Spurs could make surprise swap by replacing Son with “perfect” £90k-p/w star
Tottenham will be desperate to clinch a second successive victory in the Premier League tonight.
Tottenham Hotspur ended a five-match losing streak last time out in the Premier League with a brilliant show of forward intent against fatigued Newcastle United.
Despite always being in the lead, Ange Postecoglou’s team lost four of those matches; the outstanding start to the season was marred by a number of injuries and bans.
Spurs, however, have never wavered in their optimism because they believe their Australian manager has what it takes to usher in a prosperous new era.
Now the task is to find a consistent vein.On Friday night, Nottingham Forest will host the Lilywhites at the City Ground. Both teams are itching for three points.
Tottenham team news vs Forest
Giovani Lo Celso has been ruled out of Friday night’s trip to Nottingham, compounding Postecoglou’s concerns as he contends with a fragile crop of players.
Ivan Perisic, Manor Solomon, Eric Dier, Ryan Sessegnon, and other injured players compound the situation. Important players James Maddison, Micky van de Ven, and Rodrigo Bentancur are still out and are not anticipated to return after the new year.
If nothing else, Postecoglou and the Spurs fanbase will be relieved that captain Heung-min Son is still healthy and productive after excelling in his range of forward positions this year.
Heung-min Son’s season in numbers
Son started in his usual left-wing position across the opening three games of the Premier League campaign and blanked, but Harry Kane’s summer sale prompted his manager to shift him into a centre-forward position, where he plundered nine goals and two assists from 12 matches.
The Spurs star, who Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp called “world-class,” went back to his natural position last time out to allow Richardson to take center stage. It paid off nicely as the home team destroyed the Magpies.
The South Korean won seven duels, finished two tackles and two interceptions apiece, scored, produced two assists, and supplied four crucial passes in one of his most devastating performances of the season, according to Sofascore.
With Richarlison returning to goalscoring form with a well-taken brace – which was dubbed “perfect” by The Athletic’s Charlie Eccleshare – surely Postecoglou wouldn’t consider rotating the stars’ respective roles? Well, with the towering Tricky Trees awaiting, perhaps it might be apt.
Where Richarlison should play vs Forest
After leaving Everton for Tottenham in a £60 million transfer in 2022, Richarlison has not had the best of results, scoring only one league goal in the whole 2022–2023 season.
But his two goals this past weekend either side of halftime indicate that he may be poised to make a comeback to prominence, having just recovered from groin surgery that he claimed caused so much discomfort that he had to give up shooting.
However, after helping out twice this season down the left channel, it would not be a smart idea to give him a striking duty tonight. Instead, using his creative abilities to return to the left would be a fantastic use of his abilities.
Nottingham Forest cleared 214 heads.This phrase highlights the aerial superiority that shields the sticks; no Premier League team has produced more in 2023–2024.
The £90k-per-week Richarlison could be a viable option through the middle, as he was among the top 4% of attacking midfielders and wingers in Europe’s top five leagues last season, according to FBref. However, Steve Cooper’s underperforming players are some of the best in the sky, so they may offset his aerial threat.
Furthermore, Richarlison has not scored a goal in three games against Nottingham Forest, but he has contributed two assists, so perhaps his inventiveness might be directed toward the productive Son in the center.
