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Ex-Spurs Player Harry Kane

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Even if he wanted to leave so bad, what the f was he doing with this fitness. 40 minutes and done is just really shit from a guy getting paid 200k a week. Shameful really.
And we can blame Jose for his training methods but it’s down to the individual and his pride in his fitness

I’m sure he’s only making an effort now because he wants to leave and wants to showcase for January
 
World class is a completely arbitrary term.

Maybe you are right.

I would probably prefer the argument on world class, as it changes on many variables, to being who would make a world squad of 22 players.

Or even if we said a European 22 as in Europeans or European 22 as in players who play for teams in Europe.

Neither Kane or Son would be in it I my opinion. Of the two Son would be closer in my opinion.
 
Here was my proposed line up just before Kane made his come back. I'd have the same but include Ndombele in there now that the club has decided that he's playable now as well as GLC depending on how we want to play.

Son completely wasted as a forward. Will get away with it for the odd game but not over a season.

I do like Kane in that role though if we can find a genuinely top striker.
 
Son completely wasted as a forward. Will get away with it for the odd game but not over a season.

I do like Kane in that role though if we can find a genuinely top striker.
I think we do go with that line up until we do find a proper striker that’s willing to bang and get physical with some decent pace

And I think you’re forgetting that Son has had something like 45 goal contributions in 50 apps as a CF for Spurs during his career. So I think he’s more than proved he can deliver
 
I think we do go with that line up until we do find a proper striker that’s willing to bang and get physical with some decent pace

And I think you’re forgetting that Son has had something like 45 goal contributions in 50 apps as a CF for Spurs during his career. So I think he’s more than proved he can deliver

I'm not saying he couldn't do a decent job, but I still think he's better suited as a wide player and not the main man up front. One of his best strengths when he's at it is running with the ball.

We need to either get Kane to stay in the box as much as possible, and forget about spreading the play, or allow him to do that but start him deeper and play someone else up top. I like your formation, just in an ideal world Son wouldn't be the main striker.
 
I don't know why you're throwing stats at me like I've said Son would be a liability up front. I just don't think that's his best position in a side. I want him on the ball and running at players - You don't get to do that as a striker anything like you do playing the position he has over the years.
 
These names are intresting because their was a period when not talking about Bowen because we could have got him, but there was a time when we could have seriously have taken Richarlason and Neto from Everton and Wolves and I genuinely think this is what we should now focus on doing

Not in a silly (Lets mug Villa for Grealish) way. But politely ask Wolves what they want for Neto the same for Rahpino at Leeds and meet it. I think its important that if we have any ambition we start acting like the big club we pretend to be.


Even someone like Bailey. I don't think he'll ever be top class but his numbers both in Europe and the Bundesliga piss all over Lucas or Bergwijn's. He's been very inconsistent but he's quick, only 23 and cost 25 million. Why weren't we even involved? We needed another attacker, he's perfect to play off the right as a left footer and absolutely rapid so would add that to our attacking play.

Already in that game against Everton he's shown more potential than Bergwijn ever has. Buendia is another example, only 24, 15 goals 16 assists in the championship, can play wide or through the middle and was available for 30 mill. We already knew he could do well in the Prem as he put up solid numbers a couple years back.

I don't expect us to be in for all these players, but jesus, someone to come in to the club and create and open space up for Kane would be nice. But instead we throw 21m at a kid from Spain who we know won't be ready to contribute much yet and will have to massively adjust.

You do have to feel some sympathy for Kane. Playing as a striker in this team is bloody exhausting.
 
I'm not saying he couldn't do a decent job, but I still think he's better suited as a wide player and not the main man up front. One of his best strengths when he's at it is running with the ball.

We need to either get Kane to stay in the box as much as possible, and forget about spreading the play, or allow him to do that but start him deeper and play someone else up top. I like your formation, just in an ideal world Son wouldn't be the main striker.

Have to disagree. I honestly don't think Son is that good when it comes to taking on players. Willing to be proven entirely wrong here, I don't know his stats when it comes to successful take ons and the like. I know he had that goal vs Burnley but a lot of the time I find his skillset to be rather limited.

