Players like Harry Kane: Do you respect them for going down with the ship, or are they wasting their careers?

Jim Beam

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In fact, there is prostitution of a top talent player going around Europe atm. Some will call it ambition, I call it pathetic.
 

DWelbz19

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Regarding the comfort zone, I think people underestimate how much these players value their all round satisfaction with their lives. He’s probably got a house he loves with family and friends around him. He’s a god amongst fans and probably enjoys the attention in his local area.

From a footballing perspective it’s low ambition but from a general life happiness perspective, fair play.
And the comfort zone in terms of actual football - when Spurs lose or underperform, it's never really Kane's fault, he is the golden boy of Spurs. If he moves here, for instance, the media and fan scrutiny goes up a level. Neutrals become more invested in his performances (because at the moment, who really gives a feck about Spurs performances outside of occasionally laughing at Mourinho meltdowns?) etc etc.
 

T00lsh3d

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Is he actually a Spurs fan? I know he was an Arsenal as a kid but that doesn’t mean much
 

Hammondo

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They need offers first, which since pogba has openly said he wants new challenges speaks volumes.
 

youmeletsfly

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Depends on what is more important, playing for the club you love or winning things.
You can't hate both sides of the argument.

When moving to.another club a player has a shitload of things to consider, different pressure, setup, environment, coach, teammates. Maybe some of them are afraid to take their next step.
 

duffer

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Loyalty in football is a funny thing and generally is viewed as a one-way street by fans.

Player leaves because he thinks the club is not good enough? He's a traitor.

Club lets a player go because they think he's not good enough? Absolutely fine.
 

passing-wind

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Think Kane has raised Spurs level which is a bad reflection on Levy making decisions such as investing in a stadium rather than pouring resources into the first team to gain a trophy. It's not like Tottenham have been a million miles off with regards to silverware they just haven't closed the gap.
 

balaks

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Think Kane has raised Spurs level which is a bad reflection on Levy making decisions such as investing in a stadium rather than pouring resources into the first team to gain a trophy. It's not like Tottenham have been a million miles off with regards to silverware they just haven't closed the gap.
The stadium will be the best thing we have ever done as a club in the long term and secures the clubs future.
 

tomaldinho1

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I actually respect him to be honest - he's playing for his club, he's the main guy there and his lack of trophies is not impacting his England selection. If he moved he could get more money, probably win loads of trophies if he picked the right club but then do we expect Rashford or Greenwood to move?

Maybe the thing for him is missing out on playing in the CL but it's likely his love for Spurs outweighs everything.
 

Champagne Football

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Spurs are paying him almost as much as he'd get at a top 4 club, around 200,000 a week.

Kane is so talented that he still scores for fun in an average Spurs side under an average manager. He looks like the only Spurs player who is still happy to work under Jose.

Spurs used to be a top 4 team regularly under Pochettino and recently were in a CL final.

Levy has priced him at 175 million meaning no one will touch him with a barge pole. So I think Kane is in no hurry to leave even though I've no doubt he'd be open to it, while Levy has made it impossible for him to leave, so I think Kane is in a happy enough situation to live with that reality.
 

Scroto Baggins

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As the story goes Arsenal let Kane go as a youth player and Spurs picked him up. And when he was falling behind in training compared to the more athletic kids they organised/recommended extra training for him. From there he made Spurs youth teams, then on loan, professional contract etc.

I understand paying back a clubs faith in you, especially when others have let you go. But at 28, you have repaid that faith, time to move on, put some trophies on the shelf.

I definitely respect some gratitude/loyalty to what was given. But feel Kane has more than repaid that and it is time to move on.
 

noodlehair

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Think Kane bought into the hype around Spurs and thought he'd actually win major trophies there, rather than stayed even though he thought he wouldn't.

They weren't a million miles off at a couple of points but the CL final didn't do them any favours really. They were never really good enough to justify being there and people started talking about it as if getting to the final proved they were already good enough (how many calls on here for us to get Pochetino because he "got Tottenham to a CL final), and I think that resulted in the rails coming off rather than them continuing to build.

