Harry Kane

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Think it is more about the team than the player. We are far too narrow and he gets zero service. The long balls are not played anymore unless it is to rose or a running dele. And when the ball does move up, the congestion makes his abilities null and void. Our style has completely regressed and it is affecting our best player.
 
He used to press really hard. Now he doesn't. You can't blame that on the team and not the player.

He used to shrug off defenders and have a great burst of pace. Now he doesn't.

He used to have great movement. Now he doesn't.

He showed burst when beating the defender to the by line. But agree, his overall movement has taken a nose dive when comparing him to his first two years being our full time striker.

I for one am not a fan of the bulking up of our players. Lean and mean IMO is the way to go and too many are these beasts of players now.

I do place a great deal of the malaise of the squad to our shape and overall ethos.

We just don’t press anymore, as a unit. Kane is clearly told not to start the high press as the rest aren’t following suit. We no longer practice the style of play that got us to the top of the table in goals scored. Been a real change to a slow, prodding style of football, which may benefit the team for the long season, but makes for one boring watch.

Due to this change in style, Harry just doesn’t have the space to run into or bully defenders. We are winning the ball further back then we ever have, but instead of launching quickly upfield, we are slowly recycling the ball and shortening the area of attacks. I wish I had a picture to show you, but Kane is no longer a lone striker. His space is being eaten up by Son, Lucas, and Lamela/Eriksen.

People clamored that we played better without Kane last year and that may be true due to our change in style. He isn’t Son, which means he isn’t lightening quick and making runs off shoulders. He is a Suarez that makes deft feints on the ball and knows how to use a defender on his back. Due to the lack of space between the lines of players, he no longer is isolated with a defender on his back. He is surrounded by 3 defenders or more due to Son, Lucas, and the rest of the attacking front being so close to him.

So for me it is a team issue that Poch is paid to figure out.

I watch a lot of City and Pool because I love the way they play. Their spacing is really remarkable. Very seldom do they sit on the ball and sit watching it. They pass and move quickly. We aren’t playing like that anymore and thus we struggle to break teams down.
 
He looks slow and lacks dynamism, you would say he was never that quick but go and have a look at some of his earlier games and his speed/energy looks a world away from now.


The fact he barely touches the ball and is having fewer shots with every passing season says he is not getting into positions to receive the ball or not showing for it.
 
He looks slow and lacks dynamism, you would say he was never that quick but go and have a look at some of his earlier games and his speed/energy looks a world away from now.


The fact he barely touches the ball and is having fewer shots with every passing season says he is not getting into positions to receive the ball or not showing for it.

The first goal is key for Tottenham and we concede it too many times. When a team has eleven men behind the ball instead of playing an open game it hinders many including Harry.

We need width on the wings (bring Clarke back, get chalk on his boots and get Sessegnon in ASAP), get defences stretched and get working on the training ground on understanding each others games. Harry is fine, it's what's happening around him that's causing his issues the most.
 
The first goal is key for Tottenham and we concede it too many times. When a team has eleven men behind the ball instead of playing an open game it hinders many including Harry.

We need width on the wings (bring Clarke back, get chalk on his boots and get Sessegnon in ASAP), get defences stretched and get working on the training ground on understanding each others games. Harry is fine, it's what's happening around him that's causing his issues the most.

The decline in his workrate in the last 3 years has been steady and he's now at disgraceful levels. There is no question he's a supremely talented footballer/goalscorer and a lot of fans might be happy with a goal a game from a handful of involvements where he suddenly turns it on but we're increasingly seeing in recent months that's not enough overall to help us win a game.

He's not leading the line. He's not leading the press. He's got no energy. He doesn't work his bollocks off anymore for the cause. We get dubious selections/formations so Moura can 'do the running up front'. The guy is, deservedly, an integral part of the team. Maybe the integral part. But he shouldn't be untouchable and we should ask questions. When we're asking what's going wrong and why Poch's approach to football is seemingly not presently being carried out/working, look at the main components rather than the easy ones I say.......

As I've said before, I want that 2014-16 version of him back that put it all on the line. That means he probably plays only like 40 games a season rather than 60+, eventually the club might work out that's for his benefit.... But I want to see a bit fire back in his belly. Whisper it, but no matter what the goals stats look like, I don't particularly enjoy watching this version of him. And as I also said over the summer, if I keep seeing this anaemic, tbh lazy, present day version of him I'm going to have to keep hammering him on here. He's not the only one that needs to rediscover that bit of sparkle and hunger, but he's possibly the most crucial one.
 
