One of the biggest talking points of the Euro 2020 group stage, which wrapped up on Wednesday, was Harry Kane’s poor form. Despite being one of the deadliest and most sought-after forwards in world football, the Englishman was one of the main reasons for the Three Lions lackluster showing in Group D.
Gareth Southgate’s men finished top of their group, picking up seven points from a possible nine without conceding a single goal. However, their attack left a lot to be desired, scoring only two goals in total against Croatia, Scotland, and the Czech Republic, with Raheem Sterling netting both times.
Their captain, on the other hand, has struggled to get up to form, which is in stark contrast to his stellar 2020/21 Premier League campaign with Tottenham in which he finished the season with the most goals (23) and the most assists (14). As a result, criticism of the 27-year-old has hit an never-before-seen high, with some fans going as far as calling for him to be dropped from the lineup in their round of 16 showdown with Germany.
While the likelihood of Southgate benching his talisman no.9 is close to zero, many have been speculating as to what is going. Harry Kane himself has opened up about the situation, issuing a defensive response to those who have been slamming him.
The Tottenham ace, who is wanted by Man City, admitted that criticism is part of the game but was quick to remind everyone that it was not long ago when he won the Premier League Golden Boot, saying (as per Goal):
“It’s definitely not the first time people have doubted me in my career, that’s for sure.
“That’s part and parcel of it. I’ve said all along as a striker that you go through some great spells where you are scoring every game and everything you touch turns into goals and then there are some where things don’t fall your way … and that’s probably the way it’s gone in this tournament so far.
“People are quick to change their minds. It wasn’t too long ago when I won the Golden Boot and I was the best thing in the world, people were raving about me.
“You can’t get too high or too low, you just have to have that neutral mode. Self-belief is a huge thing and I’ve always believed in myself. I could go 10, 15 games without scoring but, give me a chance, and I’d back myself to score it.
“It is about trying to peak at the right time and the right time in tournament football is the knockout stages.”
The Three Lions will be taking on Germany this Tuesday and while Kane is all but guaranteed a start, the same cannot be said about the many other positions. A cloud of doubt lingers over Ben Chilwell and Mason Mount after coming in close contact with Billy Gilmour, who contracted COVID-19. Elsewhere, Phil Foden was rested in the final group-stage fixture, with Bukayo Saka deputizing in his place and putting in a Man of the Match performance, resulting in many calling for the Arsenal youngster to start.
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