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Harry Kane

kaz Hirai

Well-Known Member
Nov 5, 2008
17,692
25,340
:clap: Well said.

Keep calling young players shite and that's precisely what we will get.


so if we call them shit via the internet they will become shit in reality?Eek

what about if we call them great?? does this power work on other team players? if we all start threads saying RVP is shit will it happen?
 

kaz Hirai

Well-Known Member
Nov 5, 2008
17,692
25,340
I understand the sentiments EB but lets be honest, what fans think of a youngster really doesn't make much difference to whether a player makes it or not. In general, fans are pretty forgiving of any young player that has come through the system from the academy, and I have never ever heard fans berate such a player no matter how poor a game they are having.

Great players will shine almost immediately, very good players with the right mentality will make it at some level regardless of the opinion of fans.

Kane was highly spoken of on here by a few people, and I think it's not just that his performances have been very uninspiring, it's that he hasn't seemed to really have that "grasp it" mentality either. Maybe it's nerves, and that in itself is a factor that may shape his career. But he's had a few outings now and whilst he has shown a couple of nice touches, he really hasn't grabbed those opportunities by the bollocks has he ?

He's probably no more limited than Defoe from what I've seen, but Defoe for all his failings, has that certain mentality - that self belief you spoke of - that seems to drive him.

More than anything, I've been disappointed that Kane hasn't grabbed his chance to shine with more gusto. He's looked timid and lacking in belief.

defoe also had a real dangerous turn of pace and greasy agility as a kid
 

Krafty

Well-Known Member
May 26, 2004
4,768
2,099
Kane is a very interesting case, and his performances will hopefully temper down expectations and hype surrounding players who do well in the academy and for the reserve team, such as it is, but that level of football is as different from the first team as playing in the park, jumpers for goalposts, is playing professionally.

My issue with Harry is I'm just not sure what kind of player he is. I think there is more to come from him physically, and I sometimes get the feeling that he could be a Zidane type player. He seems to glide at a slow pace, but then he suddenly finds pace from somewhere. I don't think he has the size or lightning pace to play upfront but he could do a job as an attacking midfielder. I get the sense he has a good footballing brain, he just needs to be developed and integrated properly.
 

mpickard2087

Patient Zero
Jun 13, 2008
21,886
32,512
My issue with Harry is I'm just not sure what kind of player he is. I think there is more to come from him physically, and I sometimes get the feeling that he could be a Zidane type player. He seems to glide at a slow pace, but then he suddenly finds pace from somewhere. I don't think he has the size or lightning pace to play upfront but he could do a job as an attacking midfielder. I get the sense he has a good footballing brain, he just needs to be developed and integrated properly.

I think this is quite accurate, from hearing about him the last few years before this season it seemed he was more of a No.10 than a No.9, but in the games so far he hasnt really filled either position.

I think there is talent there, and he works very hard which is good to see in a player. He needs a lot of work and to progress but I think he could become a Sheringham-type of player. In fact could it be an idea to see if Teddy would come in and work with him or offer him some advice from time to time?
 

stemark44

Well-Known Member
Mar 17, 2005
6,598
1,829
I understand the sentiments EB but lets be honest, what fans think of a youngster really doesn't make much difference to whether a player makes it or not. In general, fans are pretty forgiving of any young player that has come through the system from the academy, and I have never ever heard fans berate such a player no matter how poor a game they are having.

Great players will shine almost immediately, very good players with the right mentality will make it at some level regardless of the opinion of fans.

Kane was highly spoken of on here by a few people, and I think it's not just that his performances have been very uninspiring, it's that he hasn't seemed to really have that "grasp it" mentality either. Maybe it's nerves, and that in itself is a factor that may shape his career. But he's had a few outings now and whilst he has shown a couple of nice touches, he really hasn't grabbed those opportunities by the bollocks has he ?

He's probably no more limited than Defoe from what I've seen, but Defoe for all his failings, has that certain mentality - that self belief you spoke of - that seems to drive him.

More than anything, I've been disappointed that Kane hasn't grabbed his chance to shine with more gusto. He's looked timid and lacking in belief.


Its not too difficult to play in front of a couple of hundred people,its a completely different matter playing in front of the TV cameras and 30,000 fans.
Some young players can make the step up easily but some need a lot more time,it really depends on their individual personalities.
 

stemark44

Well-Known Member
Mar 17, 2005
6,598
1,829
so if we call them shit via the internet they will become shit in reality?Eek

what about if we call them great?? does this power work on other team players? if we all start threads saying RVP is shit will it happen?

I can't imagine RVP visiting too many Spurs chatrooms but hopefully you will find a new home on one of their forums.
 

Frozen_Waffles

Well-Known Member
Jan 26, 2005
3,760
9,505
I agree with another poster reminds me a bit of Sheringham, I would like to see him with Adebayor and see how he got on, as lets be honest Defoe is not the easiest striker to play with.

