Is Tottenham striker Harry Kane already showing early signs of second-season syndrome?

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Tottenham Hotspur’s Harry Kane has yet to find the net this season.

Tottenham Hotspur striker Harry Kane has failed to find the net in the opening four games of the current campaign, with his side picking up just three points in the process.

The England international experienced a dream campaign last season, netting 21 Premier League goals and scoring within minutes of making his senior debut for the Three Lions.

The pressure was always going to be on for Kane this season, with many pointing to the fact that a long list of strikers before him have had that one dream campaign and failed to follow it up.

‘Second-season syndrome’ is a commonly used phrase among English supporters, describing the events of a struggling second campaign after a previous season of huge success.

It’s a term Kane and Spurs will not want to become familiar with, though the signs in the opening month of the current campaign do show a big drop off in success in a key attacking category.

Aside from not finding the net in the opening four encounters, Kane’s shooting accuracy has significantly decreased, as he posted a 42% on-target average last season compared to just 23% this season.

It’s easy to remember that the 22-year-old didn’t score until November last season, though in the early stages of the campaign he only featured five times coming off the bench, playing just 63 minutes.

His somewhat wayward shooting this season could be down to a number of differing factors, such as poor assists or difficult chances, rather than a sudden decline in shooting ability.

However, Kane will know full well the expectation levels have risen as a result of his new-found status as a top-level striker and it’s obvious that his current output doesn’t make for particularly good reading.