The narrow defeat that Tottenham Hotspur suffered to Manchester United, 1-0,ย has left plenty of fans blaming on the defeat on the absence of Harry Kane from the squad. Yes, Tottenham is a side truly loaded with talented players, but, once and for all, we can finally admit to ourselves that true success for this club depends on Kane’s presence on the pitch.
If you’re a neutral fan, what comes to mind first when you think about Tottenham’s recent run of results? You might be of a similar opinion as Pep Guardiola, believing that they’re the “Harry Kane team.”
By Eduard Banulescu
The statement may or may not have been intended as an insult, but it had plenty of people talking about how Guardiola was surely underestimating his Premier League rivals, including Spurs attacking midfielder Christian Eriksen.
After all, Spurs have performed above expectations the past few seasons, doing a job that would normally have been impossible given their available budget. As a result of their current financial situation, the London club has been feeding Europe’s biggest clubs with some of their most important players.
However,ย Tottenham is looking to build on their steady results and performances of recent years and move into a new higher tier, at the same level of Chelsea or Manchester United. Unfortunately, an injury sidelined their high scoring striker for the important clash against the second team we just mentioned.
Tottenham has had to deal without having him available on prior occasions: last season Harry Kane was out of 12 games.
The team won six of those, drew four and lost twice. Overall, Spurs won a similar number of points/games with or without Kane,ย but against a team like United, the striker’s absence meant more than just stats. The young Englishman has become the team’s symbol and good luck charm, with his teammates desperately looking for his assistance throughout the game.
United got the victory through an Anthony Martial strike late in the game, but it could easily have ended as a draw.
However, Tottenham’s great squad depth was evident. At the same time though, Kane is simply at a level that’s irreplaceable. Fernando Llorente and Heung-Min Son got their chance and were largely ineffectual. Dele Alli, Spurs’ other great hope, seemed to lose his focus under the scope of the game.
Liverpool’s Jurgen Klopp recently described Kane as a striker who is “impossible to mark.”ย There seems to be a consensus on the fact that the striker has reached a level similar to the likes of Messi, Ronaldo or Neymar; the world’s best. Should he stay healthy, Tottenham has a realistic chance to win the Premier League and perform well in the Champions League.
The recently elected England captain has reaffirmed his commitment towards Tottenham, even talking about his dream of remaining a “one-club player.” The real question is whether Spurs can grow at the same pace as Harry Kane.
Eduard Banulescu is a European football fan, writer and musician. He contributes music, sports and cryptocurrency articles onย www.footballcoin.ioย andย www.alt77.com. He hopes you enjoy the quality of his articles here at The Sports Bank.