His elite attributes are his movement off the ball and his finishing ability, when it comes to wide positions I think he lacks the agility, strength and footwork compared to say a Salah or a Mahrez. Those players are much better at cutting in and getting shots away from wide positions.

I actually think Kane's hold up/general play is hugely overrated (although his passing can be elite and that helped Son a lot during that mental patch) so it would be really interesting to see Son play alongside a CF who was better in that respect.
 
Even someone like Bailey. I don't think he'll ever be top class but his numbers both in Europe and the Bundesliga piss all over Lucas or Bergwijn's. He's been very inconsistent but he's quick, only 23 and cost 25 million. Why weren't we even involved? We needed another attacker, he's perfect to play off the right as a left footer and absolutely rapid so would add that to our attacking play.

Already in that game against Everton he's shown more potential than Bergwijn ever has.

Injured again..... Lasted 18 minutes for Villa.

Buendia is another example, only 24, 15 goals 16 assists in the championship, can play wide or through the middle and was available for 30 mill. We already knew he could do well in the Prem as he put up solid numbers a couple years back.

Buendia would have been nice.... Was clearly EPL-compatible when Norwich were last in the prem.

Don't see us shopping for #10s again until such time that we start playing 4231 again tho'.

I don't expect us to be in for all these players, but jesus, someone to come in to the club and create and open space up for Kane would be nice. But instead we throw 21m at a kid from Spain who we know won't be ready to contribute much yet and will have to massively adjust.

Someone able to create and score from wide was the ticket we needed..... That way we'd have had a bit more flexibility as to where and when we played Son and Kane (whilst more often than not Lucas/Berg would have been rendered back-up for cups and the conf. league.)

To have come up with no-one at all was poor.
 
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I actually think Kane's hold up/general play is hugely overrated (although his passing can be elite and that helped Son a lot during that mental patch) so it would be really interesting to see Son play alongside a CF who was better in that respect.
Like Llorente? As limited a player as Llorente was with us, he was actually decent at winning headers in the MF and holding the ball up. We scored a handful of goals that started with a flick on header by Llorente during our run without Kane.

I haven't seen Kane win a header in the middle of the pitch that's led to a goal in quite some time.
 
IT WAS A GREAT MOVE BY NUNO TO HAVE HIM PLAY ON THE LEFT!!!!

It meant that Son could occupy Thiago (36yrs old), Nuno used his personnel available to him well.....

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Playing high with aggressive pressure from Kane, Son Lo Celso, Dele and Ndombele. In addition to this he used Romero well (again to his strengths as we've heard about him in Italy playing very much on the front foot, which also stopped Chavs build up.

He got service, but his role wasn't to fucking score goals, why because he was playing on the fucking left! Why was he playing on the left because he can't press, but he kept high, received the ball with his back to goal and was playing in both Dele and Ndombele who were taking up some great positions. This caused Chavs MASSIVE problems. It took them until the approx 40th min for Tuchel to figure out a solution, which was to drop Mount into midfield, it worked so he double-downed with that solution and brought on Kante who's far better than Mount in that position.



Look at the above. Kane can't do what Son is doing here, Same as Lo Celso (or at least he can't do this AND remain alive after a successful pressing phase should we win the ball back!!! THIS IS WHY HE WAS PLAYING ON THE LEFT!

We went 1v1 with their backline and more interestingly we did this to their verticle spine. Silva (pressed by Son), Jorginho (pressed by Dele), Lukaku (Marked by Dier). (Lo Celso went 1v1 on Kovacic, PEH with Havertz & Mount - Havertz was able to play a couple of times around PEH in the first half, but on the whole, we contained them and interrupted their build-up).

Why was this so important? Because it showed Nuno used the right profile of player to execute this Dele/Son/Ndombele & Lo Celso are all better suited (their profile) to defending proactively rather than reactively (PRESSING).

THIS IS AN EXAMPLE OF NDOMBELE PRESSING KOVACIC & WINNING THE BALL (DELE DID THE SAME TO JORGINHO)
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LOOK AT THE WIDTH OF DELE, AZPILICUETA HAS TO COVER HIM CREATING A BIG SPACE THAT LO CELSO IS AIMING FOR WITH KANE DELIBERATELY DELAYING HIS RUN FOR A PULLBACK (NICE TO SEE REGGIE SO BRAVELY COMMITTED TO THE ATTACK TOO).

