LONDON — Ange Postecoglou makes no secret of his soccer philosophy testing the religion of the gamers at his disposal. On Sunday, captain Son Heung-Min ensured Tottenham’s response was as emphatic as their supervisor may have hoped for.
Spurs beat Newcastle 4-1 to finish a five-game winless run that had raised questions over whether or not Postecoglou’s attacking model of soccer, thrilling because it undeniably is, may in the end ship the success a membership ready 15 years and counting for silverware has lengthy craved. It’s a acquainted juncture for Postecoglou, who solely this week claimed such doubts have been forged in his earlier roles, most lately at Celtic, insisting that “gamers must undergo that and are available out the opposite facet and see that ‘OK, we have survived that. It hasn’t killed us, we’re nonetheless going, we’re nonetheless alive, we’re nonetheless up for it’, proper?”
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They have been bang up for it right here. Son made positive of victory, with two assists and a penalty to safe a victory over an injury-depleted Newcastle and take Spurs to inside three factors of fourth-placed Manchester Metropolis.
“I believed Sonny was glorious, significantly within the first half and actually triggered them issues by being optimistic. That kind of factor feeds off to the opposite guys,” mentioned Postecoglou. “They see his authority in that space they usually take their lead from that.
“Sonny set the tone. You depend on your leaders to take initiative. That is what you want for management and we have been much more threatening within the last third.”
The South Korea worldwide has largely featured as a centre-forward following Harry Kane’s departure to Bayern Munich in the summertime, however he began off the left right here in one in every of a number of lineup tweaks, with Dejan Kulusevski working as a No.10 and Brennan Johnson off the precise. Postecoglou’s high-wire act all the time leaves room for a fall and Spurs rode their luck early on right here, with Ben Davies producing a last-ditch contact to divert an eighth-minute cross from Anthony Gordon out of Alexander Isak’s path because the Swedish ahead appeared sure to open the scoring.
From there, Tottenham struck first, simply as they’ve completed in every of their final six matches, and it was Son got here to the fore. He was unrelenting in operating at Newcastle defender Kieran Trippier, incomes two good assists within the opening 38 minutes that have been simply reward for one more scintillating attacking show.
First, Son produced a fast step-over within the field to create house away from Trippier and his supply discovered Future Udogie contained in the six-yard field to attain his first purpose for the membership. The purpose was a traditional instance of the risk-reward Postecoglou’s strategy affords. Udogie nominally operates at left-back, however right here he was exchanging passes with Son earlier than arriving like a striker to transform from shut vary.
When Pep Guardiola was requested earlier this month to answer Postecoglou’s joke that his model merely mimics the Metropolis supervisor, he mentioned: “I might say my full-backs go inside, however their full-backs go into the pockets. They’re attacking midfielders. I’ve by no means seen it earlier than. I by no means used that. It belongs completely to him.”
And so the opening purpose belonged to Postecoglou, a well timed validation of his techniques, and it was a platform they’d not relinquish this time. Son roasted Trippier once more seven minutes earlier than the break, leaving the England defender floundering as this time he arrange Richarlison to attain simply his third league purpose for the membership since signing from Everton for £60million in July 2022.
Even when successful eight of their opening 10 video games, Postecoglou has usually claimed an absence of effectivity in entrance of purpose has resulted in a failure to maximise the advantages of their aggressive attacking; what a fillip it might be, due to this fact, if Sunday marked a everlasting return to kind for the Brazilian. His second purpose supplied additional encouragement, with Richarlison gathering Pedro Porro’s glorious angled move to regulate and end previous Martin Dúbravka.
Son received an Eighty fifth-minute penalty he then transformed — the primary Spurs participant apart from Kane to attain a spot-kick since Dele Alli did it in August, 2021 — earlier than Joelinton struck a comfort in stoppage-time for a Newcastle facet depleted by damage and fatigued by a gruelling schedule.
Newcastle’s current state ought to cap the keenness for Tottenham’s show, however however it is a end result — achieved, let’s not overlook, regardless of a number of Spurs absentees — that units Postecoglou and his workforce again on a optimistic path forward of the hectic Christmas schedule. Pape Matar Sarr began his first sport since Nov. 11, Richarlison needed to wait even longer (Oct. 27) to return from groin surgical procedure, whereas Son survived a again scare sustained towards West Ham in midweek.
“We’re making an attempt to construct one thing right here and a part of that’s by the robust durations, to not permit the lads an excessive amount of latitude by way of excuses,” mentioned Postecoglou. “However the actuality is, I’ve most likely been too onerous on them looking back however we obtained decimated [by injury] after the Chelsea sport. And it’s no coincidence that now we’re getting some gamers again that we’re beginning to look so much stronger.”
As the sport drifted into stoppage-time, Son handed the captain’s armband to Romero and left the pitch to a standing ovation, his job completed for one more afternoon. Postecoglou embraced him with a heat hug on the touchline, the image of gamers and supervisor in lockstep as soon as extra.