Is Harry Kane the Best English Striker?
Off the heels of yet another brace, Harry Kane continues to make his mark on the EPL. The fast emerging forward led Tottenham to another key 2-1 victory over a scrappy QPR side in a London Derby at Loftus Road. Kane scored his first goal after beating QPR keeper Robert Green to the ball on an Andros Townsend free kick. His glancing header put Spurs up 1-0 in the 34th minute. 34 minutes later, in the 68th minute, Harry Kane beat QPR’s high line and dribbled around Robert Green to slot home the winner.
Kane scored his 15th and 16th goals of the EPL campaign and jumped fellow Englishman Charlie Austin (15 goals). He now only trails Diego Costa and Sergio Aguero, who have 17 goals each.
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Kane not only has 16 EPL goals this season, but he has 26 goals in all competitions. He has matched Gareth Bale’s 2012-13 entire season output in 3 less matches played. That was Bale’s last season in a Tottenham shirt before he moved to Real Madrid. The same questions are being raised over whether Tottenham will be able to hold on to Kane with all the hype surrounding his play.
It’s rather surprising that Harry Kane has put together such an extraordinary campaign. There was no doubt that he could be a good striker, but his rise to prominence has come at an accelerated pace. Upon watching the English forward, he does not possess the blazing pace or technical ability, say someone like Aguero has, to terrorize defenses.
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What Kane does have is the intelligence and calmness on the ball that is lacking in such a fast paced league. Each time the youngster touches the ball up high, he seems to find the runners aside from him. Kane does a fantastic job in hold up play and is dangerous in the air. Crosses have been nightmares for opposing teams as it seems Harry Kane always picks the better path to the ball than the defenders marking him.
This all said, is he the best English striker?
Liverpool fans and Daniel Sturridge have quite the argument as the 25-year old has been superb since joining the Merseyside club. Sturridge has 39 goals in 62 appearances for Liverpool and is always a candidate to find the back of the net; the only problem is that he is coming back in to form after a recent injury that had him out a while. Lately, though, Sturridge has made a compelling case for best English striker.
England captain Wayne Rooney might have a say in the matter as well. This suggestion is likely to bring some snickers among EPL fans, but Rooney has been forced to play more of a midfield role with Manchester United due to the abundance of strikers the club has brought in. The midfield experiment has produced mixed results, mostly frustrating English fans. There is no doubt that the Everton product was most productive as a forward in his career. Now at 29, it seems that Three Lions fans have moved on from the idea that he is the best future option for the English team.
Roy Hodgson has made a point to attend Charlie Austin’s past two matches. It was just 5 years ago that QPR’s star striker was playing non-league football. After putting together some tremendous stints with Swindon Town and Burnley, Austin has scored 34 goals in 58 appearances for QPR. The late bloomer has caught the eye of English fans. Similar to Kane, Austin doesn’t have burning pace, but he is able to find the right places and is a tremendous poacher. Additionally, he can release quite the cannon if given space to get a shot off.
Additionally, Danny Welbeck is always in the discussion for next go-to English striker though his reduced time at Arsenal lately doesn’t help his case much. Another youngster that has made quite the mark this season is Saido Berahino. The Baggies talisman has the pace and finish to piece fear into any defense he faces.
The next international break is coming in three weeks. England will face off against Lithuania on March 27. Who will Roy Hodgson select to lead the front line?
Harry Kane surely looks to be a front runner. While he may not have the natural talent as some of the players mentioned above, his form cannot be ignored as he is likely to get his first English call up.
Who do you think is England’s best striker?
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