It’s time to take the strain off Kane
HARRY NEEDS REST TO RECHARGE BATTERIES
HARRY KANE admitted the one thing that scared him most in football was failing to fulfil his potential with trophies at Tottenham.
But the prospect of missing an England World Cup game will be a close second.
It is safe to assume Kane would rather sit in a pub with Arsenal supporters than sit on the bench watching the Three Lions take on Wales for a place in the knockout stage of Qatar 2022.
The prospect of the Welsh demolishing England in Al Rayyan to dump their neighbours out of the competition and go through themselves will not have entered his head.
But the fact this could be his last dance on the greatest stage of all will have.
Kane will be 33 when the next World Cup comes around and, despite his astonishing dedication to health and fitness, he knows the fickle world of
football has no interest in such commitment. Each game at this tournament is precious to Kane.
But if there is someone in Gareth Southgate’s squad who looks like he needs a rest, it is him.
Captain, talisman and main provider of goals are more than enough excuses for the conservative England boss not to bow to public pressure and bench the striker.
Southgate will also be wary of how such a big call will be viewed as being disrespectful to the Welsh. Sod that.
How respectful were Wales to England when the Three Lions found themselves dumped out of Euro 2016 by Iceland in Nice?
The video of them celebrating England’s demise should be played on loop in England’s squad meetings ahead of tomorrow’s final Group B clash at the Ahmad bin Ali Stadium.
But this is not about revenge, bragging rights or making sure the likes of Gareth Bale and Aaron Ramsey see their own backsides.
It is about England doing a professional job to win the group, ease into the knockout stage with as little fuss as possible and preserve energies for those greater challenges ahead.
After all, England are facing a side which lost to a team they battered themselves 6-2.
Kane dropped so deep in the goalless draw against the USA he had as many touches in his own box (three) as in the opposition’s area.
He looked laboured and listless. His sharpness was not there and he appears to be nursing a damaged foot.
Let’s be clear. We need Kane when the going gets tough, because his passing and link-up play are just as important as his goals and penalties.
But this is one occasion when Southgate needs to show some courage – and Kane needs to be less selfish.
“It would be a brave decision to leave him out of the starting team”, said Southgate ahead of the USA borefest.
This might be true, but managers like Southgate are paid the big bucks to make the even bigger calls and the time has come for him to stick his neck on the block.
Let Newcastle forward Callum Wilson or Manchester United hitman Marcus Rashford loose down the middle against a Welsh defence more porous than a sponge.
Kane can then have a rest to recharge his batteries ahead of the serious stuff, when Southgate will genuinely need his leadership and striking qualities like never before.