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

[Mindhunter]

A very insightful article by Alan Shearer about Harry Kane's future came out on The Athletic.

I’ve got way too much respect for Harry as a player and a man to offer him advice on a decision that I know for myself is rarely linear and that may not, in the end, be his to make. What I would say, though, is this: if he’s going to leave, it looks like this summer or not at all.

Alan Shearer: Harry Kane will achieve greatness if he stays at Spurs or if he leaves. But if he wants out, this summer might be his last chance – The Athletic

I know it is behind a paywall but in summary he thinks that this is Kane's last opportunity to look for a move i.e., if he wants to. It is clear though that it is going to be extremely tough for him and in all probability may not be up to him given his long-term contract which he had signed when Spurs was in the ascendancy.

 

[Norman Brownbutter]

There is clearly dramatic improvement from Moyes season 1, LVG season 1 and 2 & Mourinho/Ole season 3/1.

The numbers are there to be seen for that.

where? I see a few points. Moyes, sure. But that’s a hard bar to sink to. The rest is up and down inside a 10 point margin. It’s nothing dramatic at all. If he continues the upward trajectory, sure. But this is second full season. His first coming off the back taking over from Jose saw ole take us 7 wins out of 27 in all comps. There really was nowhere for him to go but up.

But now of that addresses the real issue, in my eyes at least. The football is boring. And yes, I’m one of those weirdos that likes to be entertained by a game. If getting result is all that’s, we might as well just check the full time results and be about our day.

Anyway, I think we’ve derailed this thread for long enough. We can just agree to disagree. It’s not like he’s going anywhere anyway. So time will tell if he’s on the up or this just part of our natural ebb and flow that we’ve been seeing since the big man left. I’m more than happy to be proved wrong. But I still need the football to get better.

 

[Morty_]

Harry Kane has to be favorite for POTS at this rate, surely?

 

[Walters_19_MuFc]

Great player. Has to move next season.

I reckon he will go to PSG.

 

[Regulus Arcturus Black]

where? I see a few points. Moyes, sure. But that’s a hard bar to sink to. The rest is up and down inside a 10 point margin. It’s nothing dramatic at all.

ok, league win rate per season post Moyes then:

50%
50%
47%
66%
50%
47%
58%*
* projected 60%

* Only two seasons stick out with “United-worthy” 60% league win rates, and as I posted earlier, we’re also outscoring the 66% season AND have a great chance of a cup whereas that season we won f-all sadly.
If that isn’t huge improvement from the other 6 post SAF seasons I don’t know what else to say, credit where it’s due.

 

[FujiVice]

He was here for 8 seasons and only managed to stay fit for an entire campaign once.

He played 278 in 8 seasons for a team whose season ended in February. And played about 80 times for Holland during that same period. You must have a very short memory to suggest he was a knackered old horse they should have gotten rid of. He was great for you lot.

 

[JSArsenal]

He played 278 in 8 seasons for a team whose season ended in February. And played about 80 times for Holland during that same period. You must have a very short memory to suggest he was a knackered old horse they should have gotten rid of. He was great for you lot.

What do you think contributed to it ending in February? Because from 2007-2010 we couldn't rely on our main striker to stay fit for the run in. Off the top of my head he missed the 2008 and 2011 run in. In 2008 especially we were in for the league and could have won it if we had a fit striker not named Adebayor.

My memory is fine. He was great when he was fit but he hardly ever was. He didn't do us any favours by staying as long as he did. Who else would have put up with his constant trips to the sick room and kept him as first choice?

You all got rid of Louis Saha for the very same reason, albeit Van Persie was far more talented. Let's not act as if he scored 25+ goals every season for Arsenal. He was great for us, but he also suffered 20 injuries ranging from niggles to long term knocks during his time here. He was so desperate to get on the pitch that he even visited a doctor and got horse placenta rubbed on him. RVP himself knew his injury record was ridiculous.

 

[Shane88]

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This is his honours list...


Tottenham Hotspur

• Football League Cup runner-up: 2014–15[75]
• UEFA Champions League runner-up: 2018–19[290]

England

• UEFA Nations League third place: 2018–19[291]

Does he really want to finish his career with bags of goals (and money) but zero medals?

 

[Van Piorsing]

Does he really want to finish his career with bags of goals (and money) but zero medals?

His biggest ambition could be to make AFTV dance for him and for that alone, I respect him.

 

[SinNombre]

If that isn’t huge improvement from the other 6 post SAF seasons I don’t know what else to say, credit where it’s due.

