Ange must finally axe “incredible” £190k-p/w Spurs star

It’s been a challenging old season for Tottenham Hotspur this year.

Ange Postecoglou’s side have struggled for consistency in the Premier League and have had to deal with a mountain of seemingly never-ending injury problems.

These problems likely forced Daniel Levy and Co to act in the winter transfer window, as while they perhaps didn’t get in as many players as the fans would have wanted, they did address some key areas.

Antonín Kinský has instantly become the club’s number one in place of the injured Guglielmo Vicario, Kevin Danso can come straight into the backline, and most excitingly of all, Mathys Tel could and should come into the team for the game against Liverpool, which means the manager has to ruthlessly drop someone from the lineup.

Why Mathys Tel has to start against Liverpool

Now, there might be some of you out there who raise the valid point that, at 19 years old, it could be risky throwing Tel into the starting lineup for a semi-final away at Anfield, but from what we’ve seen of him in the last year or so, he looks ready.

For example, while Vincent Kompany barely gave him a chance this season, he was exceptional in his cameos last year, racking up a sublime haul of ten goals and six assists in 41 appearances, totalling just 1406 minutes.

That breaks down to an average of a goal involvement every 2.56 games, or more crucially, every 87.87 minutes, which is just the kind of incisiveness Postecoglou is going to need from his players if they are going to come away from Merseyside with a Wembley appearance to look forward to.

Moreover, the “mind-blowing” forward, as dubbed by talent scout Jacek Kulig, is more than just an output machine; he’s also a nightmare for defenders when he’s on the ball.

For example, FBref, which compared players in similar positions in the Bundesliga last season, placed the teenager in the top 9% of attacking midfielders and wingers for successful take-ons and progressive passes received, so if his teammates can get him the ball, he’s more than capable of going straight at defenders.

In short, while he hasn’t got a massive body of work to draw conclusions from, Tel looks like the perfect winger for Postecoglou, someone who can be trusted to finish his chances and craft plenty for his teammates, which means he has to start, and someone has to make way for him.

The Spurs player who has to make way for Tel

So, to get straight to the point, the starter Postecoglou should be looking to drop for the game against Liverpool tomorrow night is club captain Son Heung-min.

Now, the £190k-per-week superstar has been a superb player for Spurs over the last decade or so and is undoubtedly an icon of the Premier League to boot.

Still, as most fans would probably now attest, he’s significantly less effective than he once was.

In his defence, the “incredible” international, as dubbed by Postecoglou, is still an excellent finisher, but his ability to take players on and influence games outside of the penalty area has dramatically decreased.

For example, FBref has placed him in the bottom 46% of attacking midfielders and wingers for successful take-ons per 90 in the Premier League this season and the bottom 39% for successful take-on percentage, which is even more disappointing when you consider the system in which he’s currently playing.

However, fans should not get on his back for this downturn in form, as according to research carried out by The Athletic, wide players peak at 26 years old and experience a sharp decline in their ability to take players on once they pass 30, so the former Bayer Leverkusen star, who’s set to turn 33 by the end of the campaign, is simply a victim of time.

Ultimately, Spurs have a golden opportunity to reach a final on Thursday night, but to do so, they’ll need to beat the incredible Liverpool. To do that, they’ll need dynamism and energy, which Tel can provide, but Son just can’t.