Harry Kane truth detailed as Daniel Levy encounters harsh Tottenham reality
A year after being humiliated by Middlesbrough in the fifth round of the FA Cup, Tottenham suffered another embarrassing defeat at the hands of a Championship team, this time losing 1-0 to Sheffield United.
This defeat was unacceptable and a missed opportunity for Spurs to end their drought of winning any major tournaments.
Despite coming off two successive wins against West Ham and Chelsea in the Premier League, Tottenham was unable to get into gear at Bramall Lane. This defeat was reminiscent of their loss to Middlesbrough the year before, with very similar circumstances.
After several Premier League teams were eliminated from the competition, Tottenham saw an opportunity to reach the FA Cup final and secure a place at Wembley for the first time since 1991.
Antonio Conte and Cristian Stellini made some changes to their team, including benching Harry Kane, Cristian Romero, and Dejan Kulusevski to give other players a chance.
Despite having a strong starting lineup, Tottenham did not create many noteworthy chances and Sheffield United goalkeeper Wes Foderingham had little to do.
With Richarlison struggling up front, Kane was brought on in the 65th minute, followed by Kulusevski and Oliver Skipp nine minutes later, and Arnaut Danjuma shortly after Iliman Ndiaye scored the winning goal in the 79th minute.
Despite often rescuing Tottenham in the past, the team’s captain and England star was unable to do so in their recent match in South Yorkshire. Kane had few opportunities and his late header from Ivan Perisic’s cross was both weak and off target.
The loss emphasized how crucial Kane is to the team and the significant decrease in their performance without him.
It also highlighted the challenge that manager Antonio Conte and chairman Daniel Levy face when key players are not available for selection.
Kane’s absence from the starting lineup was only the second time this season that he was not included, with the first being in the FA Cup fourth round match against Preston North End. In the current season, he played every minute of the Champions League and started every Premier League game except for the last 12 minutes of the win against Fulham in September.
Due to injuries to other attackers, Kane has not been able to take a break at times, but overall Tottenham has relied heavily on him to achieve their objectives. Wednesday’s match in South Yorkshire was a clear demonstration of this reliance on Kane.
“It is not a regret,” said Stellini on the decision not to start Kane when speaking to the media in his post-match press conference. “We need to look in the medium period, we have many games. Harry Kane played in the last six games, one time with fever, one time with a problem, we have to take care of our best player.
“It’s not about Harry because we played with Richarlison, Lucas Moura and Sonny. I think it is good enough to play in this competition and against this sort of team.”
According to Sheffield United manager Paul Heckingbottom, even if Kane had been included in the starting lineup for the FA Cup fifth round match, he still would not have had many opportunities to score if his team had performed as well as they did.
When asked if he was quietly pleased that the 29-year-old did not start, he joked: “Yeah, until you realise how many goals Richarlison scored in the World Cup and for Brazil!
“I thought Kane would start. But if Harry would have started, if we put in the same performance, he would have been feeding off scraps.”
While Kane’s inclusion in the starting lineup would have made a difference for Tottenham, Heckingbottom’s comment about him “feeding off scraps” highlights the need for other players to step up and contribute to the team’s success. Kane alone cannot be solely responsible for the team’s performance.
Tottenham must find a solution to their ongoing problems, as their latest FA Cup defeat only raises more questions about Kane’s future at the club. With his contract expiring in 2024, the loss to Sheffield United may have further convinced him that Tottenham is not the place to be if he wants to win trophies.
The defeat also demonstrates the need for the squad to improve to prevent future upsets in matches they should win. Chairman Daniel Levy must ensure that Kane remains a Tottenham player when they next compete in the FA Cup in January 2024.
Harry Kane truth detailed as Daniel Levy encounters harsh Tottenham reality
