Harry Kane

[Mullers]

Speed is an important asset for a striker but I rate football intelligence even higher. Teddy was slower than a cart horse but he had great intelligence he just drifted into the right position how many times did that near post Anderton corner trick work? Would love it if Kane turned out to be anything like Teddy.

 

[danielneeds]

Speed is an important asset for a striker but I rate football intelligence even higher. Teddy was slower than a cart horse but he had great intelligence he just drifted into the right position how many times did that near post Anderton corner trick work? Would love it if Kane turned out to be anything like Teddy.

The best thing to happen to Teddy was to end up a Millwall and learn his trade in Division 2 at a young age and have Cascarino teach him all the tricks how to annoy defenders and use your body to make life difficult. Once he became streetwise he could show his technique and skills.

 

[JerryGarcia]

Is Kane really that slow? It's not something I would have listed as a real weakness, it's more like he's just not got the pace of Lennon or Walker. Bebatov wasn't lightning fast but he could get the first few yards and leave defenders through the timing of his runs, I'd say Kane is faster than Teddy and about the same or slightly faster than Berbs.

 

[StartingPrice]

Time will tell who is right.

Hope it's you guys obviously but I dont see a developing quality forward

I think part of the problem is you are arguing against your own misconception of what Kane was/would develope into. Discussion of Kane on the under-21 thread, since forever, has always been more along the lines that he has the makings of a good Sheringham type, and not a number 9. If anyone thought he's a striker, looked at his built and thought he'd be a great battering ram to get on the end of crosses, it's hardly his fault and not what he should be judged on.

It might help to think that Poch wanted him when he was at Southampton - so he not only rates him as a player, but rates him as a player who can operate within his system. In this light, as well as comparing him to Sheringham, it might be a good idea to think of how Poch used Lambert at the Saints. Lambert wasn't a great goal-scoring number nine at EPL level, he certainly wan't knocking 25 league goals in a season. What he did do, however, was find the runners from the 3 behind him and from midfield. Chipping in with a few goals helps- Kane does both.

And, at the end of the day, he scored 3 from 7 in the EPL at the end of last season, and has already provided the type of assist that everyone (myself included) would be raving about if from Eriksen. And he's only 21.

 

[chinaman]

He reminds me a lot of Mark Falco. Slow, not showy, overshadowed by Archibald and Crooks but he had a bloody good career at Spurs and kept some expensive players on the sidelines with his goals and all round contribution.

I think Falco was a lot stronger though Kane seems to have a better footballing brain.

 

[JUSTINSIGNAL]

Is Kane really that slow? It's not something I would have listed as a real weakness, it's more like he's just not got the pace of Lennon or Walker. Bebatov wasn't lightning fast but he could get the first few yards and leave defenders through the timing of his runs, I'd say Kane is faster than Teddy and about the same or slightly faster than Berbs.

He is really slow. I've seen him scuff shots and get easily muscled off the ball as he doesn't have the burst of pace to get away from his markers.

I like him as a third choice striker though. If he increases his strength and balance he could have a good career as a Ricki Lambert type target man.

 

[thinktank]

He is really slow. I've seen him scuff shots and get easily muscled off the ball as he doesn't have the burst of pace to get away from his markers.

I like him as a third choice striker though. If he increases his strength and balance he could have a good career as a Ricki Lambert type target man.

Watching up close against schalke gave me more insight into what he's about, he's got that sherringham guile about him, very switched on player, said so in my report on that game.

Play him correctly and he can be effective without the sensational speed (which sherringham lacked as well). Obviously they are not like-for-like but in terms of footy brain and seeing pictures of the game they are quite similar.

 

[mpickard2087]

Kane is an interesting player for me. If we wanted to label him I'd say he is a '9 and a half', he's adept at playing right up top as the main striker but he's equally comfortable playing in the No.10/second striker role off the front line. He can be a scorer or more of a creator.

I have said for about two years though that we could do with getting him working with a sprint coach. Anything to eek out a half a yard more pace, particularly over the first 5-10 yards to get him away from a marker would add a lot to his game.

I think his finishing will come with confidence and more playing time. To be honest, and maybe controversially, I'd say he gets into better positions more often than either of the other two, its just a case of him sticking a few away now, particularly the one-on-ones.

 

[davidmatzdorf]

I'm with thinktank and SP on this. I didn't think Kane would make it when I first saw him in the first team at 18. The footballing intelligence was obvious, but he was just so s-l-o-w. I guess that's why I'm not a professional football scout. He came on really quickly last season and he's also improved his pace from dreadful to moderate.

Kane is real asset and all of the Sheringham comparisons look more and more accurate every time I see him play. He knows where to go: he has footballing vision and a remarkable calm for a 21 year old. I expect that he'll always have more assists than goals, but who gives a fuck? As long as we score, I don't mind who gets the last touch.

