Sport
KANE STILL CONTRIBUTING EVEN WITHOUT GOALS
It was a well-timed run and a perfectly-weighted through-ball, but Harry Kane could not take advantage.
Moussa Dembele had robbed Bryan Oviedo of possession deep inside the Tottenham half and recycled the ball to Ryan Mason, who curled a wonderful pass around the side of Phil Jagielka to send Kane through on goal.
The England international, who had sprung forward at the optimum moment to get away from the Everton centre-backs while remaining onside, bore down on Tim Howard but inexplicably slowed down and got the ball stuck under his feet, a mistake that meant he could only fire straight at the Toffees goalkeeper. It was a golden opportunity spurned by Kane, who has yet to net a Premier League goal so far this season.
Kane only scored twice in Spurs’ final eight encounters of last season, moreover, but Mauricio Pochettino insisted he was not concerned by the 22-year-old’s dry patch in front of goal after Saturday’s 0-0 draw with Roberto Martinez’s outfit.
“The top scorers in the world always have some difficult periods when it’s difficult to score,” the former Southampton boss told the media. “Maybe now the beginning of the season is difficult for him.
“We know we don’t need to speak too much and we don’t need to put more pressure on his shoulders. If he follows the same way he will start to score.
“I am happy with him. I’m not worried about that [and] I think in the next few weeks he will show that he can score.”
A four-match run of failing to find the back of the net is hardly disastrous for Kane, who looks to be suffering from a lack of confidence in front of goal that, as Pochettino suggested, can afflict even the best forwards in the game.
It is a positive for Tottenham, though, that the man who managed 21 top-flight strikes last term, is far more than just a traditional No. 9 who is only concerned with getting his name on the scoresheet.
Indeed, Kane is more of a natural second striker than an out-and-out centre-forward, someone who likes to drop deep and get involved in his side’s build-up play. Eight chances created for his team-mates – no Spurs player has laid on more opportunities at the start of 2015/16 – so far this campaign is evidence that Kane is still contributing to the team even without putting the ball between the posts.
There is also a feeling that Tottenham’s forward line is not currently built to get the maximum out of Kane: not blessed with great pace and with a tendency to roam across the pitch, the England striker requires runners to move beyond him in order for him to be at his most effective.
The likely introduction to the starting line-up of recent additions Son Heung-min and Clinton N’Jie after the international break will help in that regard, with the pair bringing speed and versatility to the Spurs attack. Kane’s ability to combine and link up with others should help the newcomers to make an instant impact, too.
Kane may never again repeat last season’s incredible goalscoring feat, but that does not mean he will not continue to be a major player for Tottenham going forward. As long as he continues to create chances for others, Kane’s contribution to his team should not be measured solely by his scoring rate.
