Alan Smith has written in his Sky Sports column that it is too early to make conclusions over Harry Kane not having the best start under new Tottenham manager Nuno Espirito Santo.
The former Arsenal striker also rules out Kane’s troubles stemming from his failed attempts to leave Spurs this summer. Sky Sports reported in May the England captain had told Daniel Levy he wanted to leave.
But he remained at Spurs past the transfer window as no club met Levy’s £150m valuation, per The Telegraph. Since then, however, Kane has only scored three goals in seven games for Tottenham in all competitions. His goals also coming in European and domestic cups.
Smith refutes snap verdicts
Smith believes it is still too early for any verdicts on Kane underperforming for Tottenham or not adapting to Nuno, though.
“I don’t think Kane would have enjoyed playing in the left-sided position that he was asked to against Chelsea, that’s for certain,” Smith wrote. “It didn’t enable him to get in the box.
“There are comparisons with Jose Mourinho’s first few weeks and months, when a lot of people thought: ‘He’s not going to enjoy playing under Mourinho. He’s going to be asked to do a lot of defensive work, they’re not going to get the ball forward to him very quickly’. But look at the season he ended up having. It’s a bit early to be jumping to conclusions.
“It’s quite easy and convenient to say: ‘Well he wanted to get away, so his heart’s not in it’. I think any footballer, once they know that they are at a football club for a certain amount of time will knuckle down and do their best, and I’m sure Kane is doing his best.”
Is Smith’s verdict on Kane and Tottenham fair?
Kane has certainly struggled to make the sort of impact this season Tottenham have come to expect of the striker. The 28-year-old has often only cut peripheral roles over his Premier League appearances, particularly on the left against Chelsea.
Nuno experimented with his Tottenham frontline to try and get Kane firing but, like Smith suggests, it did not work. He constantly came deep searching for the ball rather than attack the spaces the Blues left available. But lacked the quality to make things happen when he did receive possession. The striker’s fitness was also questionable at best.
Nuno will likely return Kane to a central role for Sunday’s north London derby and hope to see the Tottenham star Smith notes Mourinho eventually unwound. The Three Lions leader started the Portuguese’s tenure with three goals in six Premier League games. Yet ended the 2019/20 campaign netting nine in his next 12 appearances for a total haul of 18 goals.
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