If we win the Europa and finish 2nd in the league, it would be our best season in the post-Fergie era

We had a bad start because of no preseason but have been consistently grinding results since - 2 defeats in the last 28 attest to that.

And this is the first time in that era where we are genuinely a top-8 team in Europe in the advanced stats. Creating decent number of chances and not conceding many.

 

[Irwin99]

He's 47 goals from the record at Spurs and you'd think that would take him another two seasons. Not sure that's incentive enough to stay, especially with no Champions League football.

I could see him still being a really good player well into his thirties though. Maybe he could go back and retire at Spurs.

 

[Regulus Arcturus Black]

He's 47 goals from the record at Spurs and you'd think that would take him another two seasons. Not sure that's incentive enough to stay, especially with no Champions League football.

The one big stumbling block here is that he’ll likely be priced out of a move so may just accept that as his “fate” for his career.

 

[adexkola]

A very insightful article by Alan Shearer about Harry Kane's future came out on The Athletic.


Alan Shearer: Harry Kane will achieve greatness if he stays at Spurs or if he leaves. But if he wants out, this summer might be his last chance – The Athletic

I know it is behind a paywall but in summary he thinks that this is Kane's last opportunity to look for a move i.e., if he wants to. It is clear though that it is going to be extremely tough for him and in all probability may not be up to him given his long-term contract which he had signed when Spurs was in the ascendancy.

Also depends on his personal relationship with Levy.

 

[africanspur]

I'll sidestep the question for a second because on a Man Utd forum especially, I imagine I know what the majority will be saying and to be honest, I don't have the mental strength at the moment.

But isn't it a bit early to be asking this question? He's only 27. And his style of play isn't based on pace at all, I can see him playing at a high level well into his 30s.

To answer your question re blessings to leave though. I've never been as frothing in the mouth tribal as most other fans and pretty much the only players who I got annoyed with in the past 2 decades or so for leaving were Campbell (for obvious reasons) and Carrick...not to anywhere near the same degree though obviously. Berbatov, Modric, Bale, Keane, Walker, Eriksen etc I had no issues with whatsoever (and even Carrick before he started making a few unnecessary comments). I honestly wished them all the best and wanted them to succeed at their new clubs.

Unless he agitated for a move to Arsenal or Chelsea, I'd be perfectly happy for Kane to move elsewhere. I'm pretty sure he's got Shearer's record in his sights so can't see him moving abroad sadly.

It really is a shame though because I think he does have a real connection with the club and I think he just wants to win something, anything, big. In an alternate universe where somehow England had won the WC and Spurs the CL, I wonder whether that would have satisfied him for the most part, even if we weren't competing for the top honours on a regular basis after that. We'll never know I guess.

 

[Liver_bird]

people keep discounting the effect of his ankle injuries, they’re only going to worsen, once you damage that area it’s never as strong as it was.

I’d love him but levy holds all the power.

 

[Charlie Foley]

What do you think contributed to it ending in February? Because from 2007-2010 we couldn't rely on our main striker to stay fit for the run in. Off the top of my head he missed the 2008 and 2011 run in. In 2008 especially we were in for the league and could have won it if we had a fit striker not named Adebayor.

I thought he missed the first half of the 2010-11 season and then almost caught Berba/Tevez for the golden boot in the second half of the season. Didn’t he not score until January and finished the league with 18 or 19

 

[duffer]

The record for top flight goals is 366 (Jimmy Greaves). Any chance he gets that?

 

[Irwin99]

I'll sidestep the question for a second because on a Man Utd forum especially, I imagine I know what the majority will be saying and to be honest, I don't have the mental strength at the moment.

But isn't it a bit early to be asking this question? He's only 27. And his style of play isn't based on pace at all, I can see him playing at a high level well into his 30s.

Unless he agitated for a move to Arsenal or Chelsea, I'd be perfectly happy for Kane to move elsewhere. I'm pretty sure he's got Shearer's record in his sights so can't see him moving abroad sadly.

Completely agree with that, his style and his recent job of playing a bit deeper and creating has shown he could easily do a Sheringham or Bergkamp and be at the top for quite a few years yet. Injuries would be a slight concern but I think he'll be fine.

He could easily bag another 47-48 goals for Spurs, break the record and then come here in a year or two

 

[Lee565]

He would be stupid to allow Mourinho to brow beat him into playing sooner than he his really fit just to potentially win the Mickey mouse cup when it could ultimately threaten his euro's place or performances.

