adminOn the 17th, British media Football 365 selected the worst 11 players in the 20th round of the English Professional Football Premier League (EPL). Coincidentally, two of them were Son Heung-min (31, Tottenham) and Muhammad Salah (31, Liverpool), who were joint top scorers in the league last season. Son Heung-min did nothing while suffering a 0-2 defeat against league leaders Arsenal on the 16th, and Salach was in the same position when he lost 0-3 to Brighton & Hove Albion the day before.
The two ‘Golden Boot’ (EPL scorers) fell into sluggishness this season. Son Heung-min only scored 4 goals and 3 assists while playing 19 games. Salach also has only 7 goals and 4 assists in the same 19 games. The two, who scored 23 goals and 9 assists and 23 goals and 14 assists, respectively, in 35 games last season, are often criticized for showing a lack of strength in actual games as well as simple records. Amid the sluggishness of the two aces, Tottenham is 5th in the league (36 points) and Liverpool is 9th in the league (29 points), performing below expectations.
As they showed no momentum to get out of silence, reports continued that the two teams eventually reached the point where they were looking for replacements for the two. England’s ‘Evening Standard’ said, “Tottenham will recruit Arnaud Danzuma (26) from Spain’s Villarreal as a starter instead of Son Heung-min, who is sluggish.” Danjuma is a striker who plays on the left flank, in the same position as Son Heung-min, and has both scoring power and speed.
Rumors are circulating that Liverpool also selected Federico Chiesa (26) of Juventus in Italy as a replacement for Salach. Not only this, but there is even a story that Liverpool is preparing to sell Salach, who is the symbol of the team, at a bargain price.
◇Reason for sluggish
performance It has been pointed out several times that Son Heung-min is not in sync with left-sided defender Ivan Perisic. In addition, there is an analysis that the ball does not pass well to Son Heung-min because of the unstable defense. Tottenham have conceded 19 goals in their last 10 matches. It is said that the skills of the defense team, such as goalkeeper Hugo Lloris and central defender Eric Dier, are not the same as before. 메이저놀이터
Salah is in a similar situation. Last season, he roamed the ground freely, playing with Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino, who were capable of link play, but now he is playing with Darwin Nunez and Cody Gakpo, who do not move well in the middle. In addition, Liverpool’s concern is that there is no player in the midfield with the ability to manage the game, except for Thiago Alcantara. One of the reasons for the sluggishness is that the two lost their stamina as they went back and forth between the national team and the professional team.
◇”A chance to develop further”
But above all, the biggest voice is that the two are not showing their skills. Britain’s ‘Daily Mail’ said, “What happened to Son Heung-min? He’s lost his shot and lacks confidence. Tottenham fans will be delighted to see him removed from the selection.”
Son Heung-min also found the cause in himself. In a local interview, he said, “When things don’t work out, I have to let them go, but I can’t stand it and insist on doing better.” However, he continued, “After becoming the top scorer, the expectations placed on me by those around me have changed. He sees it as an opportunity to develop further as a player. He said he will keep running without giving up.”
There is also a story that Salach has fallen out of favor with Liverpool coach Jurgen Klopp due to the sluggish performance that has continued since the second half of last season. Salach said, “It’s a difficult and difficult situation, but I think he will overcome it and get better.”