Harry Kane wouldn’t have saved Tottenham vs. Manchester United
By Zac Wassink
Tottenham Hotspur missed Harry Kane versus Manchester United, but the striker wouldn’t have saved Spurs at Old Trafford on Saturday.
The narrative is that striker Harry Kane makes Tottenham Hotspur a one-man team. The story journalists, observers, supporters and critics of manager Mauricio Pochettino will tell is that Spurs can’t beat big clubs without the front man knocking goals into the back of the net.
They’ll try to convince readers, listeners and viewers Saturday’s result, a 1-0 loss to Manchester United at Old Trafford, is proof Spurs can’t win the league with or without Kane, and that Tottenham have no chance of achieving anything of note with the forward sidelined due to injury.
Tottenham missed Kane versus United. It has to be said. Spurs could’ve used the attacking boost, particularly during the second half when the squad pushed the opposition but needed help locating its shooting boots. There’s little question, if any exists at all, the 24-year-old collecting Golden Boot trophies for fun would’ve netted the volley pushed wide of the target by Dele Alli, an attempt that would’ve given Tottenham a deserved 1-0 advantage and that would’ve allowed Pochettino to solidify a defensive effort during the closing stages of the contest.
Still, to suggest Kane would’ve made all that massive a difference for the majority of the action wouldn’t offer a proper match report. Both sides bossed portions of the contest, and both should’ve scored goals at the end of what were ultimately wasted opportunities. A draw was the fair result before Anthony Martial bagged the winner nine minutes from time.
Per Dan Kilpatrick of ESPN, Pochettino refused to blame Kane’s absence for the loss following the contest:
"“It’s always about the result in football. Of course, you’re always going to miss your main striker and Kane is one of the best strikers. But it’s not fair to talk about Kane and we need to be fair with everyone. If Alli scored, be sure we’d be talking in a different way. If you analyse the game, it was even but the result was different.“It was the best chance. It was the chance for 1-0 up but instead 1-0 down. Now, we move on.”"
The manager’s words are important here because they indicate he’s refusing to allow the “same old Spurs” mentality that has hovered over the club seemingly since the day before forever to reappear during his building process. Pochettino has always done well to move forward following astonishing and memorable victories and after bitter defeats, and his team needs his leadership now more than at any prior point of the season.
Tottenham entered the week flying high after a pair of tremendous results. Spurs earned a point versus Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabeu on a night when Tottenham were arguably the better side, and Tottenham then trounced Liverpool 4-1 at Wembley Stadium. Even those who routinely mocked and denounced Spurs proclaimed them as second-best in England and contenders to battle with Manchester City over the Premier League crown.
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How quickly things change in six days. Tottenham blew a 2-0 lead to local rivals West Ham United in a League Cup contest Pochettino and others appeared to dismiss as little more than a nuisance in the midweek, and Spurs then failed to earn at least a point at Old Trafford on an afternoon when Tottenham, specifically Eric Dier, were to blame for their downfall against United. Experiencing such a drastic low following a banner week could demoralize even the strongest of units.
It’s possible, maybe even likely, Kane won’t be fit when Tottenham host Real on November 1. Spurs would miss his presence, sure, but don’t forget he wasn’t the best player on the pitch at the Bernabeu even though his flick did cause the own goal that aided the club in notching the draw.
Each member of the Tottenham back line was superb, especially Jan Vertonghen, who did well to play on the left flank. Harry Winks shined. Tottenham could’ve won en route to jumping to the top of the group table.
Related Story: Winks, Sanchez star versus Real Madrid
Kane makes Tottenham better, as he would for just about any side. That he couldn’t play on Saturday was unquestionably a negative, but it isn’t the reason Spurs dropped points. Pochettino can, and must, reinforce that reality to his players regardless of Kane’s status for the Real match, as there will come a time when the elite goal-scorer is again unable to feature for Tottenham between now and the spring.