Harry Kane ‘ready for the glue factory’; over to you, Thomas Tuchel

Harry Kane continues to dominate the Mailbox; he fascinates people like no other. England being good confuses people.

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Harry Kane is a busted flush
I’ll start by prefacing this with a statement: I’ve never been a big fan of Kane. This will come as no surprise to many readers of this page, but needs to be said all the same.

What Kane has always been (since he finally got his shit together anyway) is an impressive finisher and good at long passing.

However, age catches up with us all eventually. It doesn’t diminish the skill present, just how well we can use it. For a footballer, that often means “legs”.

Kane’s are shot. He can still shoot and pass as well as ever but he can’t run, he often seems to struggle to move beyond a glacial pace at all these days.

If we look back at this game, he was dire all the way up to the pass, which came as a result of him losing possession quite weakly but others regaining it. And then it was pretty dire afterwards too. A moment captured it where he tried to sprint to shoot but simply couldn’t.

He remains a useful option to play deeper and pair with someone with legs, if you want to drop one of the star young midfielders who are also adept at passing, but it’s been a long time since he was suitable to “lead the line” as he simply doesn’t ever do that.

The World Cup is in two years, are his fans really suggesting he should be our striker over that period?

This is the time to move on, to pick other people, to let the team build towards that. Doesn’t mean he can’t be involved, but definitely means – on the basis of this game alone, let alone the last year – that he shouldn’t start.

All things come to an end. He’s got his record and another brilliant goal (/s). It’s beyond time that people recognised his time is done, that there are younger options who deserve a chance. And critically that the team plays better without him.

It will be interesting to see whether he has the circumspection to recognise this and stand down on his own, so he can still try and win something with Bayern. I think we all know the answer.
Badwolf

MORE ON ENGLAND FROM F365:
👉 England player ratings: Kane and Bellingham class allows others to have their fun against Ireland
👉 Why do people ‘froth at the mouth’ about England’s ‘egotistical lummox’?
👉 Harry Kane teaches England pair a lesson and silences critics in comical Ireland collapse

…I see a consensus forming on the horizon that we should start treating Harry Kane as a full-time number 10 (or false 9), rather than a centre forward who will drop deep now and again.

I have a couple of problems with this (frothing?): first, whenever Kane plays with a traditional centre forward on the pitch, rather than persuading him to spend more time further back, it tends to draw him closer to the penalty spot totem that we need him to dance around when he’s playing on his own against deep defences.

But secondly, this just sounds like the old Quarterback Role discussion in a tweed jacket. Every so often, an England superstar is ready for the glue factory, but we can’t quite admit it to ourselves; and so we have to invent positions on the pitch that don’t exist, but which will apparently make use of superstar’s remaining skills – traditionally, long passing with no running.

Graham Taylor tried it a bit with John Barnes, Schteve parked Beckham in centre mid, and Hodgson obviously enjoyed ROO headlines so much that he had to have him as a QB. Hoddle getting rid of Gascoigne is the only time a manager has actually had the guts to do what was necessary.

And now Harry Kane has played a 20-yard pass into the penalty area against FIFA’s 63rd ranked team – sandwiched between Jordan and Burkina Faso – he is now ready to take on the mantle of non-running playmaker? I mean, fine if it was 2015 and we were still talking about Jack Wilshere, Mark Noble, Ryan Mason, etc.

But are we really saying that Palmer, Rice, Foden, Saka, Grealish, etc etc couldn’t have made a pass like that? To paraphrase Gattuso, sometimes maybe yes, sometimes maybe no. But Kane had 7 games to do it in the summer, when it was really important; those were all Maybe Nos weren’t they?

And on a quick frothing tangent – the penalty. I do get the point that discounting penalties is a stupid thing that social media seems to have invented. But as ITV’s terrible commentary pointed out, the last penalty he missed was in the 2022 QF vs France; obviously, they were saying this as a positive, to show how rarely he misses penalties. But I was thinking, I’d prefer if the France one had gone in and he’d ballooned the Ireland one, if that’s ok with you? And it’s worth remembering that he missed a penalty in the 2021 semis as well.

Basically: the argument that we need to put up with a lot of the Kane that we saw in the first half last night, because it’s worth it when he delivers, is not true. We’re now stacked with brilliant attacking players who can all do the approach work.

We’re on the verge of an England team playing a genuinely modern, progressive English style of football that is the old running and shoving mixed with genuine speed, invention, skill and brains, that for all the FA’s copying of what worked in France, Germany, Spain, etc isn’t really like any of them.

But what we’re not stacked with is born winners who can pull something out of the bag when we really need it. Is Kane that man? Well – the last era when Spurs, England and Bayern were all as good as they are now was probably the 1960s, when Spurs won the double, England won the world cup, and Bayern won their first European trophy. They’ve all been in finals, cup competitions and title races in the last 5 years, they’ve all had big games and big moments. But the Man hath not cometh.
Neil Raines

…As someone who’s neither English nor a Spurs fan I can tell you why I don’t like Harry Kane. He’s incredibly frustrating to watch.

