by Outlet, savior and team carrier, Son Heung-min has inherited Harry Kane’s role for Tottenham in several ways. His goal settled nerves and ultimately the game against Bournemouth, who were very much in charge despite trailing 1-0. Now, Spurs, who are playing the season on apparently ‘extreme’ difficulty, must figure out how to replace him.
The next hurdle in Ange Postecoglou’s Tough Mudder campaign is the Asian Cup. Mac will soon be going to a training camp in Abu Dhabi to join his team in South Korea. Then, if South Korea goes as far as they are expected to go in Qatar, it will miss six weeks of home football until the end of the tournament. This will almost certainly be his last game for Tottenham for at least a month, with their home game against Brentford at the end of January coming back as soon as possible.
That would require a group exit for South Korea, which is unlikely given their counterparts Bahrain, Malaysia and Jordan. Son’s side, managed by Jürgen Klinsman, are far more likely to make it as far as at least the semi-finals and likely the final, making February 17 against Wolves a likely return date. This would mean missing league games against Manchester United, Brentford, Everton and Brighton, as well as Burnley in the third round of the FA Cup.
Add his impending absence to the list of disasters and tragedies that have hit Tottenham in recent months. Injuries go through his squad like a PG remake of Final Destination, and decapitations are replaced by strained hamstrings. Two more victims on Sunday, both of whom were visibly upset as they left the field.
First Pape Matar Sarr, who was taken off in the first half after scoring the opening goal and playing well. Injury would rule him out of the Africa Cup of Nations with Senegal. Then Alejo Véliz pulled up in pain in injury time which was too literal and he was crying as he gave up. You would sympathize if Postecoglou did such a thing, given the constraints he is working under. Instead he lost his temper with a member of Bournemouth’s coaching staff and was booked.
Dejan Kulusevski and Yves Bissouma were suspended and the situation at the back is so desperate that Postecoglou named a back-four goal for the second game in a row. Eric Dier, a member of England’s World Cup squad this time last year, was not keen until he came on as an 82nd minute substitute. At least there was great joy before the beginning of the stream for Rodrigo Bentancur’s return earlier than expected, but Spurs are so short on bodies that there would be a lot of anticipation if Jason Dozzell came back into their midfield.
Mac leaves the Middle East as Postecoglou’s top scorer with 12 goals so far, but it will be his status as his team’s most destructive player that will leave the biggest hole. Despite Spurs’ limitations the game started with great pace and promise, as is usual under Postecoglou. Son and Destiny Udogie set the tone, all feints and skills move at 1.5x speed.
Sarr’s goal came inside 10 minutes after Bournemouth goalkeeper Neto made a careless pass towards Ryan Christie in midfield. Bentancur read it, Giovani Lo Celso wanted it more than Lewis Cook and Sarr had time to take four touches unchallenged, feeding him just inside the box for a well-executed finish into the bottom corner.
That was a big scare for the visitors, who had been tagging along for almost two months under Andoni Iraola but initially they were playing deeper and slower than their manager would have liked. Then, as they are, Spurs faded away. By the end of the first half Bournemouth were completely in control, which continued after the break when the visitors missed a selection of box half chances. For an in-form striker, Dominic Solanke didn’t look in great touch, his low point poking wide after a lovely move from the brilliant Luis Sinisterra and Christie.
At the other end during a rare break by Spurs Mac was set free and the stadium roared in anticipation. Marcos Senesi made an excellent tackle but was nowhere to be seen a minute later. Mack’s movement was spectacular, seemingly teleporting from the radar of three Bournemouth players near the halfway line to AWOL from behind their last defender. Lo Celso, in all its glory, cut a neat ball in front and the forward had plenty of time to score the crucial second goal.
Pedro Porro, who is still working at the back, now leads Spurs’ assists after he took Richarlison into his side’s third. Bournemouth more than deserved the consolation through Alex Scott but there was enough invention in their play to give hope for 2024. Little of that is over for the beleaguered Spurs, but despite being all but relegated.
