KANE: MATURE SPURS RIPE TO LIFT TROPHIES
Rush tips Ramsey for glory with Juve
NUNO ESPIRITO SANTO has challenged his Wolves side to stretch themselves against a team he rates among the world’s best.
The Portuguese boss (right) is under no illusion about the size of the task facing his side at Manchester City tomorrow. He said: “Waiting in front of us is
BAYERN MUNICH keeper Manuel Neuer says have Manchester City to beat shown his club how Liverpool. The German face the Reds in champions of the Champions the last 16 watching League, and after
Neuer City beat them 2-1 see said: “You could that Liverpool are vulnerable.” LIVERPOOL legend Ian Rush believes Aaron Ramsey can become a Champions League winner like fellow Welshman Gareth Bale if he leaves Arsenal for Juventus this summer.
Rush, who spent a season with the Italian club, said: “Aaron’s agent rang me and I told him they couldn’t go wrong choosing to go to Italy.
“Juventus have great support and they one of the best teams in the world. They try to unbalance you with the amount of quality players they have. “So if you want to be successful you have to be organised, strong and intense in your actions.
“We have to view this as a chance to go beyond our limits.” will have a fantastic chance of winning the Champions League.
“I said it would be a great move for him. I know that Bayern Munich and PSG also wanted him, which made Arsenal’s decision to sell him even more strange.
“Aaron has seen Gareth Bale win the Champions League and he would love to do the same.”
HARRY KANE believes Tottenham have crossed a significant barrier in their quest for silverware by moving from a team with potential to one that has reached “maturity”. Spurs will be favourites to win this afternoon’s Wembley clash with Manchester United, even though the visitors are resurgent under interim manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
Tottenham can’t hide behind the tag of being underdogs any longer – and listening to Kane, it is clear they don’t want to.
“Over the last few years we have turned that around,” said the striker. “What we have done as a team with the manager and the staff is to change the perception of Spurs during the last three or four years. We are at the stage now where we have a mature team. We are not young any more and it’s important we keep ourselves at this high level, at the top.
“The teams around us know it’s difficult to play us and we have to use that to our advantage.
“When we are on good form we can dominate any team in Europe. We’ve done it in the Champions League and against the big teams in certain games.
“We were always going into these games as the underdog and now we are going into them as favourites, especially at home.”
It is a fascinating perspective from Kane, who is one of three international captains in the Spurs side from top-10 countries in the FIFA world rankings, something no other club in the world can boast.
Hugo Lloris and Christian Eriksen are the other two and Son Heung-min is also skipper of South Korea. This stability and leadership shows in the displays of Tottenham this season.
They were outplayed for much of their League Cup semi-final first leg at home to Chelsea, yet emerged with a 1-0 victory, more evidence for Kane’s optimism. “It was a really mature performance against Chelsea,” said the striker, using that buzzword again.
“For us it’s all about consistency. United are coming to this match after some great results. They are going to be confident and have a lot of energy.
“We have to bring the same energy. That’s when we are at our best – when we’re pressing and everyone is on the front foot.When we can match United’s intensity, keep the ball and make it hard for them, that’s when we can do damage.”
The inevitable backdrop to today’s showdown is insistent speculation that Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino is the number one target for United when they appoint a long-term boss in the summer.
Whatever happens this afternoon will not alter that. Perhaps only winning a trophy this season will persuade Pochettino that the grass will be greener at the club’s new stadium, when it is eventually completed.
He can be sure his players want him to stay. Kane was effusive in praise of his manager, saying: “We love the way he works and are fully behind him.
“He has a great personality. He treats you like a friend but he earns that respect from you. Most importantly, he is a great coach and we all want to play for him.
“We’ve built a great team over the last three or four years and it’s down to us to continue that, take another step forward if we can and be consistent in these big games and big competitions.
“We are still in all the competitions. It’s about turning that into a trophy.”