I've completely changed my mind about him. I hope he succeeds at Spurs, but if not, he'll have a Premiership-level career somewhere, because he has the understanding of space that can make an attack tick.

 

[thinktank]

Kane is an interesting player for me. If we wanted to label him I'd say he is a '9 and a half', he's adept at playing right up top as the main striker but he's equally comfortable playing in the No.10/second striker role off the front line. He can be a scorer or more of a creator.

I have said for about two years though that we could do with getting him working with a sprint coach. Anything to eek out a half a yard more pace, particularly over the first 5-10 yards to get him away from a marker would add a lot to his game.

I think his finishing will come with confidence and more playing time. To be honest, and maybe controversially, I'd say he gets into better positions more often than either of the other two, its just a case of him sticking a few away now, particularly the one-on-ones.

I'd like to see him do more in the air as well, he's quite a big guy. Never really realized until schalke. He should definitely be stronger than he looks, he's quite a gentle spirit, you can tell that when he talks, but, like a few others, he needs a bit of nasty in him.

 

[SpurSince57]

Yeah I remember seeing him have a few good cracks at goal. But it's rare like lennons shooting ability

Last season was an exception, but previously Lennon's conversion rate was one in four. It's not his shooting ability that's in question, rather the fact that he seldom gets into scoring positions.

Kane's played the equivalent of five-and-a-bit games for us. How the hell you can make a judgement based on that eludes me entirely, as it clearly eludes several others. Like DM, I've grown steadily more impressed by him, and that pass for Dier on Saturday suggests that he's got a rare vision, even if he might not become a heavy goalscorer.

 

[kelbray]

A lad for punting that ball into the stands at old Trafford last season when in an offside position!

I like him and hope he does well and gets his chances

 

[mpickard2087]

I'd like to see him do more in the air as well, he's quite a big guy. Never really realized until schalke. He should definitely be stronger than he looks, he's quite a gentle spirit, you can tell that when he talks, but, like a few others, he needs a bit of nasty in him.

Yes, and although some of that is down to mindset I think my suggestion of a sprint coach or something similar could help here too... I have seen it with Rugby players a lot, they work with them to improve speed but it has positive impacts on other areas that involve strength and explosiveness such as jumping etc.

 

[kaz Hirai]

Last season was an exception, but previously Lennon's conversion rate was one in four. It's not his shooting ability that's in question, rather the fact that he seldom gets into scoring positions.

Kane's played the equivalent of five-and-a-bit games for us. How the hell you can make a judgement based on that eludes me entirely, as it clearly eludes several others. Like DM, I've grown steadily more impressed by him, and that pass for Dier on Saturday suggests that he's got a rare vision, even if he might not become a heavy goalscorer.

Hmm we'll see

 

[thinktank]

Yes, and although some of that is down to mindset I think my suggestion of a sprint coach or something similar could help here too... I have seen it with Rugby players a lot, they work with them to improve speed but it has positive impacts on other areas that involve strength and explosiveness such as jumping etc.

Didn't someone say that poch has this gizmo that increases your jumpingzs skillz? Wasn't it lallana or j-rod who increased their elevation by 30% or something nuts like that?

 

[mpickard2087]

Didn't someone say that poch has this gizmo that increases your jumpingzs skillz? Wasn't it lallana or j-rod who increased their elevation by 30% or something nuts like that?

Didn't know that. Encouraging to hear if true.

 

[chinaman]

Yes, and although some of that is down to mindset I think my suggestion of a sprint coach or something similar could help here too... I have seen it with Rugby players a lot, they work with them to improve speed but it has positive impacts on other areas that involve strength and explosiveness such as jumping etc.

Alfie Conn did use a sprint coach.

 

[ultimateloner]

Being slow means he wont be a 15+ goals season for us. However everyone agrees he can see a pass. 3 goals from 7 PL games isn't a bad stat either. And Poch did pick him ahead of Soldado.

So question for me is whether he can hold the ball and let the others play off him. from the Dier goal the answer is yes. IMO I can only think of 3 players in our team who would/could have pulled off that pass: Eriksen, Soldado, Holtby. So he has a future for us at the very least.

 

[StartingPrice]

Didn't someone say that poch has this gizmo that increases your jumpingzs skillz? Wasn't it lallana or j-rod who increased their elevation by 30% or something nuts like that?

Yes. Think it was mentioned in the J-Rod recuperation stuff.

 

[rambu]

Didn't someone say that poch has this gizmo that increases your jumpingzs skillz? Wasn't it lallana or j-rod who increased their elevation by 30% or something nuts like that?

Recall this in the informercial 10+ yrs ago...