Can't think of many players good enough to be big hitters at a top club who just stick around at a mediocre one for the sake of it. Even Fernandes wont stay at United for long if it becomes clear they're only interested in being a nearly team.
 

paulscholes18

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Don’t respect Kane any more for staying at Spurs, than I would had he left a few years and won a few trophies. Exactly the same with Totti, de Rossi & Shearer they choose to be club legends rather then leave to win titles.
 

DWelbz19

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Loyalty in football is a funny thing and generally is viewed as a one-way street by fans.

Player leaves because he thinks the club is not good enough? He's a traitor.

Club lets a player go because they think he's not good enough? Absolutely fine.
Yep, this is absolutely the case. Just one of those tribalist football fan things.
 

Morty_

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If wasting your career is earning a vast fortune playing for a club that’s special to you and doing the thing you probably enjoy most in the world. Then sign me up.
 

Thiagoal

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Don’t respect Kane any more for staying at Spurs, than I would had he left a few years and won a few trophies. Exactly the same with Totti, de Rossi & Shearer they choose to be club legends rather then leave to win titles.
Well some may argue ‘becoming a club legend’ is more important than trophies! I’m sure, for instance, he’d win a boat load of trophies at PSG- but would that have a higher intrinsic value to Kane than being forever adored at Spurs? I doubt it
 

UpWithRivers

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I think its pathetic. You should challenge yourself to the highest point you can achieve. Its like a mountain climber being happy with climbing Ben Nevis. Or an athlete never getting to the Olympics. Or a boxer never going for World titles.
 

MackRobinson

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For all those saying he lacks ambition, I sincerely hope you all are at the top of your respective professions :wenger:
 

2 man midfield

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For me, United > trophies so I do get it. If he’s a Spurs man, he’s a spurs man.
 

adexkola

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All depends on what players want to achieve in their careers and lives. It’s not really up to fans to dictate that based on our own personal preferences.
Yeah. Fans who project their own weird ideas of ideal career paths on football players can feck off honestly.

Also it's hypocritical for this thread to exist on a United forum. Should Pogba and Rashford have pushed to leave us a long time ago for better performing clubs?
 

GlasgowCeltic

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I do hope he ends his career with trophies but I like the idea of a genuine world class player not being interested in being hoovered up by the usual 5-6 clubs
 

Bale Bale Bale

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In extension, Spurs fans: if Kane wanted to move on, would he have your blessing and empathy as to why, or should he retire with you?
I would begrudgingly accept it, obviously not if it was Chelsea though(don't think Kane would ever go for that anyway). He has done all he can for Spurs, clearly I'd rather he stayed but would not blame him at all for wanting to leave.

Another question is what happens to Spurs when he leaves? Is it the death knell on their ambitions to be anything other than a top six club?
No. People said the same when Carrick, Keane and Berbatov left within two years of each other but Spurs built and improved. People said the same when Modric and Bale left, Spurs improved. If/when Kane leaves then whilst it'd likely hurt in the short-term I don't see why we can't build again. Spurs are a big club, not as big as a Man Utd but a big club nonetheless and with the infrastructure in place to get bigger in the long-term.

I do feel sorry for players like Kane in particular, because he knows he gets completely vilified if he leaves, even if it’s for the best of his career.
He won't be vilified by Spurs fans. Unless he ended up at a rival(Chelsea).

He was recently in a CL final with them, and was probably the reason that they lost it

Not saying he does, but maybe he feels he owes them a trophy
No, that's stupid.

Loyalty in football is a funny thing and generally is viewed as a one-way street by fans.

Player leaves because he thinks the club is not good enough? He's a traitor.

Club lets a player go because they think he's not good enough? Absolutely fine.
Agree

I think its pathetic. You should challenge yourself to the highest point you can achieve. Its like a mountain climber being happy with climbing Ben Nevis. Or an athlete never getting to the Olympics. Or a boxer never going for World titles.
Don't think either of those analogies really work, what's challenging about him rocking up at say City or PSG and collecting a few medals? He already competes in the best league, the Champions League(well, until recently) and internationally. It's not like he's spent his career beating up Ligue 1 and not tested himself any higher. It would be nice for him to have the accolades to back it up but everyone knows what he's capable of regardless.
 

