Sport

POCHETTINO KEY TO KANE’S SPURS & ENGLAND REPUTATION

POCHETTINO KEY TO KANE’S SPURS & ENGLAND REPUTATION

 

Harry Kane needs help. Although Tottenham’s 1-0 loss to Manchester United wasn’t a particularly inspiring 90 minutes for either side—we saw pre-season standard football, in all honesty—Spurs boss Mauricio Pochettino should be worried by Kane’s lack of influence.

The English striker is now a marked man after netting 21 Premier League goals last season. Everybody wants to know whether he will replicate such prolific form this year, or whether he’ll be tagged with the irritating moniker of ‘One Season Wonder.’ The newspapers are waiting, the pundits are lurking, and so are those who want the White Hart Lane outfit to fail. Unfortunately for Kane, Pochettino needs to change plenty before he’ll have the best chance to shine.

This starts with adding another striker. Kane is not the type to plant himself in one position and wait for the ball to come towards him. He is busy, loves to throw his weight around and often drops slightly deep to retrieve possession. This can leave Spurs short up top and forces Kane to bust a gut to make sure the wide men have a target in the middle.

Placing another designated scorer alongside him will eliminate this problem. Kane’s development will halt if he’s forced into a hold-up role and he shouldn’t be restricted to working with his back to goal. Adding a less energetic hitman in the opposition’s area will allow the 22-year-old to work his natural game without eliminating Spurs’ threat. A powerful specimen could give Kane a target to buzz around, while a speedy striker could make runs that open space for the England international to exploit.

Kane is no longer an unknown quantity and is now a player the opposition will make specific plans for. Overcoming this challenge is what separates the good from the great. Chris Smalling and Daley Blind stuck closely to him during the United loss, a factor which stopped Kane from influencing the game, aside from a clever flick to set Christian Eriksen up for a major chance in the opening minutes.

We saw teams consciously deal with Kane during the European Under-21 Championship earlier this summer. He failed to score a goal and struggled to impact any of England’s matches. Although he worked hard, expectations got the better of him.

Again, this wasn’t necessarily Kane’s fault. Gareth Southgate’s tactics were equally as flat as those shown by Spurs against United. The kind that prioritise a faux sense of solidarity and compactness over feeding the side’s greatest weapon. A strategy which expects Kane to do it all when the ball enters the final third.

Pochettino has around two weeks to make sure Kane isn’t the sole hope for Spurs’ season. He’ll never stand a chance if the Argentinian manager doesn’t land a top goalscorer before the transfer market closes. With Roberto Soldado gone and Emmanuel Adebayor being himself, it’s only fair to Kane and Spurs fans that a prolific striker is added to the squad.

He led the plaudits last season, but if things stay as they are, Kane will quickly take the brunt of criticism from all who want to see Spurs slip-up. Pochettino’s decisions will not only impact the reputation of the club and the player, but will also have a major bearing on how England line up at Euro 2016.