Brensational! Sonsational!

Let's discuss the Kulusevski Conundrum

SPURS 2-1 LUTON

11:00 AM, March 30, 2024

Tahith Chong (3'), Issa Kaboré (51' OG), Son Heung-Min (86')

Referee: Jarred Gillett

First, let’s get this out of the way: Dejan Kulusevski had a rough match. I feel bad piling onto the criticism he’s receiving. He’s an outstanding player, one of my favorites on the team, and he’s created more chances than anyone else for us this season. If we had to pick a player of the season now, he’d at least deserve some consideration. But so much of our attack currently relies upon having someone arrive at the back post, and this is simply not his strength.

Although his sister might disagree at times, one can’t fault Deki’s work rate. He’s a rugged player who can carry opposing defenders on his back. But he lacks the speed necessary to be a prolific winger in Ange’s setup, and I think this affects his confidence and decision making.

With an opportunity on the edge of the Luton box just two minutes into the match, Deki could have attempted a through ball to Destiny Udogie or squared to either Son Heung-min or Pape Matar Sarr (both open) or cut in to shoot himself. Instead, the winger released a stray pass behind our attack that launched a Luton counter.

As Ben White shows us, there were many mistakes in the ensuing sequence: Son was probably fouled by Andros Townsend but Jared Gillet played on, and the former Spurs man left Yves Bissouma behind with a stepover. Multiple players got their marking wrong. All of this led to Luton taking an early lead on a well-taken strike by Tahith Chong.

Despite the early deficit, we controlled play throughout the match and came close many times. At the 20’ mark, Sonny got around keeper Thomas Kaminski and fired a shot that ricocheted off both posts. Timo ran onto it but his shot was blocked by Issa Kaboré, who had a standout first half. Sarr’s follow in the center of the box was cleared off the line by central defender Tenden Mengi.

We went to the half still down one, but Ange Postcoglou made a change the turned the match around by swapping Brennan Johnson for Deki. After the match, he’d explain:

We felt that in the first half, Deki was probably coming inside a little bit too much and we felt that Timo was certainly getting some opportunities down the left-hand side and if we got Brennan on the right-hand side that he could equally be a threat. I thought both wingers in the second half were outstanding.

Our wingers should play the same way. I think Deki was trying to get maybe too involved in the game a little bit. He went looking for the ball, he’s that kind of player — wants to be on the ball all the time. I just thought we had a different structure in the second half. It’s not about the individual players, it’s about the overall structure that they have to follow.

I thought it was really important and I could see that Timo was getting two or three really good opportunities, and we weren’t getting the same kind of joy on the other side because Deki was coming inside looking for the ball.

With Brennan’s pace and he has really good quality delivery, and gets in the box, and I thought the game was going to be good for him.

Indeed, Johnson’s introduction won the match for us. His pace not only helped him get behind Luton’s back line with regularity but also allowed Pedro Porro to work himself more into the match.

Six minutes into the second half, the two linked up on a give-and go that sent Johnson into the box with a crossing chance that has become familiar with both he and Timo Werner manning the wings. Kabore tried to intercept but ended up finishing better than Timo might have to draw us even courtesy of an own goal. (I thought for a second an offside flag had gone up as the Peacock play-by-play man aptly said, “It’s unfortunate!”…but the commentator was aptly referring to Kabore’s luck there.)

Lo Celso came on at 68’ and played quite well. Werner found him on the edge of the box and the Argentinian squared to Johnson, whose point-blank attempt was deflected by Kaminsky but came this close to putting us up a goal before a clearance by Alfie Doughty:

It was the type of non-goal that might’ve defined the match had it ended in a draw. But with Son flanked by two pacey wingers, it was time for our captain to shine.

In the 86’, he both sparked and finished the game-winning sequence. As Alasdair Gold observed: “For a man who was starting his third match in just over a week and flew back across the world, Son, in the 86th minute, picked up the ball in his own box, sprinted up the field, played Werner down the left and ran into the other penalty area to fire in Johnson's lay-off. Captain.”

For a moment, it reminded me of Son’s box-to-box Puskas winner from 2020, when we ran through most of the Burnley team. But while the 2024 version of Sonny is not quite as pacey as he was then, he knows how to use the speed of those around him. After beating one man, he sent it forward to Timo, who made yet another run down the left and squared to Johnson, who served it up for Sonny’s run into the box. Our captain’s goalward shot was deflected, slipping past Kaminsky’s right and winning the match for the home side.

Son’s tally was his 160th for Tottenham, moving him into fifth outright in club history. Congratulations to our captain!

With four forwards on the field (Richarlsion having been introduced a minute beforehard), Ange acted quickly and took Son off in favor of Pierre-Emile Højbjerg. The Danish midfielder has proven valuable as a substitute this season, and his compsure helped us kill off the match.

USMOTM

I tend to be reluctant to give this distinction to second-half substitutes, but there can be only one pick here: Brennan Johnson, and not just for his two assists but in the way he turned the match around and showed a lot of confidence on the right throughout the second half. I think more and more people realize how bright his future looks for Tottenham.

SPUR OF THE MOMENT

Richarlison received a healthy obvation when he came onto the pitch on Saturday, a show of support after his revealing interview last week in which he spoke about his battles with depression. I was really hoping he’d score on Saturday so that he could hear even more applause. For his openness in talking about issues that men are often discouraged to talk about, especially (as the striker himself has noted) in certain social circles and cultures, Richy is our SOTM.

PASS THE DRAGON TO THE LEFT-HAND SIDE

Pre-match, I agreed with Nathan Clark’s feelings about Ange starting on Radu Drăgușin on the left again. Nathan suggested Radu and Romero might have switched with each other, whereas I’d have liked to see Ben Davies start for the reasons I noted.

Speaking of which, congratulations to Ben for captaining the Wales national team, who failed to qualify for the Euros by the narrowest of margins when they lost the shootout to Poland—no fault of Ben, who confidently stepped up to take and convert the first one. Congrats also to Ben for being awarded his UEFA A and Elite Youth A Licence!

That said, Drăgușin did fairly well. He might’ve closed down better on Luton’s goal, but he was otherwise solid and made a few positive runs forward and picked out some passes, as well. Perhaps Ange felt this was a good match for Drăgușin to pick up experience without having to face much in the way of oppositional attack. I still have reservations, though, on seeing him as cover for Mickey van de Ven.

DON’T YOU FORGET ABOUT HIM

Even with Johnson’s heroics, I’ll ask those writing off Kulusevski to remember he, Kane, and Son comprised a peerless attacking unit in that first season under Conte when we made an improbable run to Champions League qualification. Don’t forget that classic contest when we upset City on their grounds.

I think Deki has been hurt more than any other player by Kane’s departure. With our all-time scoring leader now playing for Bayern Munich’s weakest team in more than a decade, and Richarlison starting most matches on the bench, we have no attackers who can put a head on Kulusevski’s crosses.

Deki surely lacks consistency. He can look brilliant in one match, a bit lost the next. But this is to be expected from a player playing out of his natural position. With James Maddison yet to recapture his early season form, though, we may well see Ange give Deki more of an opportunity in his preferred central role. He’s shown versatility in being able to start on the wing and spell Madders late in matches. Perhaps we’ll see Deki start in place of him—or the two playing beside each other when the match calls for it. Either way, we shouldn’t give up on this gem of a player.

Next up: Tuesday’s trip to West Ham. Yuck. (Are they still calling themselves “Champions of Europe” after winning a sad, tertiary trophy by beating a Serie A team that finished eighth?)