Harry Kane's progression highlights Spurs' fall from grace

Harry Kane was Sky Sports man of the match against Swansea City today and is quickly cementing himself as being Spurs’ star player at present.

At first fans were weary, but they now worship the Chingford-born youngster in a similar vein that was last displayed towards another Spurs’ superstar - Gareth Bale.

Kane and Bale are miles apart in ability, and it’s unfair to compare our number 18 to Madrid’s Welsh wizard, but our change in heroes over the last 18 months, I believe, is a bleak reflection of our current situation.

Changes in expectation – for player & club

Prior to Kane’s meteoric rise in fame and form, Spurs fans had respected that the Englishman had potential, but were insistent that he wasn’t at the level that we as a club were currently at.

Fast-forward to the present day and everyone will agree that Kane is now worthy enough to be given a starting spot. So why has there been a change in perception?

Apart from the poor form of Adebayor and Soldado, which Kane has capitalised on, Spurs’ flirtation with reaching the top four has slowly burnt out. With Spurs now considered a top eight team at best, now less is being asked of Kane – just as less is being asked of Spurs.

Comparison says a lot

You only have to look at other clubs around us, as well as those we wish to emulate to see that Kane’s development and stardom, despite pleasing, shows how far we are away from our challengers.

Out of the other 19 Premier League sides, how many rely on a 21-year-old to lead their line and win them games? Out of the entirety you can only say it is West Brom with Saido Berahino, and Burnley with Danny Ings.

Both players play for clubs sitting in the bottom six, and their sides require them to shoot them out of a relegation battle, rather than Kane – who is expected to fire us into the Champions or Europa League.

Championship-chasing Manchester City, for example, now have Jose Angel Pozo as their only fit striker at present. The thought of having an 18-year-old lead their front line has scared many involved with the club, and has prompted pundits to believe that City will go out and buy a striker in January.

Beware of the Januzaj effect

Manchester United had a torrid time under David Moyes last season, and many of their fans were quick to exemplify their fall from grace in relation to the starring role of Adnan Januzaj.

United fans had said that it typified how poor their side were, when they were relying on an 18-year-old winger to do something special for them to win them the game, when really, Januzaj’s only responsibility was to come in to the side to apply and learn his trade without pressure or expectation.

Just like Januzaj, Kane has some true potential, but to have him as Spurs’ star man echoes a period of low expectation surrounding the club.

If pressure is something Kane thrives off, and it seems he does, I doubt he will have no problem in being Spurs’ brightest star – although, this may have to come at the expense of Spurs being a star team.

 

So because we have a player doing very well who came through the ranks, that means we're going downhill? What a load of ****, why not try supporting him instead? He's doing much better than our two other strikers who are probably on 4 or 5 times as much a week as he is and don't show half the effort he does.

Look at Southampton and how well the players who have come through their setup there are doing, developing players enables us to spend more on 'bigger' players as we don't have to buy as many, and look at how our fans love Kane as he's one of us!

COYS!

 

what a foolish way of looking at it. Bale
was then, this is now, Spurs are roughly where we have been averaging over the last 10 years. Kane might turn out to be the next sheara but you would have him buried in a shopping spree that guarantees nothing.
Only Spurs eh?

 

All younger players need a chance to develop and progress. It's a good thing, not a bad thing! What's happening at Man United with their defence is a good thing too, for the same reason. Who are the next generation of footballers going to be if youth is never given a chance. Great to see Kane, Mason, Bentaleb doing well at Spurs. It's the only proper sustainable way of running a club. Kane is tireless and very brave; he shows you that personal qualities are as important as talent. He is a gem indeed.

 

Every silver lining has a cloud, eh?

 

Wot a poor analogy, bale had 2 good seasons and was there 6 years ? Bale had speed on his side it took him 4 years and 3 different positions to be recognised, I've always rated kane and he's an england under 21 playing regularly in the PL, don't get carried away credits due where credits due
i wanna see pritchard in the squad next season.

 

This smacks of someone who believes we have a god given right to the top 4. This has nothing to do with Bale. Lot of cobblers. He's come on leaps and bounds and is scoring very regularly. He's positive, strong and can finish. What's to say spending 30m would bring in anyone better? I think Harry Kane is everything that is right about our club. But there isn't a lot else. Poch out!

 

Piss poor assumption about a young guy who goes out every game and plays with his heart on his sleeve. Took Bale a long time to be on a winning team for us so lets hope that Harry keeps going the way he is and that Madrid don't want him next.