The decline in his workrate in the last 3 years has been steady and he's now at disgraceful levels. There is no question he's a supremely talented footballer/goalscorer and a lot of fans might be happy with a goal a game from a handful of involvements where he suddenly turns it on but we're increasingly seeing in recent months that's not enough overall to help us win a game.

He's not leading the line. He's not leading the press. He's got no energy. He doesn't work his bollocks off anymore for the cause. We get dubious selections/formations so Moura can 'do the running up front'. The guy is, deservedly, an integral part of the team. Maybe the integral part. But he shouldn't be untouchable and we should ask questions. When we're asking what's going wrong and why Poch's approach to football is seemingly not presently being carried out/working, look at the main components rather than the easy ones I say.......

As I've said before, I want that 2014-16 version of him back that put it all on the line. That means he probably plays only like 40 games a season rather than 60+, eventually the club might work out that's for his benefit.... But I want to see a bit fire back in his belly. Whisper it, but no matter what the goals stats look like, I don't particularly enjoy watching this version of him. And as I also said over the summer, if I keep seeing this anaemic, tbh lazy, present day version of him I'm going to have to keep hammering him on here. He's not the only one that needs to rediscover that bit of sparkle and hunger, but he's possibly the most crucial one.
Biggest problem is that he has no direct competition for his team place, no pressure if he fails to perform. Poch has selected him at times when he wasn't match fit simply because "It's Harry". He's probably the first name on the team sheet (after Lloris) if available and that breeds complacency.
A spell on the bench might be the cold shower he needs but unfortunately there's no one else to assume his role. Problem needs addressing and Dybala could have been the answer....shame it didn't work out.
 
The decline in his workrate in the last 3 years has been steady and he's now at disgraceful levels. There is no question he's a supremely talented footballer/goalscorer and a lot of fans might be happy with a goal a game from a handful of involvements where he suddenly turns it on but we're increasingly seeing in recent months that's not enough overall to help us win a game.

He's not leading the line. He's not leading the press. He's got no energy. He doesn't work his bollocks off anymore for the cause. We get dubious selections/formations so Moura can 'do the running up front'. The guy is, deservedly, an integral part of the team. Maybe the integral part. But he shouldn't be untouchable and we should ask questions. When we're asking what's going wrong and why Poch's approach to football is seemingly not presently being carried out/working, look at the main components rather than the easy ones I say.......

As I've said before, I want that 2014-16 version of him back that put it all on the line. That means he probably plays only like 40 games a season rather than 60+, eventually the club might work out that's for his benefit.... But I want to see a bit fire back in his belly. Whisper it, but no matter what the goals stats look like, I don't particularly enjoy watching this version of him. And as I also said over the summer, if I keep seeing this anaemic, tbh lazy, present day version of him I'm going to have to keep hammering him on here. He's not the only one that needs to rediscover that bit of sparkle and hunger, but he's possibly the most crucial one.

It’s not his work rate that has taken a dive, it’s the teams work rate. We don’t play the type of game we did when he was running into channels and turning defenders. It is clear that Poch has changed his tactics and has instructed the whole front line and second line to press less, which in turn gives Our attacking players less room to work in.

People need to stop scapegoating players and turn your eyes to the man making the calls. This isn’t a player issue, this is the instruction coming from the top. Poch has got to take off the reigns and let his deep squad of class take control.
 
Biggest problem is that he has no direct competition for his team place, no pressure if he fails to perform. Poch has selected him at times when he wasn't match fit simply because "It's Harry". He's probably the first name on the team sheet (after Lloris) if available and that breeds complacency.
A spell on the bench might be the cold shower he needs but unfortunately there's no one else to assume his role. Problem needs addressing and Dybala could have been the answer....shame it didn't work out.

But Dybala is not a striker.
 
I have agreed with a lot of the comments on Kane.

That's how big the problem seems to be that arguably there is no part of his game that looks good at present.

Put this way he would not start at present in any of the other top 6 teams and Giroud would be a far better option if we had him. In truth so would Llorente.

He lacks competition for his place and bringing him back for the CL final did him, us and Pochettino no favours.
 
