When Tottenham faced this afternoon’s opponents Burnley in September, Ange Postecoglou’s starting XI more or less picked itself, but, as Spurs’ season has unravelled, the head coach has tinkered, leaving his best team far less clear today.
As Postecoglou aims to arrest a slump of four straight defeats, he has decisions all over the pitch, including at left-back, across the midfield and in the front three. But perhaps his biggest dilemma — short and long-term — is how to get the best from Tottenham’s top-scorer, captain and talisman, Heung-min Son.
The Korean started the season quietly on the left-wing but moved up front for Postecoglou’s fifth game in charge and exploded into form with a hat-trick in the 5-2 win over Burnley at Turf Moor.
Son went on to score eight goals in as many matches as Spurs’ central striker — including a double in the draw at Arsenal and one in the controversial win over Liverpool — and it was easy to wonder then if he was entering a new phase of his career as a deadly poacher, the heir apparent to Harry Kane.
The 31-year-old returned to the wing in December as Richarlison hit a hot streak and Postecoglou has since tended to switch between the pair as his centre-forward, with Son starting three of Spurs’ four consecutive losses but Richarlison leading the line against Chelsea last week.
In common with most of his team-mates, Son has struggled for rhythm in the second half of the campaign — he, at least, has the excuse of fatigue after competing for his country in the mid-season Asian Cup — and was largely subdued and ineffective through the middle against Newcastle, Arsenal and Liverpool.
Spurs dramatically improved when Richarlison came on for the final half-hour at Anfield last weekend, the Brazilian scoring and making a second goal for Son in a futile comeback.
Most Spurs fans would like to see Richarlison start up front against Burnley, but the question is whether the Brazil forward, Son or neither is the answer long-term.
Postecoglou has outlined plans for a brutal summer clearout — “We need to change,” he said last week — and the club would consider offers for Richarlison, particularly if they could recoup close to the £60million he cost from Everton in 2022.
Part of Postecoglou’s philosophy is a desire to free players from positional constraints, and the Australian would surely reject the suggestion that Son would benefit from a settled position in the side and instead view his versatility as a positive.
“Do they replace Richarlison with a big-money striker, or spend on a wide player and let Son lead the line?”
Nonetheless, there is a case that Postecoglou’s view of Son’s best position could have a significant impact on Spurs’ rebuilding plans.
Do they attempt to replace Richarlison with a new big-money striker and use Son from the left next season? Or spend serious budget on a wide player and rely on Son to lead the line in the biggest games?
Son has clear strengths and weaknesses as a striker — he is an elite finisher and still quick, but does not excel at holding up the ball or competing in the air — but it is not entirely clear if Postecoglou views him as a long-term option up front or merely a stop-gap during his first season.
With Richarlison now fit again, the manager’s selections in the final three games might shed some light on his thinking. Equally, they may not, and Postecoglou could go on using Son in a number of positions next term and beyond.
Among the head-coach’s other decisions for the visit of Vincent Kompany’s side is whether to recall James Maddison and stick with Emerson Royal at left-back after his horror show against Liverpool.
The Brazilian was at fault for two of Reds’ goals in Spurs’ 4-2 defeat and Oliver Skipp deputised impressively in the role in the final 30 minutes of the match.
