to bring back on Sunday where we should be.”
Spurs fans will be disappointed with last night’s display, especially since they were coming into the Southampton game after an excellent 3-1 win over Brighton in the FA Cup. While the home crowd were brought to their feet last time around, the team did little to please them last night.
Son made a comeback from injury in the Brighton game and performed well in his first taste of action in nearly a month. He continued his fine form against Saints as well, getting on the scoresheet, but could not do more to prevent a loss for his side.
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Son’s goal in the second half looked like the winner in the game, until two excellent crosses were converted in the last ten minutes of the game by Southampton’s star to condemn Spurs to a home loss.
The forward’s words about his teammates needing to step up and take responsibility will ring true, given that they let slip a lead twice in the game to lose all three points and a chance to move up the Premier League table. A chance at redemption on Sunday awaits, as they welcome Wolves to north London.
