‘Bit concerned’: Jamie O’Hara says £22m Tottenham player didn’t look happy after what Antonio Conte did on Saturday

Add as preferred source on Google

Jamie O’Hara has told TalkSPORT that Tottenham Hotspur winger Heung-Ming Son did not look happy after what Antonio Conte did on Saturday. 

Spurs managed to beat Wolves 1-0 after a lacklustre first-half display at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Saturday.

Conte’s men vastly improved in the second-half and came away with all three points thanks to a Harry Kane header.

But Son was substituted for Richarlison towards the end of the game after a below-par performance. And O’Hara believes the South Korean star did not look happy about it. 

O’Hara says Son didn’t look happy

Speaking on TalkSPORT, the former Spurs midfielder says he is worried about the start Son has made to the season and feels that him being subbed for the Brazilian could be impacting his performances. 

He said: “I’m just a little bit concerned with Son. Got dragged again, come off after 75 minutes. He didn’t look happy coming off. He’s not used to that.

“He’s just not going yet. There’s loads of ways to start the season, you can start the season flying, you can be average, you can be ok.

“Son just hasn’t got going yet. And that’s a little bit of a concern for me. I’m sure he’ll find his feet. He gets a couple of goals and he’ll be back in business.”

The TalkSPORT pundit feels Son will become irritated if Conte keeps taking him off for Richarlison. 

He added: “I think he feels like he’s the one getting taken off for Richarlison at the minute and that can get in your head. You’re thinking I’ve only got 70 minutes here to really turn up and make something happy, so you start being a bit more selfish. You start doing things you wouldn’t normally do.” 

“He’s always been a 90 minute man. Him and Harry Kane never took off. Son would score late goals. Now I look at it and he’s probably thinking I’m the guy that’s coming off for Richarlison in a minute and that can annoy you.

“I’ve had that in the past where you’re the guy who’s the first substitute. When the manager makes a substitute, you’re the guy that comes off and it starts to wind you up in the end.”

Son has been a key player for Spurs since he made the £22m switch from Bayer Leverkusen back in 2015 (BBC). 

Indeed, he hasn’t started the season in his best form and was hooked by Conte against Wolves after what was a disappointing performance by his standards.

But the South Korea international once again provided a moment of quality in a game where he wasn’t at his best.

Son delivered a great corner for Ivan Perisic to flick on to an unmarked Kane for the winning goal.

There’s no doubt that Son will get back to his best soon. But it’s great for Conte to now have options to be able to rotate his team when things aren’t going so well.