But Dybala is not a striker.
He is described on most websites as a forward for Juventus and the definition is...
Forwards are the players on an association football team who play nearest to the opposing team's goal, and are therefore most responsible for scoring goals.
Their advanced position and limited defensive responsibilities mean forwards normally score more goals on behalf of their team than other players.
In my book that's someone who could put pressure on Harry.
 
He is described on most websites as a forward for Juventus and the definition is...
Forwards are the players on an association football team who play nearest to the opposing team's goal, and are therefore most responsible for scoring goals.
Their advanced position and limited defensive responsibilities mean forwards normally score more goals on behalf of their team than other players.
In my book that's someone who could put pressure on Harry.

Okay.
 
Harry, Dele and Eriksen have been largely poor for years now.
Their roles all changed and they went from world class game changers, to ploddy ball dwellers.

A few years ago Eriksen and Kane would have ripped Newcastle to bits at home.
Way, too many people lauded their new roles.....called it more efficient, mature and evolutionary.

Personally I thought it was shit, and they were all better in 2015-17.
Some people took a pasting for anything less than complimentary said about the three and Poch....some people even think Kane played well at the Etihad last week.

One thing is abundantly clear now though is that many fans are way beyond blaming Sissoko and can see exactly where our issues are.
A manager who has taken the best striker in the world and turned him into a jogging goal poacher. He’s too much of a pro to blab about it, but you think Harry actually enjoys playing like this?

We treated our back up strikers like shit and now Kane is basically a crock waiting to happen.
For years I’ve been saying use the fucking squad. Rotate when games are dead......but Kane going to Tranmere was lauded on here.
Bizarre.

Well one things clear at least....it certainly wasn’t all Trippiers fault now was it...
 
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Harry, Dele and Eriksen haven’t been largely poor for years now.
Their roles all changed and they went from world class game changers, to ploddy ball dwellers.

A few years ago Eriksen and Kane would have ripped Newcastle to bits at home.
Way, too many people lauded their new roles.....called it more efficient, mature and evolutionary.

Personally I thought it was shit, and they were all better in 2015-17.
Some people took a pasting for anything less than complimentary said about the three and Poch....some people even think Kane played well at the Etihad last week.

One thing is abundantly clear now though is that many fans are way beyond blaming Sissoko and can see exactly where our issues are.
A manager who has taken the best striker in the world and turned him into a jogging goal poacher. He’s too much of a pro to blab about it, but you think Harry actually enjoys playing like this?

We treated our back up strikers like shit and now Kane is basically a crock waiting to happen.
For years I’ve been saying use the fucking squad. Rotate when games are dead......but Kane going to Tranmere was lauded on here.
Bizarre.

Well one things clear at least....it certainly wasn’t all Trippiers fault now was it...
Bang on
 
A few years ago Eriksen and Kane would have ripped Newcastle to bits at home.

Personally I thought it was shit, and they were all better in 2015-17.

I don't disagree with everything in your rant, but just thought I would point this out.
5-0 at home in 2012 was the last time we 'ripped Newcastle apart' in the league.
16/17 season they were in the Championship anyway.

Not cool - one of my closest friends is a toon fan and our record against them has never been quite what it should be. Even took him up to sit in the south stand one time... Bent scored a header, then we managed to lose 4-1. Fucking tragic.

PM7hBw7.jpg
 
I don't disagree with everything in your rant, but just thought I would point this out.
5-0 at home in 2012 was the last time we 'ripped Newcastle apart' in the league.
16/17 season they were in the Championship anyway.

Not cool - one of my closest friends is a toon fan and our record against them has never been quite what it should be. Even took him up to sit in the south stand one time... Bent scored a header, then we managed to lose 4-1. Fucking tragic.

PM7hBw7.jpg

It wasnt specifically about Newcastle, it was the fact we regularly put 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 goals past mid and lower table teams.

Our players were not found out, they were moved into harmless roles by the manager.
And that 5-1 was yet another early sign which the manager got away with scott free in many quarters. He spoke about wanting to kill the players in the media and we all lapped it up…..but nit many addressed the 13pt capitulation to the scum which saw us finish behind them, Not Pochs part in it at least.

People genuinely ignored the fact we couldnt catch Leicester as anything other than we didnt spend enough.

Naive at best
 
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