Spurs: Ange can revive £110k-p/w star in brand new role
Heung-min Son may not be the only Tottenham player to potentially thrive in an unorthodox position this season
While for many, the September international break is a useful time to take stock of new additions and assess where a club is currently at, for Tottenham Hotspur this current halt to proceedings couldn’t have come at a worse time, with the Lilwyhites having been flying high in recent weeks.
The fear will be that the north Londoners will lose the early season momentum that has been gained following an unbeaten start to the new Premier League campaign, with Ange Postecoglou’s side currently just two points behind champions Manchester City at the top of the table.
Spurs’ rapid improvement under their new coach was particularly evident during the recent 5-2 thrashing of newly-promoted Burnley, with that clinical away performance showcasing the free-flowing attacking football that the former Celtic boss is attempting to implement.
Among the star performers at Turf Moor on the day was hat-trick hero, Heung-min Son, with the South Korean star stepping into the shoes of former partner-in-crime Harry Kane by leading the line through the middle.
That somewhat surprise selection paid instant dividends for Postecoglou, with there a potential for further inventive tactical tweaks to lie in-store for other members of the squad…
How has Heung-min Son performed this season?
Despite having begun the season in his usual left-wing berth, the continued woes of teammate Richarlison – who has just a solitary league goal to his name across the last 12 months – saw Son installed as the main man in attack against the Clarets.
That alteration proved a real masterstroke as the long-serving Tottenham ace produced a delightful, delicate dink over the onrushing James Trafford to draw the visitors level early in the first half, before executing two further ruthless finishes after the break to clinch a stunning treble.
With no senior striker having been signed to replace Kane, the 31-year-old looks like he could be at least a strong short-term solution in that number nine berth, with journalist Alasdair Gold having predicted that he could fill that hole in a “different but effective way”.
It may still be early days, although the success of that tactical shift may inspire Postecoglou to carry out another surprise act by re-housing Dejan Kulusevski elsewhere in the side, with there a possibility that the elegant Swede could be an option alongside James Maddison in the centre of midfield.
How has Dejan Kulusevski performed this season?
The 23-year-old has started every game in the league so far this term since seeing his loan deal made permanent over the summer, with the former Juventus man notably scoring in the win away to AFC Bournemouth last month.
Despite that regular role in the side in his usual right-wing berth, it was suggested by 90min back in June that Postecoglou was not overly convinced by the £25m winger, with the player seemingly needing to win over his new boss.
That had come following what was a difficult 2022/23 campaign for the Stockholm native as he scored just twice in the top flight – albeit while contributing seven assists – with pundit Glenn Murray stating that the misfiring forward had been “blowing hot and cold” as a marker of his inconsistency.
After previously netting 13 goals and assists in just 18 league games at the tail-end of the 2021/22 campaign following his January loan arrival from Turin, there is clearly a talented player in there, yet a change in position might allow his qualities to be truly showcased.
What are Dejan Kulusevski’s strengths?
As football.london’s Gold wrote following the victory at Turf Moor, the £110k-per-week asset may be ‘looking nervously over his shoulder at Brennan Johnson’s arrival’, particularly with summer signing Manor Solomon also impressing on the other flank after registering two assists.
| Dejan Kulusevski’s 2022/23 PL numbers |
|---|
| 30 games |
| 23 starts |
| 2 goals |
| 7 assists |
| 11.7x possession lost per game |
| 83% pass accuracy rate |
| 1.7 tackles & interceptions per game |
Stats via Sofascore
With Spurs splashing out £47.5m on the aforementioned Johnson, the expectation is that the ex-Nottingham Forest man will slot into one of those three forward positions, potentially leaving Kulusevski resigned to the bench for the coming weeks and months.
According to respected source Premier League Panel, writing on Twitter, if the Sweden star is to be ousted from his attacking berth it may prove something of a blessing in disguise, as playing on the right wing “doesn’t maximise Kulusevski’s ball-striking, large space ball-carrying, ability to turn with pressure on his back & weighting of [through] balls.”
As PLP went on to add, that may see the one-time Parma man line-up alongside Maddison as a creative, number eight option behind the front line, particularly when coming up against “deep blocks” who will look to sit behind the ball.
The evidence is that Kulusevski has the playmaking quality to be able to break down such a pragmatic defensive unit, having created seven ‘big chances’ in the Premier League last season – a tally only bettered by Kane, Son and Ivan Perisic among his teammates.
Can Kulusevski play in midfield?
The Athletic’s Charlie Eccleshare also noted that the 6 foot 2 menace ‘could possibly excel’ as number eight as he ‘prefers to play centrally’, with that surprise claim offering further support to the notion that a change of position could be what is need to truly revive his form at N17.
At present, Postecoglou has looked to a more solid foundation of Yves Bissouma and Pape Matar Sarr behind Maddison in central midfield, although as alluded to above, certain games and opponents could see Kulusevski’s talents best utilised in that role.
It is not as if the versatile gem hasn’t lined up in a more central before, having made 65 career appearances as a centre midfielder to date – according to Transfermarkt – as well as a further 26 outings as an attacking midfield option.
Despite having previously flourished under Antonio Conte during his first six months in England as a winger, Kulusevski could follow in Son’s footsteps by trying his hand elsewhere in the side, particularly with Johnson likely chomping at the bit to take his place on the flanks.
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