Son Heung-min accused of going missing for Tottenham Hotspur vs Aston Villa
Tottenham missed out on another trophy in Ange Postecoglou’s second season with an early FA Cup exit, having lost to Aston Villa at the weekend in a game whose one-sided nature is not justified by the score line.
Naturally, the players and head coach are under pressure and getting criticism from all sides, and even the captain has nowhere to hide.
Jermain Defoe claims Son Heung-min was “hiding” during Aston Villa defeat
Former Tottenham forward Jermain Defoe added further salt to his former side’s wound after their defeat to Aston Villa as he criticised Son Heung-min for “hiding” during the game.
“I hate to say this but we used to call it hiding – I don’t want it, pretend, you know – go into a position where you can’t receive it.
“And that’s what’s happening at the moment, no Spurs player and Sonny, who’s their best player, is at the moment going through that phase as well because he doesn’t want it, because he’s not having a good time.
“Alan Shearer said it in comms, there was a shot to be had from eight yards out, and Sonny nudged it to his mate.
“You expect him to shoot there, I was surprised, I couldn’t believe it – I mean in the studio here we shouted shoot.
“You know, he’s so good with both feet, even change the angle and get a shot on that, but listen, we’ve all been there, everyone who’s played the game you’ve had periods when you’re not playing well.
“And at times you do hide, but then sometimes it’s about going back to basics, you stick together as a group.”
Defoe on Son, as quoted by TBR Football.
Defoe’s remarks are backed by the numbers. Playing centre-forward on the day, Son managed just three touches in the opposition box, was dispossessed three times, and had three shots in total.
The FA Cup exit continues what has been an underwhelming campaign thus far for the Spurs captain, by his usual standards. The 32-year-old has ten goals and eight assists from 33 appearances across all competitions this season.
Son’s contract was extended a few weeks ago after months of speculation and is now set to run until June 2026.
TTLB Opinion
Son is embodying Spurs’ entire campaign at the moment, and being the captain of this underperforming side makes him even more of a lightning rod for criticism.
This really has felt like a season in which Son’s declines begins to the point that critics start calling his ability to perform at the top level. Of course, he can bounce back in the coming months, but the club environment hardly looks conducive to success right now. The South Korean veteran is going to have to find his form without expecting much inspiration from his surroundings.
