CONTE-BALL IS NOT FOR KANE
ANTONIO CONTE may have to rip up his famous “Conte-Ball” philosophy if he wants to get Harry Kane scoring forTottenham again.
Our analysis has found a straightforward answer to the riddle of the England captain’s hit-and-miss season so far.
He only scores when his team control more than 63 percent of possession. Any less and he tends to drift deep and wide in search of the ball and the goals dry up.
In the 13 matches Kane has played in which his team have had less than 63 percent possession, the only goal he scored was against a secondstring Wolves in the Carabao Cup.
His only other goals for Spurs have come in Europe against Pacos Ferreira and Mura, when Tottenham had 71 and 67 percent of possession respectively, and Newcastle in the Premier League when Tottenham enjoyed 65 percent of the ball. Worryingly, since Conte came in, Spurs have managed 53 percent against Vitesse Arnhem in the Europa Conference League and 55 percent against Everton when, for the second Premier League game in a row, they failed to manage even a single shot on target. Conte likes to play without the ball, relying on a swift counter. Even when winning the Scudetto with Inter Milan last term Conte’s team averaged 52 percent possession. Possession stats at Chelsea were only marginally higher during Conte’s two seasons there, with the Blues averaging 55 percent in the Premier League.
Kane thrived under Mauricio Pochettino, when Premier League possession percentages reached 62 percent in his last full season, and Gareth Southgate, whose England team have had 63 percent or more possession this term in every game that Kane has played.
There is just one manager in the Premier League who has kept his side’s possession statistics in that danger zone for Kane… Manchester City’s Pep Guardiola.
Conte has explained why he has banned fast food, ketchup and mayonnaise.
“At Chelsea, it was the same – we spoke about the importance of eating well,” he said.
“At every one of the clubs that I trained I had a nutritionist and these aspects are important because you have to stay in the right weight and to do that you have to have good fat and good muscle.
“To be professional means you have to take care of your body.”