Former Tottenham Hotspur player Jamie O’Hara has been reflecting on Spurs’ 1-0 win over Manchester United
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Tottenham Hotspur made it two Premier League wins in a row as they defeated Manchester United 1-0 in North London on Sunday afternoon. Spurs beat Brentford 2-0 in their previous league fixture but followed that up with a 4-0 loss to Liverpool in the Carabao Cup and 2-1 defeat at the hands of Aston Villa in the FA Cup.
However, James Maddison scored the only goal of the game in the first half against the Red Devils to clinch an important three points. Up next is a trip to Ipswich Town before Spurs host Manchester City in a midweek fixture to end the month.
"I certainly believe there is still a hell of a lot on offer for us, this back-half of the year. Europe is the obvious one, but even in the league I think we could make inroads there. We’re not happy with where we are. It’s unacceptable that we’re in the position we are. But the circumstances have dictated that to a great extent. The circumstances will change ,” said a pleased Ange Postecoglou after the win.
“The guys who came back in today will improve and make us stronger. There’s still two or three more on the horizon who will also come back. I think that gives us an opportunity before long. It’s only one game, but I thought today was an important game if we were going to start that progress. Getting three points makes us think, OK, it’s starting to make an impact."
O’Hara criticises Son
After Sunday’s win, former Tottenham midfielder Jamie O’Hara was reflecting on the performance and put forward his belief that Heung-Min Son is no longer world class.
“What about Son? I have been taking so much stick from South Korea fans. I am getting loads of stick 24/7 because I said Son is not a captain and Son is not a leader,” said O’Hara on talkSPORT on Monday morning.
“We have to start looking at a replacement for Son. He has been an unbelievable servant to the football club and he is a top player, don’t get me wrong. He has been, in my opinion, world class but he isn’t anymore. He has lost a yard of pace and lost belief to go past somebody. He doesn’t go past anybody anymore. He doesn’t make anything happen.
“Listen, sometimes ages gets the better of you and have you to start looking elsewhere. I don't think Son is the guy who should be captain anymore. He shouldn't be captain anymore for Tottenham.”
Where does Son’s future lie?
The Spurs forward was set to be out of contract this summer but an option to extend his deal in North London by an extra 12 months was activated by Tottenham in early January. It means he will have one season left at the club once the current campaign concludes.
He has made 22 appearances for Tottenham in the Premier League this season, with six goals and seven assists. He has three goals in six Europa League games and also netted once in Spurs’ run to the Carabao Cup semi-finals. The 32-year-old joined Spurs from Bayer Leverkusen in 2015 and he has made well over 400 appearances since his move. He was named club captain in August 2023. Overall he has scored 172 goals for Tottenham and provided 92 assists.
Last week, Postecoglou hit back at criticism of Son as he said ahead of the win over United: "I've said a million times; we are in a world now where people are constantly wanting someone to blame. That is the world we live in. The reason for our poor results and consistency is not because of Sonny or my tactics.
"It is just that we have had 11 injuries for the last two months that means we have had tired players, but that doesn't suffice. That doesn't provide a head on a plate. That's how we live our lives these days. If someone makes a mistake, they want to tear them down. There is no leniency anymore, understanding or contextualising of why this happened.
"They are looking for someone. If people think Sonny hasn't done everything in his power to help us through this. So, what if he is a nice guy? What is wrong with being a nice person Sonny is Sonny. I have no complaints about his leadership, he's handled it his way. If you're looking for someone to blame, you're looking at the guy most culpable."