“There is no player that cannot be removed (from the starting lineup).”
Tottenham Hotspur manager Antonio Conte responded as follows when asked about the appointment of Son Heung-min (30), who was faltering at the beginning of the season, as a built-in starter. It is an ambiguous answer, but it means that Son Heung-min can be removed in the end.
“To say that no player cannot be removed is for the players,” Conte said. To avoid injuries and to always maintain good performance.”
Tottenham will play a home match against Leicester City for the 2022-23 season at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London at 1:30 am (Korean time) on the 18th.
Tottenham are undefeated in 6 matches (4 wins, 2 draws) in the league, but they lost 0-2 in the away match against Sporting Lisbon (Portugal) in the second leg of the UEFA Champions League group stage on the 14th. The uptrend has stopped.
In particular, Son Heung-min, who started against Sporting, was disappointed with his sluggish performance, such as not being able to record a single shot.
Heung-Min Son, who was the joint top scorer in the EPL last season, has only provided one assist in eight games this season and has yet to score a goal. Articles pointing out Son Heung-min’s sluggishness are pouring in the local area as well.
Coach Conte has been using Son Heung-min as a starter despite his prolonged silence.
At the press conference held before the Leicester City match, a question about Son Heung-min was also raised. One reporter asked, “You said before that Son Heung-min is an undroppable player in the starting lineup, but is that still the case?”
“Dejan Kulusevsky and Rishalisson also want to start (continue),” he added.
Director Conte gave a principled answer to this question. “There is no player who is not missing (at the start),” he said. “It has to be clear. This is to avoid injuries and to keep players performing at their best. “I’m saying this to protect our athletes and to give everyone the opportunity to reach the top.”
Conte avoided commenting on Son Heung-min, but warned that he could be out of the starting lineup, after a recent hesitation.
“You can play a game well, you can score, or you can’t,” he said. “But my job is to protect the players and the team. We will find the right way to get results.”
In addition, coach Conte said, “As I said before, we have to digest four competitions. In particular, in the case of the Champions League, unlike the Europa League or the Conference, if the starting lineup lags behind, it is impossible to win the match. That’s why every player has to be ready every moment.”
(Seoul = News 1)