FPL pre-season: Son brace, Kulusevski no 9 + “electric” Isak

Son Heung-min (£10.0m), Dejan Kulusevski (£6.5m) and Alexander Isak (£8.5m) were all on the scoresheet on Wednesday, with three more pre-season friendlies summarised here.

There’ll be another round-up later today, taking in the action from the early Thursday morning matches.

• READ MORE: FPL pre-season: Haaland injury concern + “aggressive” Grealish
• READ MORE: FPL 2024/25 pre-season minutes tracker: Every player, every game

TEAM K LEAGUE 3-4 TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR

• Goals: Dejan Kulusevski, Son Heung-min x2, Will Lankshear
• Assists: Son Heung-min, Jamie Donley, Dejan Kulusevski, Timo Werner

Tottenham Hotspur won their fourth pre-season match in a row, as they beat the best players from South Korea’s top-flight 4-3 in Seoul.

Kulusevski, who started the game as Spurs’ centre-forward, opened the scoring before Son made his mark with a first-half brace. Both players looked sharp, often interchanging positions, albeit against weaker opposition.

Asked if Kulusevski could play as a number nine next season, Ange Postecoglou said:

“Well, look it’s the beauty of Deki [Kulusevski] is that he can play a number of positions. I mean, he mainly played on the wing for us last year but also had some games in central areas and I think he’s been really good this pre-season. With Richy [Richarlison] being injured we don’t really have another number nine there and he’s done a really good job for us.

“He’s a clever footballer, you know, he was involved in the goals tonight, apart from scoring and, yeah, he’s doing really well and, you know, for us, the fact that he can play two or three positions I think is, is going to be important.” – Ange Postecoglou on Dejan Kulusevski

In typical Tottenham style, there were quite a few shaky moments, however, with Spurs looking particularly vulnerable to counter-attacks after the break, conceding three.

That said, there were plenty of positives, not limited to Son and Kulusevski’s displays.

Pedro Porro (£5.5m) looked lively in an attacking full-back role, substitute James Maddison (£7.5m) hit the post in injury time, while Radu Dragusin (£4.5m) made his first appearance of pre-season after recently returning from his summer break.

Postecoglou also said he expects Destiny Udogie (£5.0m) to be back involved with the squad soon.

“I think he will be fine. It was just a knock. I think the important thing is everyone should have got through the game okay so it’s more minutes for the lads. It was good to get Radu some minutes as well. Hopefully Destiny comes back into it in the next few days.” – Ange Postecoglou

Tottenham Hotspur XI: Vicario (Austin 46); Porro (Spence 63), Royal (Dragusin 72), Davies (Devine 63), Donley (Abbott 63); Sarr (Skipp 46), Gray (Bissouma 46), Bergvall (Maddison 46); Johnson (Moore 63), Son (Werner 63), Kulusevski (Lankshear 63)

URAWA RED DIAMONDS 1-4 NEWCASTLE UNITED

• Goals: Alexander Isak, Jacob Murphy x2, Lewis Hall
• Assists: Joe Willock, Jamie Miley, Jacob Murphy

Alexander Isak scored his third goal in three pre-season games, as Newcastle United beat Urawa Red Diamonds 4-1 in Japan.

Isak’s shot from distance gave the Magpies an early lead, with his FPL ownership now up past 55%, making him the most-owned player in the game.

Given the summer off (Sweden did not qualify for Euro ’24), he looks physically sharp and ready to go.

“I thought he was very, very good tonight. He was electric, looked like he was hungry for goals. I think his game can go up [another level]. I think there are areas to improve. We’ll always find those percentages to try and add to his game. We work continuously with him, in partnership with him, really.

“We’ve got a really good relationship with him. We’re trying to find new ways to score more goals, or help the team in different ways. Really pleased with his application today.” – Eddie Howe on Alexander Isak

Jacob Murphy (£5.5m) also netted twice to continue his solid pre-season form, while a deflected Lewis Hall (£4.5m) effort later found the net.

If reports are to be believed, Newcastle are trying to sign a new right winger this summer, but it’s four goals in four pre-season games for Murphy, who is certainly staking a claim.

Left-winger Harvey Barnes (£6.5m) was heavily involved but less effective and really should have scored at least one of his chances.

Newcastle, who are still without England pair Kieran Trippier (£6.0m) and Anthony Gordon (£7.5m), impressed in the final-third, while Nick Pope (£5.0m) brilliantly saved a penalty and looked close to his best at the other end of the pitch.

Still, it wasn’t a perfect defensive display by any means, with the J-League side causing quite a few problems, despite the scoreline.

Dan Burn (£4.5m) featured as a centre-half in Japan, with Tino Livramento (£4.5m) and Hall operating as full-backs.

Newcastle United XI: Pope (Vlachodimos 62); Livramento (Harrison 71), Krafth, Burn (Heffernan 79), Hall; Longstaff (Miley 46), Willock (Almiron 46), Joelinton; Murphy (Turner-Cooke 71), Barnes (Sanusi 62), Isak (Parkinson 62)

OXFORD UNITED 2-0 SOUTHAMPTON

Southampton suffered their first defeat of pre-season on Wednesday, in a shaky display at Oxford United’s Kassam Stadium.

The Saints looked particularly uncomfortable playing out from the back, with first-choice goalkeeper Alex McCarthy (£4.5m) making several errors in possession.

Knocks to Sekou Mara (£5.0m) and Kamaldeen Sulemana (£5.0m) did admittedly disrupt their flow, while many of the usual starters were only introduced after the break, but the performance clearly irritated manager Russell Martin.

Speaking to the Daily Echo, he said:

“That annoyed me a little bit. We lacked feeling, energy, aggression, intensity, purpose, personality, character and joy in the first half. We lacked all of that. We didn’t lack good positions. We didn’t lack structure. We didn’t lack good detail. We just lacked energy and feeling. The only player that played with a little bit of joy, and gave a little bit of joy, was probably Sam Amo.

“I give the guys the benefit of the doubt because it’s pre-season. We’re three weeks in. They’re knackered. They’re playing with fatigue. The atmosphere is pre-season atmosphere. But like I said to you, we’ve got no time to rest and wait and find out. We need to bring our best version of ourselves every time.

“Tonight, [there was] no joy in the first 45 minutes. They did better in the first bit of the second half. And then the guys that came on were much better. [They were] more aggressive. We had actual chances. We should score a couple. Runs. Just energy. Feeling. Character, personality. So, yeah. We need to improve.” – Russell Martin

As above, Southampton did create a few chances – Carlos Alcaraz (£5.0m) fizzed a shot wide of the post, while substitute Adam Armstrong (£5.5m) missed a late one-on-one with Jamie Cumming.

However, they failed to truly test the Oxford shot-stopper.

New Saints signing Ben Brereton Diaz was in attendance but not involved on the pitch, meanwhile.

Southampton XI: McCarthy; Bree (Sugawara 61), Edwards (Harwood-Bellis 61), Wood (Bednarek 61), Taylor (Stephens 61); Charles (Smallbone 61), Alcaraz (Armstrong 46), Manning (Downes 61); Amo-Ameyaw (Aribo 61), Mara (Dibling 22), Sulemana (Edozie 36)

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