“He needs to get more involved – he is not doing enough as it is.”
“You have to ask at what time you release him.”
“Siri, search Getty for” Kane down “photos.” / Neil Hall – Pool / Getty Images
Yes indeed. At what point are you releasing Harry Kane, the leading assistant and goal scorer in the Premier League last season? It must take a very long drought for Gareth Southgate to even consider moving his captain to the bench, right?
Thankfully, that is the England manager’s opinion, but it has not prevented some in the media and much of the pubs – of course socially distanced – from suggesting that it might not be Kane’s tournament at Euro 2020.
Pragmatic about a small weak group stage against Croatia, Scotland and the Czech Republic was good enough to win the group of three lions – they only scored two goals but did not concede anything, which is much better than scoring four and conceding three. Just ask France.
But there is no doubt that it has been tough at times to see Kane in this role – less involved than at club level for Tottenham – especially in the group stage.
While there are few reliable creative alternatives to England’s Spurs captain, Southgate chose to lean on Mason Mount, Phil Foden and Raheem Sterling earlier in Euro 2020, each with different levels of production. But with generally better playmakers around him and without a Son Heung mine to play balls behind, Kane has returned to the role England needed him to fulfill – the clinical striker.
Kane did not score in the group stage / Robbie Jay Barratt – AMA / Getty Images
This means that his involvement in the team’s build-up game has dropped and more creative responsibility has been handed out elsewhere – you can see that with how much he has had at Euro 2020 so far.
While he averaged 44.6 touchdowns per game for Tottenham during the 2020/21 Premier League season, he has only had 30.6 for England in the Euros. In Germany and Ukraine, he played at the ball 29 and 33 times respectively.
His shooting number is also down. One of the hallmarks of Kane’s game in north London is how he takes potshots from almost anywhere, especially early in matches.
This is reflected in the 3.9 shots he released with Spurs in the league, as opposed to the two he has managed so far in euros. He is trusted as a player to make things happen for Tottenham, while England have a whole host of attacking stars who can free him from that burden – none so far as Sterling, who is England’s leading scorer along with Kane with three goals. The strike partnership that the couple has formed has been important for England’s generally positive record in recent years, although most can not help but address that situation in the semi-finals of the World Cup 2018 whenever the two are mentioned in the same sentence. You know it.
The Boys / ALBERTO LINGRIA / Getty Images
The understanding was certainly on full display against Ukraine, when Sterling cut in while he was under pressure and played the perfect ball to Kane to finish in a composed way.
And when England needed a third to end that game, Kane was duly guilty and beat Luke Shaw’s cross.
With a maximum of two matches left, England will probably not finish Euro 2020 as the tournament’s top scorer. So far, they have eight, five behind Spain and four after Italy, who have already reached Sunday’s final.
But it does not have to matter. Being the top scorer in a tournament does not necessarily correlate with winning the thing.
Kane celebrates England’s victory over Ukraine / Alessandra Tarantino – Pool / Getty Images
In 2016, Portugal joined the trophy that scored nine goals, equal to Belgium and behind Wales and France. In 2004, Greece looked like teams in the knockout stages and did not let in anyone who let in four during the group stage.
It’s in a nutshell how tournament football can work. It is not always the floating sides with attacking feeling that come out of the ears that stand on the podium with the trophy up while fireworks erase the night sky. It is not always the best goal scorer who has the biggest grin after the final. Sometimes it’s Pepe and Jose Fonte.
Kane is playing the perfect role for England right now. It helps keep him fresh and gives the best of those around him. With goals against Germany and Ukraine, he tops just in time for the semifinals against Denmark on Wednesday night.
If England make it out of the match against the Danes to set up a final with Italy, Kane will have played a big role. Maybe not the role he is so easily associated with.
For more from Jude Summerfield, follow him on Twitter!
