Harry Kane must ask himself occasionally, “Is it me?”
Although it would be unfair to paint him as a bad omen, you would understand if he became agitated because, as a player known for never winning anything, his £82 million ($104 million) transfer to Bayern Munich comes right before their first title-free season in history.
Was it a mishap or a coincidence? In essence, sure. However, England’s legitimate concerns about Kane have been highlighted by yesterday’s 1-1 draw with Denmark. He’s the captain of England. He is their all-time leading scorer. From the beginning, he has been Gareth Southgate’s boy. Yesterday, he scored. But there’s more and more evidence to drop him.
England is not playing at full strength under Southgate. Although Kane is not the whole problem, he has contributed to it. In the two group matches, the 30-year-old has been sluggish, unable to penetrate defences with late runs and finding it difficult to influence play in deeper areas. He was replaced yesterday with twenty minutes remaining.
Other forward possibilities available to Southgate include Ollie Watkins of Aston Villa, whose quickness will force defenders to change their positions. Either way, England should be able to advance out of their group; nevertheless, Southgate may soon face his most important challenge.
Morten Hjulmand of Denmark gave England a scare when he struck one off a post from 25 yards out (see above).
Now is the time for everyone attending Euro 2024 to be shooting sight-unsighted. The Athletic’s Michael Cox tries to explain why long-range goals are so popular.
His judgement? The players used precise skill, and the ball was designed specifically to be struck from a distance.
Spain swagger
It appears that Italy’s chances of winning the European Championship are slim. They suffered a much larger defeat than the score indicates, losing 1-0 to Spain. Own Goal, the tournament’s top scorer, has another one in the bag.
In contrast, Spain is on the other hand. They exude confidence. While 16-year-old Lamine Yamal is the talk of the town, Europe’s scouts should be keeping an eye on Nico Williams, who plays on the other flank.
His game has several positive aspects, all of which were evident against Italy. This summer, Atletico Bilbao may release the 21-year-old for a fee of £47 million. Make a deal.
