Tottenham head coach Antonio Conte says he would be “crazy” to consider dropping Heung-min Son.
Ahead of tonight’s match against Brighton, Conte has called on his big three — Son, Harry Kane and Hugo Lloris — to step up and keep Spurs in contention for a top-four finish.
Son has not been at his clinical best since the turn of the year, and January signing Dejan Kulusevski has increased competition for places in Conte’s front three.
Following Saturday’s defeat at Old Trafford, Conte has defended the South Korean’s form and dismissed suggestions he would ever be rotated.
“Sonny is a player who can change a result in the end,” Conte told Standard Sport. “It can happen that a player can be in not the best form for a period, because we’re talking a player who plays every game. But, for me, he is playing well.
“And that doesn’t depend [on] if the player scores a goal or not. For me, it’s about their performance totally. Sonny is a player in my thoughts and in my plans.
“And that’s also for his commitment, so he has to start. I don’t have an idea to drop him. Honestly, no. It doesn’t happen. I’m not crazy to do something like this.”
On the eve of tonight’s match, Conte also issued what felt like another veiled threat to the club that he could walk away at the end of the season, saying he would “stop” if chairman Daniel Levy or managing director Fabio Paratici do not share his vision.
Conte has cut a frustrated figure amid wildly inconsistent form from his team, and the high-maintenance Italian is set for talks with the club over long-term strategy at the end of the season.
“I have my vision and it does not change,” Conte said. “The vision was the same in the past, the vision is the same in the present, the vision will be the same in future. My vision will be this. I stop if the vision of someone is not the same.
“I have a vision: I want to fight to win. I want to fight to be competitive. I want to feel we have 100 per cent [the chance] to win the title or a trophy in which we participate. We have to feel this.
“This is my vision and I continue to have this vision. But then I know that there are different visions and many clubs have different visions — but my vision brought me to be competitive and, for sure, I follow my vision in any case.”
Conte has admitted that Arsenal are favourites to grab fourth place, but tonight’s fixture offers his side a chance to narrow the gap to three points, with the Gunners hosting title-chasing Liverpool but with a game in hand over Spurs.
January’s postponed north London derby at Spurs is still yet to be rearranged, despite the Premier League announcing the latest round of fixture amendments yesterday.
Conte will tonight again be without England Under-21 internationals Oliver Skipp (groin), Ryan Sessegnon (hamstring) and Japhet Tanganga (knee) at the Amex.
