Harry Kane has become an increasing concern for England at Euro 2020 after their captain fired blanks again against Scotland at Wembley.
The 27-year-old epitomised the Three Lions’ struggles on Friday evening in breaking down a resilient Scotland, with Gareth Southgate‘s men putting in a lethargic display in their goalless stalemate against Steve Clarke’s side.
Kane had just 19 touches in 74 minutes – his fewest ever in an international fixture – and failed to produce a single shot on target before he was replaced by Marcus Rashford.
Harry Kane once again struggled for England in their goalless stalemate with Scotland
Kane had just 19 touches in 74 minutes and failed to produce a single shot on target
And statistics from Opta and Sofascore show just how concerning the Tottenham star’s form is currently ahead of their final Group D fixture against Czech Republic on Tuesday.
Kane has managed just three shots in the whole tournament, one of which came with that gilt-edged chance at the back post against Croatia from Mason Mount’s cross. That miss has gone down as one of two big chances that have passed him by.
The other two shots came against Steve Clarke’s men but having failed to produce a shot on target at the finals so far, Southgate will be concerned with how his star man is performing in front of goal.
Perhaps even more worrying for England fans is the six touches inside the box that Kane has managed in two games at Wembley.
He was then replaced by Marcus Rashford for the final 16 minutes of their Euro 2020 clash
Creativity and producing chances for Kane was a notable issue on both occasions, and the consequent lack of touches for him inside the box will require urgent attention.
Both of his sub-par performances have seen him hooked, with Jude Bellingham coming on in the final 10 minutes for the Spurs striker against Croatia on Sunday.
The intent with his passing still appears to be there, but Kane will no doubt be looking to improve on his 63 per cent pass completion rate, having failed with 10 of his 27 passes so far in the tournament.
Kane has also completed eight of the 14 passes he has attempted in the final third, where England lacked cohesion on Friday night.
Kane has yet to register a shot on target in the tournament, having missed a good chance against Croatia on Sunday
He has also won eight of his 13 duels, but has lost possession 16 times and has played a pass into the final third on just three occasions at Euro 2020.
It is a worrying return from a player who at his last major tournament scored six goals and was never taken off on his way to winning the Golden Boot.
‘It’s part of the game,’ Kane said of his substitution against Scotland. ‘The manager felt that was the right decision so you just have to take it. It is what it is.’
Kane has completed eight of his 14 passes in the final third, and 63 per cent of his overall passes
Southgate explained Kane’s substitution afterwards by saying that England needed more energy and runs in behind Scotland’s back three in the final quarter, although the introduction of Rashford did not have the desired effect.
‘We needed more runs in behind and I felt Marcus would give us that energy,’ Southgate said. ‘We have to make these decisions based on what we see.
‘The whole team can look at ourselves, and that starts with me. We’ve got to be better. We didn’t do enough to win the game tonight, there were not enough attempts on goal, and we have to go away and look at that.’
Pundits have also had their say on Kane’s situation, with Roy Keane believing talk of a mega-money move to Manchester City could be affecting him.
Southgate claimed Kane’s substitution was to do with England needing more energy and runs
‘He said he wanted to leave Spurs, maybe he’s been distracted by that,’ Keane said. ‘That could be an energy zapper if you think you’re leaving the club or having talks with another club. That’s not helpful.
‘He [Kane] doesn’t look fit, he looked leggy. He doesn’t look up to speed, on his heels all the time,’ he said.
‘For England to compete in this competition you need your star men to perform. We’ve seen [Romelu] Lukaku and [Kevin] De Bruyne turn up, [Cristiano] Ronaldo, Kane wasn’t at his best.
‘And I’m glad Gareth took him off because there’s this talk of him being undroppable, he’s the star, he’s the main man. If he’s not performing you get him off. Rashford gave them a little bit more energy but still not enough.’
Roy Keane believes transfer talk of a move to Manchester City could be affecting Kane
Meanwhile, Graeme Souness added: ‘The Scottish centre-backs had an easy night. Harry Kane looks like a shadow of the player he is. And two games as the boys say he looks leggy, lacking enthusiasm.
‘I know a centre forward, 90 percent of the time he’s relying on the passes he’s getting and he’s not getting a great deal from that midfield. That midfield is not working.
‘Harry Kane doesn’t look himself, he’s jaded, he’s tired and he wants a big move this summer. He needs to wake himself up. Is he carrying himself? Because he’s a shadow of himself.’
He went on: ‘He’s England’s one player proven at this level to get goals on a regular basis. If that’s not happening in this competition, you’re not getting very far. Apart from Harry Kane, football ain’t coming home with that team not with the way they’re playing.’
Graeme Souness claimed Kane looked leggy and a shadow of his usual brilliant self
