The stats that show how Kane is NOT the same player from World Cup
Jamie Carragher is RIGHT: Harry Kane is NOT the same ‘single-minded’ player who chased Golden Boot glory at the 2018 World Cup and the stats prove it – the England and Spurs star is still banging in the goals but has morphed into a playmaker
- Harry Kane was substituted in England’s Euro 2020 opener against Croatia
- The Three Lions captain only had one shot on goal and missed a great chance
- Carragher said afterwards that Kane is not the same player from three years ago
- While Kane is still a lethal goalscorer, he is no longer a single-minded striker
- The stats show how Kane has dropped deeper and may not be as clinical up front
- Find out the latest Euro 2020 news including fixtures, live action and results here
Harry Kane was hit with a ‘new reality’ on Sunday when Gareth Southgate showed him that no man was safe when it came to keeping his place in the team at the Euros.
With eight minutes left on the clock and England holding onto a slender 1-0 lead against the Croatians, Southgate made the ballsy move of subbing off his own skipper in an attempt to try a different approach in attack.
While the Three Lions were able to hold on to all three points and win their opening game at the European Championship for the first time ever, Kane’s influence on the game became a talking point.
Harry Kane was hit with a new reality when he was subbed during England’s win over Croatia
Gareth Southgate decided to take off his captain during the latter stages of Sunday’s game
The 27-year-old was only able to muster one shot in the whole game – and it was a glorious one at that.
Following Raheem Sterling’s second-half opener, Kane had the chance to tap in a second at the back post after a superb cross from Mason Mount but some vital defending put him off and he was left on the deck following a collision with the upright.
It was an uneventful game for the skipper apart from that and the decision to bring him off was viewed as the right decision by many a fan and pundit.
One of those who viewed the decision to sub Kane off as a correct one was ex-England defender Jamie Carragher, who believes the striker is no longer a single-minded player solely focused on securing the Golden Boot award as he was three years ago.
Jamie Carragher said after the game that Kane is not the same player from the 2018 World Cup
Kane won the Golden Boot at the tournament (left) after netting six times in Russia (right)
Kane walked away with the Golden Boot at the 2018 World Cup after his six goals helped guide the Three Lions to a semi-final before they were dumped out by Sunday’s opponents, Croatia.
Carragher made the point that while Kane has changed as a player, he must accept he is not exempt from being taken off by Southgate.
‘Kane barely featured in the victory and looked exhausted,’ Carragher wrote in his column for The Telegraph.
‘Brave as it seems for an England manager to substitute his captain, it was the right and obvious call.
‘This may become the new reality for Kane. England can get the most from him with a premeditated plan, demanding he give everything for 65-70 minutes before being replaced by fresh legs.
‘The days of keeping him on the pitch so he can make the most of every minute in pursuit of the Golden Boot are over.
‘Whatever approach Gareth Southgate takes – and whatever happens for the rest of the tournament – we must adjust to the fact that this is not the same Kane who went to the 2018 World Cup in Russia and fulfilled his ambition to be the leading goalscorer. More importantly, the England captain must accept that, too.’
The England skipper had a glorious chance to put his side 2-0 up against Croatia but missed
His performance was a talking point, where he was described as looking ‘exhausted’
While the likes of Frank Lampard and Alan Shearer defended Kane’s corner, Carragher’s argument raised an interesting point over what has changed since that tournament in Russia three years ago.
Kane is, and remains, a potent threat in front of goal and has not lost his goalscoring touch but the evolution of his game appear to back up Carragher’s point – and the stats prove it.
When casting our minds back to Kane’s Premier League campaign before the World Cup, the forward was clinical in front of goal under Mauricio Pochettino and managed 30 goals across the 37 games he played in.
Impressively, half of that total came in his last 19 games, showing consistency in the race for the top scorer accolade, which he was eventually pipped to by Mohamed Salah, who scored 32 across the season.
Kane was managing a goal every 100 or so minutes in that season while being instructed to shoot on sight, taking roughly six shots at goal per 90 minutes which then dropped to roughly four per 90.
However, while his attempts at goal may have dipped, his conversion rate dramatically increased with Kane going from a shot conversion rate of 14 in the first half of the season to nearly 20 in the second half.
Carragher believes Kane is no longer the ‘single-minded’ striker he was from three years ago
Passing has always been a weapon in Kane’s arsenal but only started to reap the rewards for sharing the ball last campaign.
And this is where Carragher’s point stands up.
Kane is no longer this single-minded, selfish goalscorer that is only driven by driving up his scoring tally. The Tottenham talisman is now a complete player which can, at times, hinder him.
A criticism of Kane on Sunday was his lack of attempts on goal and how England’s main goalscorer appeared to be marked out of the game or received little service.
This isn’t a one-off, either.
Teams over the years have been able to nullify Kane’s threat by suffocating him up front or effectively denying him the service he needs to make a real impact.
As a result, this saw Jose Mourinho utilise Kane’s brilliant passing ability for Spurs last season which saw him rack up an incredible 11 assists in the first half of the campaign after instructing him to drop deep and play the ball in behind the defence for Son Heung-min to run onto.
His quick transformation into one of the Premier League’s best playmakers made him a threat everywhere in attack, with teams having to figure out quickly how to shut him down.
While Spurs’ counter-attacking style of play under Mourinho paid out in the first half of the 2020-21 season and saw them go top before Christmas with Kane and Son leading the way, the tactic became unsustainable and Spurs suffered as a result.
Kane was still to keep up impressive enough totals in front of goal to secure the Golden Boot but only 21 per cent of his 14 assists came in the final 19 games of the campaign.
In the 2020-21 season Kane became one of the Premier League’s best playmakers and formed a lethal partnership with Son Heung-min for Tottenham
Kane walked away with the Golden Boot and Playmaker of the Season award in May
It was enough to scoop the top playmaker award as well and cap off a fine season individually for Kane and his passing stats are much-improved since that 2017-18 campaign.
Kane managed a staggering 27 passes per 90 minutes in the second half of this season – over eight passes more compared to three years ago.
But there is now a slight issue with how to translate those unselfish performances on the international stage in a different set-up.
For one, England don’t play counter-attacking football and while Kane’s impressive passing stats are there for all to see, Kane is needed in a much higher position up the pitch to do what he does best – score goals.
Sunday’s performance showed that Kane has somewhat deviated away from that with Carragher pointing out this exact point.
However, Kane endured a tough start to the Euros and will need to find his scoring boots soon
Kane wasn’t offering a goalscoring threat and was replaced as a result. Too often he was found collecting the ball from deep and trying to make play happen from there rather than getting on the ball in the areas where he can be threatening.
Should he replicate his tired and leggy performance against Croatia as the tournament goes on, Kane can expect Southgate to turn to the likes of Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Marcus Rashford to do that instead.
However, it must be taken into consideration that England have played only one game and that Kane will likely have plenty of more chances to turn things around, like he always does.
But if he doesn’t, he won’t be able to complain about the new reality that he now finds himself in with England finally looking to end 55 years of hurt.
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