He flaps around for 95% of the match stinking the place out but still manages to score the winner from an outrageous angle on the left wing. Harry Kane’s presence creates problems that only Harry Kane can overcome, it’s the ultimate catch 22.

He has to start taking audacious shots because the team’s centre forward and captain is derelict in his duties. And it works! Then we have to listen to endless discussions about who your best front three is when the truth is it doesn’t really matter, Kane’s play lessens those around him. But he scores and wins the game so everythings OK, we can blame Saka or Foden that the match was awful to watch.

Saka didn’t cross to Kane once, stupid Saka and not stupid Kane who’s been playing at left back for some reason. If you remove the want for Kane to be captain fantastic and the hero of all the people you’re just left with the most frustrating player.

Oh, and he’s such a dirty player. Not an aggressive player, a genuine calculating dirty player. His backing into jumping players should be a criminal offense.
SC, Belfast

Watkins v Kane: A comparison
I know a lot of people have their minds made up – see Barney Ronay’s article in the Guardian amusingly skewered by Mediawatch as a good example – but I thought it was worth looking at some stats to inform the Watkins vs Kane debate.

Before I start, I want to acknowledge that I like Watkins a lot, and bringing him on for Kane can sometimes clearly by the right move. I think we can all agree he presses better and stretches the defence more, while even the sulkiest of Kane detractors would surely concede Ollie isn’t playing that ball to Jude last night in a month of Sundays. They have their respective strengths so I thought it was worth diving into their primary job, ie scoring goals.

To be fair to Watkins as a late bloomer (it may surprise many calling for us to move on from Kane to a ‘new generation’ to learn Watkins is only 2.5 years yonger) I’ve gone from when he joined Villa and started playing in top-flight football. In those 4 and a bit years, he has scored 75 goals in all competitions for Villa, and 5 for England for a total of 80.

In the same period, it will shock people to learn Kane has scored exactly the same number – no wait my mistake, I missed the one off the front and Kane has scored 180 goals for Spurs, Bayern and England. I’m just going to throw out there that that is a lot of goals for a man who can’t move and is never in the box anyway. More to the point, it’s a hell of a big difference to just casually toss aside.

Kane is the best striker England have, and it isn’t close. Personally, I’m excited to see what England look like if they actually play like a modern international side and pick wingers who go beyond the front man. It’s a shame we haven’t tried it for the last few years despite having the best possible forward for it, but still worth a try.
Phil, London

Dissing Declan Rice is a fool’s game
A couple of emails this morning, one in defence of Harry Kane and one about England, unfortunately the writers could not disguise their resentment of rivals that negates their views and renders them meaningless.

As a Liverpool fan (just for you Phil) I think Kane is a fantastic footballer, his goal record proves it and is unarguable. He sometimes sails close to the wind where the laws are concerned but what great player hasn’t? “Never won anything” is used as a stick to beat him with, but realistically, football is a team game and a lot of his teammates and managers have not been trophy winning standard and his loyalty finally wore too thin as a result Phil’s defence/praise of Kane is just a little too enthusiastic.

We then have Ben Teacher who’s views are just confusing. He has a sarcastic dig at journalists and their praise of Liverpool’s 11th best player but then says “The players combined, connected and interacted differently to how England players usually do. It was really weird to see England players do that. We need to know why. These players look like they really trust each other.” One of Jones’s biggest assets is his ball retention and is something that would draw praise from those players mentioned.

Ben is so biased that he actually references Declan Rice twice, once as a “pub footballer” and as someone who treats the ball as a hand grenade. The same Declan Rice who was England’s best player in the Euro’s and plays for an Arsenal team generally credited with being a possession based team. The same criticism is levelled at Steven Gerrard, that’s Steven Gerrard who, whenever the greatest Premier League player ever, is discussed, is part of the conversation (it’s Henry by the way, Gerrard’s a better all round player but his influence on the Premier League doesn’t compare}.

Ben would also appear to have little faith in England winning a game in 90 minutes or having enough strength in depth that changes would weaken the team, perhaps he’s Southgate in disguise.

What the last two games have shown is that England were playing at a level below where they should have been, thanks to Southgate, and that we have a good set of young players who can be integrated into the “first” team if and when required. Anyone (I mean Ben) who thinks Rice is not an upgrade on Gallagher doesn’t understand football.
Howard (positionless hoofer Trent, dear me) Jones

MORE ON ENGLAND FROM F365:
👉 England player ratings: Kane and Bellingham class allows others to have their fun against Ireland
👉 Why do people ‘froth at the mouth’ about England’s ‘egotistical lummox’?
👉 Harry Kane teaches England pair a lesson and silences critics in comical Ireland collapse

Is Lee Carsley an accidental genius?
The more I ruminate on it the more I am starting to believe that Lee Carsley is a genius (accidental or otherwise). He knew he had six games and clearly did not want the full time job, no matter how often the press hounded him about it. Yet, in his time as interim manager he’s made huge strides in solving the following problems:

1.) By playing all the bestest attacking players at once in a mad ‘handbrake off’ moment and successfully losing to Greece he showed that this was NOT the answer all along. The media and assorted shouty people seem to have calmed down about that notion now…. Well played.

