• Dear Guest, Please note that adult content is not permitted on this forum. We have had our Google ads disabled at times due to some posts that were found from some time ago. Please do not post adult content and if you see any already on the forum, please report the post so that we can deal with it. Adult content is allowed in the glory hole - you will have to request permission to access it. Thanks, scara

Son Heung-Min

Although its the goals getting the headlines, his all-round game is much improved. He conceded possession cheaply last year either through a heavy first-touch or poor lay-offs or just generally running down cul-de-sacs. His touch is now sharp meaning opponents have to stand off him which has the knock-on effect that he can get his head up and pick passes/shoot. All in all a real result for us.
 
All looking good with Son and then I am reminded that he is 24 and has to start his national service by the time he is 28
 
This is the first I've heard on this:

"In 2014, Leverkusen had refused to allow him to compete at the Asian Games, when South Korea took gold."
 
This is the first I've heard on this:

"In 2014, Leverkusen had refused to allow him to compete at the Asian Games, when South Korea took gold."

I stumbled across that last month, apparently Leverkusen couldn't do without him for 6 games so now we might be without his services for 21 months!

I see that Son would already have been granted an exemption, if Leverkusen hadn't prevented him from participating in the 2014 Asian Games.

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/07/26/s...mpic-medal-south-korea-military-exempted.html
 
All good things come to He-ung who waits...

@OptaJoe
5 - Son Heung-Min has scored 5 goals in 5 games for Spurs in all comps this season, as many as he did in his last 37 last season. Refreshed.
 
I believe he can gain an exemption if he repeats Korea's gold medal exploits at the Asian Games in 2018. That's probably his last chance, tbh - I imagine he'd be straight off to do his service if they failed to win in that competition. It leaves us with a bit of a conundrum next summer - do we keep him on, and stake everything on him winning the Asian Games in August 2018? If so, we'll also have to prepare for the likelihood of South Korea not winning, in which case we'd be paying him for the two years he'd then be absent for, with his contract expiring in 2020 at the conclusion of his service. He'd be back by the time he's 28 or so if everything goes well and nothing untoward happens, which should be about when players hit their stride anyway - so if we give him a new contract when he leaves that extends his commitment to us past 2020 (factoring in his service period, I'd imagine he wouldn't ask for wages as high as he would if that wasn't necessary), we could in theory get him back by 2020.

Or, we could decide that it isn't worth the risk and sell him next summer - trouble is, firstly, I imagine teams that want to take him will be faced with the same conundrum, so we wouldn't get as high a price as we would given that service period, and secondly, that's a pretty bad way to treat a player, binning him just as he's faced with the dark prospect of missing out on two productive years due to his national service commitments. Same goes with releasing him or something in 2018, if it comes to that.

I'd like to think that, subject to his form staying the same into 2018, and in the eventuality that the South Koreans fail to win the Asian Games, we'd arrive at some sort of gentleman's agreement with the lad where we pay him reduced wages during his term of military service and then pick him up again after it. But, those are the sorts of things Levy handles with considerable aplomb, so hey, not my place to judge.
 
I dont think we need to worry. Trump will get in and nuke the brick out of N. Korea after they slag him on state TV. The S Korea amy will abolish national service shortly after and Son will be allowed stay.
 
Last edited:
But that's fine if we use that to our advantage

Have to assume it would be Zabaletta (one of my favourite players) and that creates space for others. Gotta hope rose is back to play down the channels
Zabaletta is gone, been terrible for all of last year and when he has played this year. City fans love him but freely admit his legs have gone. He will not be playing and I imagine he will be off very shortly.

Son is a very intelligent player and unlike most of our team knows how to take up positions between the lines, this is what I think he brings to the team that no one else can do, hence I am not worried about man marking.

*added link http://forums.bluemoon-mcfc.co.uk/threads/pablo-zabaleta-2016-17-performances.323735/page-7
 
Last edited:
Zabaletta is gone, been terrible for all of last year and when he has played this year. City fans love him but freely admit his legs have gone. He will not be playing and I imagine he will be off very shortly.

Son is a very intelligent player and unlike most of our team knows how to take up positions between the lines, this is what I think he brings to the team that no one else can do, hence I am not worried about man marking.

One thing that has stood out for me with son lately is his crossing which has been great

Plenty of his crosses should have been attacked better and again it's a variable weapon

Son is the least of our concerns now
 
So what are the chances he gets an exemption from National Service? Is there any chance the Government allow him to put it off until his mid 30s given he'd effectively be giving up a career during his prime years with almost no chance of returning to the same level? I've heard there is some debate among Korean fans about this?

I can't believe the whole thing is hinging on the Asian Games in 2018...surely we'd want clarity on the situation before that.
 
Back