Tottenham: Ange Postecoglou explains decision to substitute Heung-min Son in Aston Villa win

Ange Postecoglou has explained his decision to substitute Tottenham captain Heung-min Son early in the second half of Sunday’s 4-1 win against Aston Villa.
Son was taken off after just 56 minutes on his comeback from injury.
The South Korean had just set up a Spurs equaliser for Brennan Johnson and appeared surprised to be being replaced.
He then looked frustrated as he sat on the bench in the second half.
Son had missed seven of the previous eight Spurs games and he had been absent since the 4-1 win over West Ham on October 19 due to a hamstring issue.
Speaking after the Villa win, Postecoglou said: “He was never going to play more than 55 minutes.
“Last time he came back from injury he got to the 60-minute mark and got injured again. He got through unscathed.”
Postecoglou also hailed Dominic Solanke after his brilliant late double.
“Unbelievable effort,” said Postecoglou. “The work he did midweek against [Manchester] City… his goals are unbelievable but his general play, his work-rate, I can’t speak highly enough of him.
Postecoglou also praised James Maddison, who put the gloss on a big Spurs win with a sublime free-kick after coming off the bench.
Postecoglou said: “The game was not going the way it had to go for me to bring Madders on. I say to the guys they are all there to make a contribution. Madders will be key for us.”
Also,
Ange Postecoglou hailed the “unbelievable” performance of Tottenham striker Dominic Solanke, whose second-half brace sealed a 4-1 win against Aston Villa.

Despite starting the day five points ahead and having pipped Spurs to a top-four finish last term, Villa’s lead was short-lived as Morgan Rogers’ 32nd-minute strike from a corner was eventually overshadowed by a rampant Tottenham in the second half.
The victory was a stark contrast to the halt in momentum experienced by Postecoglou’s team after their impressive Carabao Cup win over Manchester City, but a revitalised Spurs turned the tables post-interval, decimating their Midlands adversaries.

Spurs’ captain Son Heung-min provided the assist for Brennan Johnson’s seventh goal of the campaign shortly after the break, setting the stage for Solanke’s stunning double within the final 15 minutes as he ended a six-game goal drought.

James Maddison, stepping in for Richarlison, put the icing on the cake with a sublime free-kick in stoppage time, propelling Spurs to seventh place. However, it was Solanke’s day through and through, as his efforts finally paid dividends with goals to show for it.
Postecoglou praised: “I just think the enormous effort he put in on Wednesday night to help us win a game of football, not just physically but mentally, and his capacity to help the team in every way he can… To back that up today with such a massive effort again against a pretty difficult team to play against, it’s just unbelievable.

“Yeah, the goals are great and of course as a striker I am sure he loves the fact he can score a couple of goals, but even if he didn’t, I can’t speak highly enough of what he is contributing to our team at the moment.
“And long may it continue because with him playing that way, it just makes us a better team.”

However, Spurs suffered setbacks during the match with injuries to key players. Defender Cristian Romero faced issues with his right foot, departing from the pitch in the 61st minute, while Richarlison encountered a muscle problem assisting Solanke’s goal scored in the 79th minute.
Postecoglou added: “Richy obviously felt something in the action of setting the goal up in his hamstring, so we’ll see. I don’t have any further information (on Romero) but he’s a pretty tough cookie and for him to come off, it must be sore. It’s not ideal but hopefully both are not serious.”