I like the people who said he has not clutched at his chance, he has had 2 games, one our strikers did not see the ball and the second one on Wednesday.
 

eddiebailey

Well-Known Member
Oct 12, 2004
7,452
6,672
I agree with another poster reminds me a bit of Sheringham,
I think that instinctive reading of the game rather than the goals is what the coaches are excited about; a big goal tally in the u18s counts for very little - Pekhart and Dawkins both had phenomenal scoring records at that level, though curiously Barnard didn't, it was Clive who coached that aspect of his game into him.

Not sure a loan is right for him this season, if Spurs fans reactions to his performances are anything to go by; he is likely to fare even worse at some Championship club playing hoofball. I recall Phil Ifil coming back from a season at Millwall having discovered an apparent terror of the ball. Tim seems far less keen on loaning players out than Harry has been, so it might be better for Kane to continue playing for Tim in NextGen while Clive and Les work on his weaknesses.
 

AngerManagement

Well-Known Member
May 15, 2004
12,518
2,739
I don't think fans should be censored from expressing their views on an internet fan forum.

Discussions about your club, your manager, your players young and old are as old as the game itself.

Its part of what makes the game fun to support, being able to express and discuss your views with fellow fans (or even opposing fans)

Its all well and good saying "you can't judge players so soon" and "give them TIME before you judge them" etc and that is certainly the politically correct thing to say and do

But where do you draw the line with politically correct censorship of what a fan is allowed to say? Ok of course racism should not be tolerated, nor should comments like that which were aimed at Beckham and his son/wife whatever but really are people now suggesting that fans are not allowed to express their views on their teams players and staff?

Its a fundamental part of being a football fan to have a moan about players and managers if you don't rate them. Right or wrong you should be able to express your views on matters like that (and of course other fans are perfectly within their rights to disagree and express their views in opposition to yours)

In the case of Harry Kane, yes he is young and yes he has not had a great deal of playing time so of course it is too soon to write him off.

However, we the fans are not in a position to write him off. We are not part of the Tottenham staff paid to assess his potential and make decisions on whether or not he should be given a contract extension or be released.

We are simply fans who support our club and the players who wear its shirt, we are entitled to make snap judgements, rave about youngsters who score on their debut or have a cracking start even if they fizzle out and fade away shortly after just as much as we are entitled to form our own opinions and express them if we see a youngster and feel he is not good enough.

This type of discussion and expression of views about a players potential is as old as bleeding youngsters in to the first team has ever been. I have no doubt my dad, my granddad and hundreds of thousands of fans over the years have had very similar discussions in pubs, their homes or at the stadium about youngsters as we have been having regarding Kane this past week and I don't see why we should not be allowed to continue to do so.

Its nothing personal against Kane, just fans initial opinions of his ability and potential. I am sure every fan who has made negative comments about him would still cheer him and support him the next and every time he plays for us in the future (just as we did Ginger Pele and every other player we didn't think was actually good enough)

The bottom line is this, even though Kane is young he has chosen the career path to be a professional footballer. That puts you in the public eye and when you play for a team like Spurs you represent a club that many people are deeply passionate about, that passion will manifest itself into these types of discussions and he will be exposed extreme statements about his ability (positive and negative) depend on how he preforms its the nature of the game (a game I might add he is probably already richly awarded for and if he makes it would be rich for life as a result)

As for him being young enough and tech savey enough to read our comments and those being soul destroying to him I would suggest if that actually is the case and he is that mentally weak and unable to either shrug off such comments and get on with his job or better still use them as fuel to work harder and become better then he would clearly lack then mental strength required of a top level athlete and that is a major factor involved in being able to play for a team like ours.

Good luck to him, he obviously has something about him to have played for his country (although many many others have done so and not developed into top players) and made the borders of our first team squad at his age and I hope he can prove me and everyone in agreement with me wrong, I will of course support him each and every time he wears the shirt.

I do however personally feel he is not good enough and I doubt he ever will be good enough to be a first team player for us, if anything I believe he has less of a chance and has looked less impressive than Barnard did.

I don't expect to see him playing football higher than championship level in five years time, that's my personal opinion based on what I have seen. I am not claiming to be an expert, I am just a fan with an opinion I am entitled to express and I make no apology for it because it is my belief that that type of discussion and expression of views is precisely what sites like these are designed for. (should we only every say nice things and only ever agree with each other? would make for a pretty boring website and probably one not worth visiting)

Get over it
 

dontcallme

SC Supporter
Mar 18, 2005
33,985
81,902
I don't think fans should be censored from expressing their views on an internet fan forum.

Discussions about your club, your manager, your players young and old are as old as the game itself.