Chipper

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Well some may argue ‘becoming a club legend’ is more important than trophies! I’m sure, for instance, he’d win a boat load of trophies at PSG- but would that have a higher intrinsic value to Kane than being forever adored at Spurs? I doubt it
That brings up an interesting concept in my mind. I'm sure a lot of players would like to win the Champions League with PSG, but how much would someone who probably grew up never watching much Ligue 1 or the French Cup, which I'm guessing would apply to Kane care about those? Not really PSG specific or French club specific, could apply that to players from all countries playing in all other countries. Suppose English football has an advantage of sorts there as it's well-watched around the world so players from all over might actually dream about wining the Premier League or at one time the FA Cup.

I'm just a fan, but as an English person who supports an English team I wouldn't have ever dreamed of winning the Bundesliga. It would be nicer than playing in Germany and not winning it but it would hardly be a huge ambition and I wouldn't see it as this amazingly great thing that I always wanted to do. I just don't relate to the Bundesliga a great deal or have a special place in my heart for it. No idea what the trophy looks like even without googling it.

Edit: I did just google it, seems familiar but I wouldn't have been able to describe it beforehand.
 
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Harry Kane is probably the most high profile player in relation to the thread title - although it could be argued Pogba is doing the same - but the overarching question here is how do you ultimately regard players who are considered stars of their generation who don't go on to play for the top (or most succesful during their time) clubs, or at least have a measure of success, trophy-wise, should they decide to stay at the club that they essentially made their name with?

It's all said to be noble and sign of character to not move on, but when all's said and done, is there no question of what could have been?

Shearer is always mentioned in light of what he could have made of himself had he joined Manchester United, but at least with him, there was a period of time where it genuinely looked like Newcastle could go on to have their own time in the sun, that too with him already having won a league title. Someone like Kane doesn't even have these factors to console himself with and he really doesn't have much time left to make a significant mark on the game as a whole - I think it's safe to say he could go down as perhaps a player to even rival Greaves, as far as Spurs are concerned, but, for a player of his ability, is that enough?

Fans tend to be hypcritical when it comes to the push-pull machinations of players looking to better themselves, or making the best of themselves - as long as it doesn't concern their own team, it tends to be fine and dandy, otherwise, the player is perhaps a sell-out and a merc' who has no interest in helping out during the hard times; basically, if he's good, he should sacrifice his best years, if he's not, he good riddance etc. etc.

With regards to someone like Kane, do you see it as noble that he stays where he is, or a waste? If he were at your club, and your club wasn't delivering, would he have your blessing to move on? In extension, Spurs fans: if Kane wanted to move on, would he have your blessing and empathy as to why, or should he retire with you?
I think football has moved on from being a sport to being a investment. So players need to treat it as such invest in their careers. Loyalty is a 2 way street and in this day and age, clubs don't care if you are a academy lad or a legend if they see an opportunity to move you on and find someone new/better/shiny toy, they will do it. So why sink with the ship while you can bask in glory on a yatcht?
 

RoyH1

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I think his loyalty to Spurs is commendable. I like players that remain loyal to their clubs.
 

LawCharltonBest

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I would begrudgingly accept it, obviously not if it was Chelsea though(don't think Kane would ever go for that anyway). He has done all he can for Spurs, clearly I'd rather he stayed but would not blame him at all for wanting to leave.



No. People said the same when Carrick, Keane and Berbatov left within two years of each other but Spurs built and improved. People said the same when Modric and Bale left, Spurs improved. If/when Kane leaves then whilst it'd likely hurt in the short-term I don't see why we can't build again. Spurs are a big club, not as big as a Man Utd but a big club nonetheless and with the infrastructure in place to get bigger in the long-term.



He won't be vilified by Spurs fans. Unless he ended up at a rival(Chelsea).



No, that's stupid.