 

[Lee565]

If spurs are a part of this European super league, does that mean kane will stay at spurs because his initial reason for wanting to leave spurs this summer was if they failed to get champions league football?

 

[Guy Incognito]

If he led the line for City today they'd be out of sight in the first half.

I respect Kane for staying with Spurs (probably never thought he'd become a legend there) but he will surely look to move on.

 

[FootballHQ]

Easy decision to make really for him.

Just up to Levy how difficult he makes the escape.

 

[mu4c_20le]

If Levy still has half a working brain he'll be planning the summer around the Kane money right now

 

[croadyman]

Easy decision to make really for him.

Just up to Levy how difficult he makes the escape.

He will make it impossible a la Carrick & Berbatov

 

[unplayable]

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[gajender]

He will make it impossible a la Carrick & Berbatov

Both left you do realise that .

 

[croadyman]

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Shut up Ducker and give us something positive about Utd instead of sucking off City

 

[croadyman]

Both left you do realise that .

They did but also feel Kane is in a completely different league to them price wise and that's where it falls down

 

[JSArsenal]

I thought he missed the first half of the 2010-11 season and then almost caught Berba/Tevez for the golden boot in the second half of the season. Didn’t he not score until January and finished the league with 18 or 19

You're right, he got injured in the League Cup final around the February period where our season collapsed and I thought he missed the rest of the campaign as well. He only missed three weeks though.

The point remains though, RVP did us no favours by staying at the club.

 

[SilentWitness]

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Indeed. Kane would be daft to stay. Leave and grab a few trophies and the PL record.

 

[Hammondo]

He's gonna be too expensive to be worth it.

 

[Sandikan]

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And such a lovely clean living chap too!

 

[Sandikan]

Indeed. Kane would be daft to stay. Leave and grab a few trophies and the PL record.

He won't get the say. Levy will make that call, and will be asking 100m for sure.

 

[Luke1995]

Is Kane situation comparable to Totti's and Gerrard's ?

I know that Real Madrid was once interested in Totti and Chelsea was once interested in Gerrard.

They chose to not move and won less trophies than they could have. I know that Kane has never won a trophy but I feel like Totti and Gerrard played for far too long in teams without a great chance of winning.

Gerrard really should have won it in 2008-09 or 2013-14 but it just wasn't meant to be I guess.

 

[BeforeKeanetherewasRobson]

I think Levy will want him to stay and price him high (arguably deservable).

But we're in/will be in a Covid/post-Covid world and there will be limited takers at Levy's price.

Might price him out of a move which is lose/lose.

 

[TheMagicFoolBus]

He won't get the say. Levy will make that call, and will be asking 100m for sure.

Makes far more sense for City than Haaland and they can afford anyone.

 

[Sandikan]

Makes far more sense for City than Haaland and they can afford anyone.

They haven't to date gone in for a "Big" signing though. They tend to do loads around 50m or so.

 

[TheMagicFoolBus]

They haven't to date gone in for a "Big" signing though. They tend to do loads around 50m or so.

Very good point - though given the state of their strikers it feels like they'll have to commit, especially if they don't win the CL this season no? Aguero is gone and Jesus is thoroughly mediocre; seems to me that they'll have to get someone top class in and given the age of their key players I feel like Kane makes more sense than Haaland personally.

 

[FootballHQ]

Is Kane situation comparable to Totti's and Gerrard's ?

I know that Real Madrid was once interested in Totti and Chelsea was once interested in Gerrard.

They chose to not move and won less trophies than they could have. I know that Kane has never won a trophy but I feel like Totti and Gerrard played for far too long in teams without a great chance of winning.

Gerrard really should have won it in 2008-09 or 2013-14 but it just wasn't meant to be I guess.

Totti won Serie A when he was about 23 and played many seasons in CL.

Gerrard won every single trophy apart from the league title.

Kane has won nothing and baring Spurs winning their final 5 games won't be playing in CL or even perhaps any european football next season so they're geting worse at key part of his career so think its a little different to those two but get why you mention them.

 

[Jezpeza]

The only way out is Kane will have to force his way out. Publicaly post he wants to leave, doesn't want to be there anymore. Force Levy to take what they are offered. Else he will be ‘loyal’ and be at a mid table team. Puts it in perspective how bad spurs have been to achieve so little over the last 5 years despite having the worlds best striker. The ‘glory years’ with saint pochettino, who is possibly about to win the inpressive accolade of not winning ligue 1 with PSG.