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5 Tottenham lessons from the West Ham loss

By Rucker Haringey

LONDON, ENGLAND - MARCH 02: Harry Kane of Tottenham Hotspur stands dejected during the Barclays Premier League match between West Ham United and Tottenham Hotspur at Boleyn Ground on March 2, 2016 in London, England. (Photo by Clive Rose/Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND - MARCH 02: Harry Kane of Tottenham Hotspur stands dejected during the Barclays Premier League match between West Ham United and Tottenham Hotspur at Boleyn Ground on March 2, 2016 in London, England. (Photo by Clive Rose/Getty Images) /
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LONDON, ENGLAND - NOVEMBER 22: Heung-Min Son of Tottenham Hotspur challenges Manuel Lanzini of West Ham United during the Barclays Premier League match between Tottenham Hotspur and West Ham United at White Hart Lane on November 22, 2015 in London, England. (Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND – NOVEMBER 22: Heung-Min Son of Tottenham Hotspur challenges Manuel Lanzini of West Ham United during the Barclays Premier League match between Tottenham Hotspur and West Ham United at White Hart Lane on November 22, 2015 in London, England. (Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images) /

5. Son struggles with Premier League physicality

Korean attacker Heung-Min Son can really help Tottenham in a lot of matches. This match just didn’t happen to be one of them. The clever attacker looked really bothered by West Ham’s physicality and that’s a good lesson for manager Mauricio Pochettino.

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Son can be devastatingly effective against finesse teams in the Premier League, but he is really bothered when the game is bogged down with big bodies. His slight frame leaves him borderline helpless when battling against opponents like Andy Carroll. He struggled to make any impact against West Ham despite ample minutes off the bench.

Unfortunately for Tottenham, that does limit Son’s value. It doesn’t mean he can’t be a key squad player, but it does mean that he may never be an every week starter. Pochettino just has to pick and choose his spots to deploy the skillful attacker.

For example, Son could be a huge help in the upcoming North London Derby. Arsenal, unlike West Ham, won’t try to clog the game up with hulking midfielders. Son can find significant room to operate against the Gunners. As ineffective as he was against the Hammers, he could be as deadly against Arsenal.

Next: 4. Nacer Chadli is not a starter

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