Agree



Don't think either of those analogies really work, what's challenging about him rocking up at say City or PSG and collecting a few medals? He already competes in the best league, the Champions League(well, until recently) and internationally. It's not like he's spent his career beating up Ligue 1 and not tested himself any higher. It would be nice for him to have the accolades to back it up but everyone knows what he's capable of regardless.
Maybe you should read your posts and then rethink who is stupid
 

Raredaredevil

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If I was a professional footballer I'd play my entire career at United if i could, even if it meant never winning a trophy.
Most of us here would do the same too because we are speaking from a fan perspective. If Harry Kane is a Spurs diehard fan, he probably feels the same way too.
 

GBBQ

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If I was a professional footballer I'd play my entire career at United if i could, even if it meant never winning a trophy.
I mean that’s easy to say as a United fan because it’s a massive club with a global fan base and over the duration of that career you’re likely to pick up some silverware.

If you were a boyhood, say, Preston North End fan who was wanted by the best teams would you still think you would want to be a club legend?

Spurs are a huge club but there is a tier above that Kane can move to if he wants to add silverware.
 

UpWithRivers

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I would begrudgingly accept it, obviously not if it was Chelsea though(don't think Kane would ever go for that anyway). He has done all he can for Spurs, clearly I'd rather he stayed but would not blame him at all for wanting to leave.



No. People said the same when Carrick, Keane and Berbatov left within two years of each other but Spurs built and improved. People said the same when Modric and Bale left, Spurs improved. If/when Kane leaves then whilst it'd likely hurt in the short-term I don't see why we can't build again. Spurs are a big club, not as big as a Man Utd but a big club nonetheless and with the infrastructure in place to get bigger in the long-term.



He won't be vilified by Spurs fans. Unless he ended up at a rival(Chelsea).



No, that's stupid.



Agree



Don't think either of those analogies really work, what's challenging about him rocking up at say City or PSG and collecting a few medals? He already competes in the best league, the Champions League(well, until recently) and internationally. It's not like he's spent his career beating up Ligue 1 and not tested himself any higher. It would be nice for him to have the accolades to back it up but everyone knows what he's capable of regardless.
So whats the point of titles? What was so great about scholes, giggs, cantona? All they did was rock up at a good team and collect a few medals.
 

Carl

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I mean that’s easy to say as a United fan because it’s a massive club with a global fan base and over the duration of that career you’re likely to pick up some silverware.

If you were a boyhood, say, Preston North End fan who was wanted by the best teams would you still think you would want to be a club legend?

Spurs are a huge club but there is a tier above that Kane can move to if he wants to add silverware.
Yes but the PNE thing doesn't really work, because throughout Kane's time at Spurs they've been primarily a top 6 club, so it's not like he's not earning amazing money and failing to he recognised on the global stage.

Obviously it would be different if the club was struggling to stay in the league, or if the club was divisions below.
 

FootballHQ

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Depends on age for me.

I can totally understand why people think Grealish is wasting time with us given the quality he's shown in last 18 months but he is still 25 so still got many years ahead.

Kane however nearly 28 so he's way more than halfway through his top level career.

We had a few a decade ago like Gareth Barry and Young who got to 27-28 and had played for us for years and they decided to leave and as disappointing as it was you have to accept if you're not getting champions league. Van Persie another who was 29 when he left Arsenal.
 

Bale Bale Bale

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So whats the point of titles? What was so great about scholes, giggs, cantona? All they did was rock up at a good team and collect a few medals.
Utd hadn't won a title in over 25 years when Cantona joined and Scholes/Giggs were young players who had just come through the system, hardly a comparable situation to an established star joining a team virtually guaranteed of winning titles.
 

SAFMUTD

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Nothing but fespect for Kane, how can a player be criticized for being loyal is beyond me. Is not like he’s in a low table team either:
 

TrustInJanuzaj

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I think Kane is a little stupid to show Spurs such loyalty, top players usually realise they have to move on.
 

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For me it's not a matter of loyalty or what we think is ambitious. The only thing that matters is whether he is currently happy and how he is going to look back at his career. As a footballer he has been brilliant and I don't think that he could have been significantly better, so on that front I will never criticize his commitment.