“Heung-min, please do it!”
Tottenham will face Manchester United (hereafter referred to as Man U) in the 2024-25 UEFA Europa League final, which will be held at 4 a.m. (Korea time) on the 22nd in Bilbao, Spain. Tottenham, currently sitting at 17th place in the Premier League, will clash with 16th place Man U. This match between two teams at the edge of the cliff is a guillotine.
Heung-min Son's career is on the line. After joining Tottenham in 2015, Heung-min Son, who has been a runner-up four times, is now challenging for his first title. Returning from a foot injury after a month, Heung-min started against Aston Villa on the 17th, playing for 74 minutes. Heung-min, who has improved his condition, is expected to start in the final.
This is a life-and-death battle for Premier League teams. Both Tottenham and Man U have had their worst performances this season. With Man U at 10 wins, 9 draws, and 18 losses in 16th place in the league, and Tottenham at 11 wins, 5 draws, and 21 losses in 17th place, both teams are expected to finish with their worst records since the Premier League began. If they miss the Europa League title, they will fall into a winless state.
Angie Postecoglou, Tottenham's manager, will be dismissed if he fails to win the Europa League. According to 'Football Insider', "Postecoglou's future depends on the result of the Europa League final. With Tottenham falling to 17th place, POSTECH's future remains uncertain. If he wins, he can keep his managerial position at Tottenham. However, if he loses, he will be cut without mercy. The Europa League title is essentially a lifeline."
If Tottenham wins, it will be their first title in 17 years. Heung-min Son, who has only finished as a runner-up four times since joining Tottenham in 2015, could finally celebrate a title. The joy of winning is so immense that the call for Postecoglou's dismissal could be overshadowed. This is why POSTECH is clinging to the return of Heung-min.
POSTECH noted, "Heung-min's return is important. We have lost many key players recently. Our players' average age is currently 3-4 years younger than our opponents. Now that Heung-min has returned, we have one more experienced player. This will be a great help to the team."
Man U is also desperate. Coach Ruben Amorim will be dismissed if they lose. ESPN pointed out, "Amorim himself is bewildered by Man U's decline. His current position as a coach is at risk. The Europa League final is their only chance."
Amorim himself is well aware of the crisis. He confessed, "This ranking is also surprising to me as the Man U coach. How can this be accepted? The biggest problem for our club is that, despite being a big club, we are drenched in a losing mentality. This is my biggest concern ahead of the Europa League final."
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