muttley
Alert Team
Would love to know on what basis you don't see Son as a starter? He's had a few games where he's not looked his best, but at other times he looked like he'd be challenging for the golden boot if Madders had stayed fit.
I'm more worried how we replace him long term. He's 2nd to Messi for outperforming his xG in world football. Know peoples eyes glaze over when those stats are quoted, but put another way he's totally irreplaceable if we want someone to score goals against the odds on a consistent basis. Even Kane didn't come close to Son's numbers on this front, and he was 4th best in the world last I checked.
There's 2 or 3 reasons why there is a case for Son to be on the bench
1) There have been a few games where fans (including me) have been left scratching our heads why he's been left on the pitch after the hour mark. He's been totally ineffectve. In that next game, he's of course back in the starting line-up. When we have our full quota of forwards available, that's a reason for benching him and showing the rest of the squad there is a meritocracy.
2) Tactically - in some games (mostly away) we need Richi's qualities as a number 9. That means Sonny needs to be in one of the channels and we have 5 others who can play there. As he advances in years, Sonny doesn't always want to be in the wide spaces especially with the full-backs attacking the inside space he occupies. We might be better off with him coming off the bench.
3) Asia Cup - like any injured player, it's not their fault that they miss 4 or 5 games. Quite simply, if the other lads are doing the business then you wait your turn and you sit on the bench.
No doubt in my mind that Sonny's still the best finisher at the club. That means that you introduce risk by not having him in the starting eleven. However, with 5 subs and 6 fit players we can get back into a mindset that is absolutely different from what we've been used to so far. All players need to be performing at the highest level to stay in the side.