Cold analysis of SON slump, "Send the original position, not the top!"

"It's right to send him back to his original position".

Tottenham lost 0-4 away to Newcastle United in the 33rd round of the 2023-2024 English Premier League (PL) season at St. James' Park in Newcastle upon Tyne, England, on Sunday (Sept. 13).

In a game that could have seen them leapfrog Aston Villa for fourth place, Spurs conceded back-to-back goals in the first 30 minutes and 33rd minute, and then quickly conceded in the second half to suffer a shocking defeat.

The 1-6 defeat at Newcastle last season was followed by another 0-4 defeat at St. James' Park, leaving Spurs with a case of St. James' Parkie phobia.

Add to that the fact that Spurs, who have a "big four" target for next season's UEFA Champions League, have slipped to fifth place in the table with 18 wins, six draws, and seven losses (60 points, 16 goals for), trailing Aston Villa (60 points, 17 goals for) on goal difference.

It was a game in which Tottenham were completely outplayed by Newcastle's tailored tactics. Spurs were unable to exploit the opposition's five at the back and squandered their chances.

Even the goals they conceded were self-inflicted as Spurs tried to attack too much. In the 30th minute, Newcastle capitalized on a mistake by Son Heung-min and took advantage of a long ball in from the back from Gordon, who was in the box and beat Udogie to the ball. He slotted the ball into the path of Isaac, who finished past Van der Penne for a 1-0 lead.

That wasn't the end of it. In the 33rd minute, Tottenham struck again. This time, an inaccurate backpass from Foro was intercepted by Gordon. Gordon sprinted onto it and finished past Van der Penne to make it 2-0. The first half ended 2-0.

Spurs brought on Emerson Royale for Foro in the fourth minute of the second half, but once again, it was a mistake. Taking advantage of a turnover by Son Heung-min, Spurs attacked on the counterattack, with Alexandre Lacazette finishing off a pass from Bruno Guimarães to make it 3-0.

With the game completely out of reach, Spurs were forced to make a substitution. In the 12th minute of the second half, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang came on for Bissouma, Pape Sarr for Bentancur, and Dejan Kulusebski for Son Heung-min. For Son Heung-min, it was probably his worst game ever.

He didn't have any impact in attack, but he didn't have any touches or ball play. In defense, he made two mistakes that led to both goals. Especially considering that the first goal was so wasteful, it"s no wonder that it was rated the worst.

After the game, soccer stats site WhoScored.com gave Son Heung-min the third-lowest rating on the team with a 5.9 rating. The rating was harsh, as it reflected the fact that the South Korean defender contributed to the goal with turnovers as well as shots. The UK's Daily Mail was no different. They gave Son Heung-min a score of 4.

What they noted was Son's isolation in the front line. He played up top but was not distributed properly, so he had to come down to the midfield to distribute the ball. "For Son, it was his worst performance of the season," said the Daily Mail. He led Tottenham's attacking line but didn't receive the ball at all."

Football London was also disappointed. "It was a very bad day for the Spurs captain. He tried to keep the ball in the center and struggled. What's more, both goals came after he lost possession and made a turnover. We took him off after 58 minutes."

In short, Son Heung-min's position up top has contributed to his recent slump. ==In short, Son's playing up top has contributed to his recent poor form. In fact, against West Ham and Nottingham, he didn't look like himself.

"To be honest, it's really unusual to see Postecoglou substitute Son Heung-min. His recent poor form has been largely due to playing him up front. He needs to move him back to his natural position on the left flank," the outlet analyzed.

"Against Newcastle, Son was dropped from the front line to the back because of Tottenham's ball distribution problems. We need to play him in his natural position to lead the attack," emphasizing the importance of playing him in his original position.