Kane can no longer press but is still a world-class player, so this is how you accommodate him. It absolutely worked in the first half (or up to the point when Tuchel dropped Mount into midfield at the end of the first half). It goes tits up because Lo Celso still isn't fit enough (no pre-season and then been away with Argentina). It goes tits up because Chavs react well to it and are a fucking brilliant team. It goes tits up because maybe Ndombele is still not fit (he's played one game, last week in almost 5 months!! but he didn't look shagged to me, there will be others on here who think he did. It went tits up because when Ndombele & Lo Celso went off we have no one to progress the ball, combine this with Chavs now having an extra man in midfield and they can now dominant it. (I think the idea was to try and take the lead in the first half, then probably sit in a low or midblock and hope to keep them out and look to counter????).

ALL THIS IS WHY KANE WAS PLAYING ON THE LEFT. BECAUSE WE CHOSE TO PRESS HIGH UP THE PITCH.

This team is a work in progress but you have Kane on the pitch because he's a fucking good footballer, ignore the media noise around him, christ there a ton of it now but if this is the beginnings of what we will seeing us develop into then I'm all in (I'm 100% NOT onboard if we don't and play like passive cowards). But Kane is really, really important part of this team as we can't do this without him.........


I don't think you are wrong but for me if that's the plan surely we would have been better of selling him and getting a player who can press rather then having to accommodate Kane. Especially when he doesn't seem arsed
 
Like Llorente? As limited a player as Llorente was with us, he was actually decent at winning headers in the MF and holding the ball up. We scored a handful of goals that started with a flick on header by Llorente during our run without Kane.

I haven't seen Kane win a header in the middle of the pitch that's led to a goal in quite some time.

Someone like Llorente would've been great. Or even just another mobile forward, someone who occupies and scares defenders, makes them work all game long. I honestly don't think Harry scares many centre backs these days. He's far too passive, he isn't much of a physical battle, and he doesn't get in behind.

If he doesn't score, they've had an easy day. Yeah they might be worried about his passing range but if they can close him down quickly he has nothing in his locker to get said pass away. It's okay having him in there, but we need players around him who scare and occupy defenders.

It's why I thought the Vinicius transfer was almost pointless, aside from for depth. It became obviously quite early he was basically just a poacher, which meant he wasn't impactful from the bench whatsoever like a Llorente could be. If you're struggling, you need someone to come on who can ask questions.
 
Someone like Llorente would've been great. Or even just another mobile forward, someone who occupies and scares defenders, makes them work all game long. I honestly don't think Harry scares many centre backs these days. He's far too passive, he isn't much of a physical battle, and he doesn't get in behind.

If he doesn't score, they've had an easy day. Yeah they might be worried about his passing range but if they can close him down quickly he has nothing in his locker to get said pass away. It's okay having him in there, but we need players around him who scare and occupy defenders.

It's why I thought the Vinicius transfer was almost pointless, aside from for depth. It became obviously quite early he was basically just a poacher, which meant he wasn't impactful from the bench whatsoever like a Llorente could be. If you're struggling, you need someone to come on who can ask questions.
Thing was with Llorente, he was one of the best headers of the ball in the game but we barely put in a cross in the air to him.

Then, as you say, we bring in a striker whose play didn't suit us at all.

So we neither buy what we need or change it up and play to the strengths of those we do bring in
 
I do wonder if it was remotely possible to get Lautaro in the summer. Had we got in there before Chelsea got to Lukaku, maybe been more open to negotiations with City for Kane .. although I'm aware the situation there was 'complicated'.

Would've been a perfect player to add real energy and purpose to our attack. Even if he's not scoring he's busy, presses from the front, and can link up too which would've suited Son. Also would possibly have settled in nicely with some of the Argentine players we've collected.

But hey ho, it's all what if's and maybe's. But as far as a Kane replacement, it would've been so damn ideal.
 
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