Its part of what makes the game fun to support, being able to express and discuss your views with fellow fans (or even opposing fans)

Its all well and good saying "you can't judge players so soon" and "give them TIME before you judge them" etc and that is certainly the politically correct thing to say and do

But where do you draw the line with politically correct censorship of what a fan is allowed to say? Ok of course racism should not be tolerated, nor should comments like that which were aimed at Beckham and his son/wife whatever but really are people now suggesting that fans are not allowed to express their views on their teams players and staff?

Its a fundamental part of being a football fan to have a moan about players and managers if you don't rate them. Right or wrong you should be able to express your views on matters like that (and of course other fans are perfectly within their rights to disagree and express their views in opposition to yours)

In the case of Harry Kane, yes he is young and yes he has not had a great deal of playing time so of course it is too soon to write him off.

However, we the fans are not in a position to write him off. We are not part of the Tottenham staff paid to assess his potential and make decisions on whether or not he should be given a contract extension or be released.

We are simply fans who support our club and the players who wear its shirt, we are entitled to make snap judgements, rave about youngsters who score on their debut or have a cracking start even if they fizzle out and fade away shortly after just as much as we are entitled to form our own opinions and express them if we see a youngster and feel he is not good enough.

This type of discussion and expression of views about a players potential is as old as bleeding youngsters in to the first team has ever been. I have no doubt my dad, my granddad and hundreds of thousands of fans over the years have had very similar discussions in pubs, their homes or at the stadium about youngsters as we have been having regarding Kane this past week and I don't see why we should not be allowed to continue to do so.

Its nothing personal against Kane, just fans initial opinions of his ability and potential. I am sure every fan who has made negative comments about him would still cheer him and support him the next and every time he plays for us in the future (just as we did Ginger Pele and every other player we didn't think was actually good enough)

The bottom line is this, even though Kane is young he has chosen the career path to be a professional footballer. That puts you in the public eye and when you play for a team like Spurs you represent a club that many people are deeply passionate about, that passion will manifest itself into these types of discussions and he will be exposed extreme statements about his ability (positive and negative) depend on how he preforms its the nature of the game (a game I might add he is probably already richly awarded for and if he makes it would be rich for life as a result)

As for him being young enough and tech savey enough to read our comments and those being soul destroying to him I would suggest if that actually is the case and he is that mentally weak and unable to either shrug off such comments and get on with his job or better still use them as fuel to work harder and become better then he would clearly lack then mental strength required of a top level athlete and that is a major factor involved in being able to play for a team like ours.

Good luck to him, he obviously has something about him to have played for his country (although many many others have done so and not developed into top players) and made the borders of our first team squad at his age and I hope he can prove me and everyone in agreement with me wrong, I will of course support him each and every time he wears the shirt.

I do however personally feel he is not good enough and I doubt he ever will be good enough to be a first team player for us, if anything I believe he has less of a chance and has looked less impressive than Barnard did.

I don't expect to see him playing football higher than championship level in five years time, that's my personal opinion based on what I have seen. I am not claiming to be an expert, I am just a fan with an opinion I am entitled to express and I make no apology for it because it is my belief that that type of discussion and expression of views is precisely what sites like these are designed for. (should we only every say nice things and only ever agree with each other? would make for a pretty boring website and probably one not worth visiting)

Get over it

Agree with all of this.
 

nailsy

SC Supporter
Jul 24, 2005
30,536
46,628
AM, great post, but while you are right to say that every supporter is entitled to their opinion about a players ability I would have to question anyone who slates a kid of Kane's age after a handful of appearances. Actually may-be that's not fair, you should be able to question if he will be a success, but some of the spiteful stuff being aimed at him during the match thread the other day was over the top. I'm not sure where he will be in five years, but at this stage he's clearly no Rooney, but he could have enough about him to become the next Kevin Doyle if he keeps progressing.
 

jondesouza

Well-Known Member
Oct 18, 2004
2,842
1,558
At what age did Stuart Pearce break through to play top level football? What about Les Ferdinand? And seeing as he's been mentioned on this thread, what about Teddy Sheringham. To write off a youngster after so little game time is ludicrous. All of you that have done so are daft.
 

CJMurray

****
Aug 3, 2011
3,565
10,563
Christ some people. If that volley hadn't been cleared off the line, then Kane would have scored and would be off and running and I'm sure lots of you would be raving about him. He only needs a goal to get himself off and running. Lets not forgets he's only had about 10 games in the football league last year. Most other youth players will have 50+ before they start to truly perform.

Give him a chance.
 

jondesouza

Well-Known Member
Oct 18, 2004
2,842
1,558
Remember Bale's debut at Old Trafford? You could see that he had everything

Kane doesnt have any pace, lacks strength (which he can improve) and seemed out of his dept vs PAOK and every other game I've seen him play at the 'top level'.

Ah Omar. I'd had a string of threads where I agreed with you but I think you're well off on this one. It's ludicrous to write off a teenager after a handful of appearances, especially when a number of those were out of position, just as it is to hype up any young player that has a great debut (cf Andy Turner).
 
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