Garth Crooks has claimed that Tottenham Hotspur are increasing looking like a one-man team and that even Son Heung-min looks lost without Harry Kane in the side.
Kane has arguably been Tottenham’s most important player for the best part of the last six years. So much so that Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola even once labelled Spurs ‘the Harry Kane team’.
While many people took issue with Guardiola’s comments back in 2017 and the Spanish coach subsequently apologised, it seems as though his words are far truer now than ever before.
Not only is Kane now a better player than he has ever been but the North Londoners have regressed as a team over the last couple of years.
When the England captain missed the clashes against Brighton and Chelsea due to an ankle injury, Jose Mourinho’s men struggled to create too many clear cut chances and their attack seemed to lack any cohesion.
The 27-year-old returned to the starting line up against West Brom on Sunday and made an immediate impact, with Spurs looking much more fluid going forward.
Writing after Tottenham’s 2-0 win over the Baggies on Sunday, Crooks remarked in his BBC Sport column that the Lilywhites look like a completely different team without their talismanic striker.
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The former Tottenham forward wrote: “As much as I would like to say it wasn’t so, Tottenham are in danger of becoming known as a one-man team.
“When Kane is in the side, Tottenham look a different proposition. His team-mates know it, the opposition knows it and the manager knows it.
“Son Heung-min is a top-class player but even he has looked lost without his co-striker.”
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Crooks is right in saying that Spurs seem more dependent on Kane now than they have ever been. However, there were positive signs against Everton on Wednesday as we looked really threatening going forward in the first-half even when the 27-year-old was not on the pitch.
That suggests that it has also got to do with the tactical approach and we can create chances without Kane if we are adventurous and commit bodies forward. However, when we defend deep and play on the counter-attack, we are reliant on Kane to hold the ball up and to make things happen.
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