 

What a load of tosh. He keeps winning MOM...that is with 2 teams on the pitch. He does has a tremendous eye for goal, is very direct, tracks back, tackles well, finishes well and most importantly gives 110%. Just listen to the pundits, including Gary Lineker they are raving about him. All players need time to develop, but if you actually look at his stats this season, I believe at this stage of the season, they are as good as any striker since Berbatov....but you may correct me wrong. I believe are academy is now churning out some real talent. In the last 3 years no less than 8 premiership players; Rose, Carroll, Livermore, Caulker, Townsend, Bentelab, Mason and Kane. I would like us sell any player except Lloris and our defence, Erikson, Stamboule, Dembele and buy Bony and bring integrate more....Winks, Pritchard, Veljkovik, Fredericks, Coulthirst and Ball all look like they are on the fringes. Imagine if we could build a side around a hub of players bought through the system...like Fergie did. Levy would be rubbing his hands in delight at the money saved!!!

 

Some people are so defensive, Kane is scoring goals and putting in the effort which is why he is standing out in a poor supporting cast.
This god given right to top 4 nonsense being reeled out again is it our right to aspire to nothing then? The aim for any club should be to produce the best football and talent you can to be as successful as you can, a club of Spurs stature should be fielding better players than it currently is not relying on youngsters because theyr the only ones that give a sh;t.
Course we all love Harry hes one of our own but weve lowered the bar considerably in terms of ambition as a club settling for a bit of effort, due to total lack of effort from the board!

 

There's little doubt that we are at a low ebb in terms of talent at the club right now, but that shouldn't detract from HK's emerging quality. All clubs go through ups and downs in this regard and we are no different. Harry is under extra pressure than , say, Danny Welbeck because there aren't too many goals elsewhere in the current squad. Our other two goal-getters are Eriksen and Chadli, otherwise it's zilch from everyone else. He seems to be coping well with the pressure though, which is good to see. It should stand him in good stead going forward.
Secondly, it's good to be reminded on Simon Kemp's thread above that Tottenham, on the quiet, have been developing Premier League class players from our academy. 8 in the last 3 years is not a bad return, eh? At least, we are doing SOMETHING right at WHL.
Lastly, we have to remember that we are barely 6 months into Pochettino's reign and there is a lot of player movement to take place yet. Keep the faith people, COYS!

 

Having said that if Kane gets injured were in the Sh;t for goals we are woefully short up front

 

Actually I'm glad we have a player like Kane doing so well under the circumstances where we find our much more expensive goal scoring options not living up to expectations. We need more like Harry Kane to help highlight the lazy and disinterested players who should be sold and replaced with more hard workers. Will this produce a top four club? Probably not, but I don't care since it would sure make watching Spurs a whole lot more enjoyable and I think go a long way towards improving the atmosphere at WHL.

 

Harry Kane isn't doing well because we are in a bad way. Harry Kane is doing well DESPITE us being in a bad way. He is scoring goals regularly with service so bad it would normally get you sacked from burger king. Harry is a very good striker who if he carries on the way he's going and gets some decent service will be top drawer.

 

I think its a drop back to reality and a good one at that. How long at it been since we've had a striker who takes responsibility, is committed and has the talent and will to try and suceed. Of recent strikers Defoe would blast 10 in five games then dry up for the rest of the season, Adeybayor only plays when there was an agenda, Crouch was limited, Pav had a good shot but did f'all else. All of whom had the benefits of freeflowing team with Bale & Modric and King. Apart from Defoe who has is aformentioned hot flashes I can't see any of those strikers doing better than Kane under the current circumstances. I think you meant this article to read Soldado's progression highlights Spurs fall from grace as he is so bad for that amount of money and expectation that it is truely an embarrassment he is being outshone by Kane.

 

He's the striker we need right now he's not put off by the lack of service and not afraid to go looking for the ball and create his own chances, he's also a very clever player with maturity beyond his years. Right now he's the best we have and undroppable.

 

I agree with the God given right bit, but as for fielding better players, we all know that their are two things that the top players want......Champions League and a BIG salary. Until we move to a larger capacity ground we will not be able to attract players financially, so I really like the way we are going with home grown talent. They truly play for 'the badge' not like Johnny foreigner who goes around kissing it until a fatter salary comes along. I'll take a team made up of mostly home grown any day, mix into that a few Ericksens and we're away. COYS