Ange Postecoglou slams critics of Tottenham captain Son Heung-min | OneFootball

Ange Postecoglou has hit back at criticism aimed towards Tottenham Hotspur captain Son Heung-min, stating people are "constantly wanting someone to blame".

The 32-year-old is a three-time winner of the club's Player of the Season award, a four-time winner of the club's Goal of the Season prize and the owner of the 2021/22 Premier League Golden Boot, from a campaign that saw him score 23 goals from the left wing.

Son has 172 Tottenham goals to his name – 126 of those have been scored in the Premier League – but he's found the back of the net harder to find this season amid an unprecedented injury crisis at the club.

Spurs were missing a dozen first-team players at one point, many of whom would have started or commanded a regular playing role from the bench, and a string of defeats means they are sitting in the bottom half of the table, some way below pre-season expectations.

The injury curse has not struck Son, who has played 21 Premier League games this season, but his declining contribution has been picked up on by supporters not happy with using injuries as an excuse for Spurs' erratic form.

But Postecoglou, in trademark fashion, has tackled Son's critics head on, suggesting that those wanting to "tear down" the South Korean are desperate to blow things out of proportion and have no understanding of what's really going on.

"I've said a million times; we are in a world now where people are constantly wanting someone to blame. That is the world we live in," Postecoglou remarked. "The reason for our poor results and consistency is not because of Sonny or my tactics.

Postecoglou has defended Son and taken aim at his critics / Ryan Pierse/GettyImages

"It is just that we have had 11 injuries for the last two months that means we have had tired players, but that doesn't suffice. That doesn't provide a head on a plate. That's how we live our lives these days. If someone makes a mistake, they want to tear them down. There is no leniency anymore, understanding or contextualising of why this happened.

"They are looking for someone. If people think Sonny hasn't done everything in his power to help us through this... So what if he is a nice guy? What is wrong with being a nice person?

"Sonny is Sonny. I have no complaints about his leadership, he's handled it his way. If you're looking for someone to blame, you're looking at the guy most culpable."

The pressure on Postecoglou's shoulders was somewhat eased by Sunday's 1-0 win over Manchester United, courtesy of a goal from the returning James Maddison. Spurs also welcomed first-choice goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario back for the game – he picked up the highest rating of any player on the field – and were able to introduce Brennan Johnson from the bench in the second half.