2.) Dropping Harry Kane and still scoring goals while looking good away from home against Greece paves the way for his gradual retirement or at least shows we have alternative options in terms of formation and playing style without him that are equally effective. Plus, he’s the one who got it in the neck but doesn’t care as he’s offski now. 200IQ move.

3.) Showing that playing a left back, at left back, was probably a great idea all along. I think we all needed reminding after years of Trippier/Walker and half a Luke Shaw. Cheers Lee.

4.) Giving debuts to many young players so it won’t be ‘big news’ and added pressure if Tommy T does decide to keep some of them in the squad. Nice one.

What a guy, a national hero right there, give him a medal.

Lastly, referees. All those people complaining about a referee’s conscious/unconscious bias are the same ones who create the bias in the first place. Why would a referee be biased against you? I can tell you. It’s because your fans and your manager treat them like sub humans. It is only natural that the battering their subconscious takes from this will lead to changes and may intervene in the heat of the moment. I’m not saying it even does happen but you can’t act all surprised when YOU and YOUR club are creating the environment for that bias to take hold. I’ve said it before, try being nice to referees? Shift that unconscious bias in your favour?
Funstar Andy

England ladder looking healthy
I guess I’ll have to start saving my bucks to get over the pond for the ‘it’s coming home’ World Cup.

I have to contain my excitement & expectations for 19 bleedin’ months meanwhile. Ee-by-gum ! The football played in Greece away really looked like a new, slick level for England.

On the ‘engine room’ options World Cup ladder we have Angel Gomes, Curtis Jones , MGW, Declan Rice and Mainoo ( where did Adam Wharton go?)

Wide player ladder could include Jack, SuperAnthony Gordon, Noni, Goal Palmer, Bowen and Morgan Rogers. Possibly Harvey Elliot. I totally expect Saka to be injured sadly, due to being brutally and continuously overplayed.

Jude (the Brummy PELÉ) Bellingham has to have the team built around him, so he’s the number 10. End of story.

Could TT play 2 strikers? We have Solanke, Ollie, Harry, Foden as a false 9 – horses for courses. Perhaps Phil has to leave Pep’s system and become something specific like Arsenal’s central striker for example.

Defenders ladder could have John Stones, Rico Rico Lewis, Marc Guehi (Gareth’s gift ), Colwill, Tino, Hall and possibly Luke Shaw. THB and I suppose an old head in Kyle Walker. Quansah, the flexible Jo Gomez and galáctico floater TAA.

The NUFC stopper Popey is the only ONE I see backing up England’s undisputed number 1. Compare that to the pre Iran squad ! That’s 29 players, I think 🤔. Then Danny Welbeck has to be the new Phil Neville.

When we win in whichever U.S. city that is deemed the best for the final – ten stadiums over 90,000 ! Lee Carsley really ought to be there and promised the job after Tuchel goes.
Peter (hopelessly caught up in the huge expectations) Andalucia

READ: The actual England ladder

Ange could be sacked sooner
I have streamed all Tottenham games for a number of seasons.

Having read Paul Robinson’s opinion that Ange Postecoglou may be sacked by next summer, I’d proffer that it could even be before Christmas.

Some team will have to pay dearly for Man City losing four on the trot; it could well be Spurs on Saturday evening.

Moreover, their next few games include – Roma (h), Fulham (h), Bournemouth (a) Chelsea (h), Man Utd (h) Rangers (a) and Liverpool (h).

All these teams are – or have the ability to be – difficult opponents. (Roma, Italian, defensive mentality, and Rangers battle-of-Britain stance included).

Ange’s refusal to assess opponents and not change his (plan A, same as Plan B tactics) are getting found out in the top league, as I knew they would.
Jim Sokol

Stop fact-checking the Mailbox
I just wanted to give my two cents of encouragement to all the mailbox contributors.

It’s always great to hear different opinions on teams, players,managers, refs, VAR and all sorts of other stuff. The majority is clearly ‘wrong’ as it doesn’t agree with my own personal opinions but hey, I still enjoy most of the ‘wrong’ opinions and those I don’t enjoy I don’t feel the need to pick apart, I just skip as soon as they annoy me and move on. I also don’t feel the need to fact-check as that would be petty.

I get it. No-one likes to have their opinion ridiculed or disagreed with but to those of you who do feel the need to have a twitter-esque argument, I’d rather you wrote another letter on the same or another topic. For those that publicly disagreed with you, there’s quite possibly many more who enjoyed your mail and it made them think or chuckle or both.

So please keep up the good work all you contributors and don’t feel the need to defend your opinions as opinions can never be wrong. (And these days facts don’t seem as important as whatever BS is sprouted on social media but that’s a rant for another day that I’ll shout at the clouds).
Jon, Cape Town (And always remember, you’re special)