For a World Cup Golden Boot winner, it seems a strangely familiar state of affairs whereby Harry Kane‘s post-Croatia form is being dissected to the point of an English self-invented crisis.
The captain is set to start against Czech Republic despite being substituted in both the Three Lions’ games so far.
After failing to muster a shot on target in Friday’s goalless draw with Scotland, Kane was forced to deny suggestions that he is not fit.
Gareth Southgate too has spoken out to defend the striker, who will be desperate to get off the mark in the final group match against the Czechs on Tuesday.
There is still time for the player with more Premier League goals and assists than anyone else this season to make a sizeable impact on the tournament and make early criticisms seem laughable.
Yet it is not a total surprise that the 27-year-old has struggled. Not only is the level of expectation weighing heavy on his shoulders, this is far from an opportune moment for Kane to shine at a major tournament.
Kane’s workload
Since the start of the 2019-20 season, the Tottenham striker has made 83 appearances for his club and a further 17 for his country – that brings him up to a round total of 100 games and an average of less than a week’s rest per game for two years. His only prolonged period of rest in that time came when the Premier League was suspended in March 2020 due to Covid-19.
His role for England
Kane was limited to just 10 touches in the first half against Scotland and almost a third of his overall touches came from the other side of the halfway line. If he is going to operate in a deeper role, he would benefit from wingers with pace – but Jadon Sancho has so far been sidelined and Marcus Rashford did not start the second game at Wembley.
One of Kane’s great selling points is that he can play as either a nine or a 10, but Southgate so far seems perplexed as to which it is. That is not to say there is a clear alternative, or that Dominic Calvert-Lewin would fare much better. The introduction of Jack Grealish behind him could add a creative edge to England’s blunt attack.
The injuries
It is not six months since Kane injured both ankles in a defeat to Liverpool at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Then came another setback in a draw with Everton and it was only the Carabao Cup final which incentivised him to rush back. This has been a long-standing policy – or perhaps “necessity” would be a more fitting term.
Regardless of Kane’s fitness, he rarely seems to be given sufficient time to recover. It never ceases to amaze how quickly he is able to return from injury, but the fact remains he has now had 14 absences since the start of the 2016-17 season.
The elephant in the room
There is one further truth about Kane’s Euro 2020 campaign upon which he is not keen to reflect, but it is inescapable that this is a “shop-window” summer for the forward.
As much as he insists he has not been distracted by talk of a move away from Spurs, with Manchester City reportedly waiting in the wings, it is not yet a month since he was waxing lyrical about Kevin De Bruyne on the golf course with Gary Neville.
If England are to compete seriously – and with four points on the board, it’s to be assumed they will at least get out of the group with ease – Southgate needs a fit, focused and in-form Kane. It is not clear at this stage how many of those tags apply.
More from i on Euro 2020
- The football nomad who became a hero for his role in saving Eriksen’s life
- How Ronaldo’s Coca-Cola stunt could change the face of football sponsorship
- In praise of Emma Hayes, the best pundit at Euro 2020 so far
- Eriksen collapse has thrown a spotlight on football’s relentless thirst for more
- How to watch every Euro 2020 match on TV and online in the UK
from Football – inews.co.uk https://ift.tt/3j1rTb5
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