The Tottenham Hotspur hitman played in a number 10 role on Saturday.
Ian Wright has suggested through The Sun that Harry Kane should ask Tottenham Hotspur boss Mauricio Pochettino if he can resume his role as Spurs’ number nine.
The 23-year-old hitman was given an unfamiliar number 10 role for Saturday’s 1-0 win over Crystal Palace in order to include new signing Vincent Janssen, who spearheaded Tottenham’s attack at White Hart Lane that day.
The Dutch striker turned in a good performance as the focal point but it remains to be seen if Pochettino plans to adopt that axis for the long term, with Kane netting 25 Premier League goals last season as Spurs’ furthest player forward.
The England forward will undoubtedly suffer in the goal stakes if he continues in a playmaker role, and Wright – the legendary Arsenal striker – suggests Kane should broach the subject to Pochettino if the Argentine maintains that system.
“You can say it to the man [Pochettino]. You just don’t want it to become public,” Wright told The Sun when asked if Kane should request to play up front.
“I would want to score goals and I know that Harry Kane wants to score goals, and playing right up there, as the number nine, is where he’s going to do that.
“For Harry Kane, I would be thinking ‘I want to be up front scoring goals’.”
Of course, Kane is a bonafide goal machine with 61 goals in all competitions over the past two seasons, and it seems unecessarily risky to jeopardise a player that lethal to accomodate Janssen, a £17 million summer signing from AZ Alkmaar.
If it improves Spurs on the whole then few can argue it, because it is a team game, but Tottenham with a 30-goal-a-season striker up top are likely a better side than one with Kane in a supporting role.
Tottenham’s Erik Lamela celebrates scoring their first goal with Harry Kane
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