How good is Harry Kane? Tottenham and England striker taken for granted
Having started the season in fine form by scoring five goals in Tottenham Hotspur's first six Premier League matches, Harry Kane continues to underline why he's one of deadliest marksmen in world football.
Clearly enjoying life under Antonio Conte, who's brought intensity, discipline, organisation, shrewd tactics and a winning mentality to the team since joining last year, the Italian's presence has certainly given the 29-year-old a new lease of life.
"Antonio has been fantastic. I’ve learned from every manager I’ve worked under. The mentality, being with him every day seeing the way he prepares, the way he brings his passion and brings the best out of the lads, I’ve learnt from that," the rejuvenated Kane explained.
"I just feel like I'm at that stage in my career where I want to keep pushing and keep improving. It was good to see how my fitness levels changed over that period when he first came in. It just made me want to continue that and do as much as possible to keep improving.
"I feel like I’m learning every year anyway and getting more experience and getting better, but with someone like Antonio it’s speeding up that process even quicker. I feel in good shape. I feel like I’ve still got a lot more to give and hopefully I can show that next season."
An all-round forward
Leading the line with aplomb, evolving his already multifaceted skill set and setting the tone for his colleagues to follow, Spurs' inspirational captain has been a tremendous force to be reckoned with.
So intelligent with his movement and boasting exceptional awareness, it's been impressive watching him exploit space cunningly both in front of and in behind opposition backlines.
Timing when to drop deep with his back to goal to form numerical and positional superiorities in midfield in order to link play, his aptitude here has seen him especially excel between the lines. Awake to vacant spaces and when passing lanes open, he knows precisely when to get on his bike.
Kane creates space for team-mates
Moreover, when he checks towards the ball, an opponent almost always follows him, which crucially creates gaps for the likes of Son Heung-min, Dejan Kulusevski and Richarlison to exploit.
The fact Tottenham's front three are typically positioned within close proximity while the wing backs provide the width means he usually has outlets available to receive in ideal forward facing postures when coming short to find with his trademark one touch passing.
Another important aspect associated with the frontline's compactness comes from how this enables them to subtly interchange positions. Forever keeping defenders guessing and causing dilemmas on who should mark who in what zone, this has been a vital weapon in the armoury of Kane and co. to escape their foes and manipulate rearguards.
Equally effective with his calculated runs into depth, Kane's a tough man to keep tabs on. Smartly angling and directing his bursts in behind, plus so adept at peeling off the back shoulder of opponents to attack their blindside and targeting gaps between defenders, he frequently wreaks havoc in this compartment.
Kane's movement underrated
Moreover, how he uses clever zig zags, double movements and gives himself a few metres to get up to speed prior to the ball holder obliging his run duly heightens his ability to get separation from markers.
His nous here transfers over to when he ventures inside the box, for the instinctive striker recognises where to be situated upon observing where the space, the defenders and his teammates are located. Whether attacking the near or far post, central zones around the penalty spot and when holding his run as the defence collapses deeper, it's a joy to watch him find openings amongst the chaos.
It also warrants mention how he recognises when defenders are ball watching and preoccupied to sneak into goal scoring positions in densely populated areas in the final third.
Conte coaxing out clinical Kane
His excursions into the box have already paid dividends this term, for he's already scored more goals (4) from six-yards or closer this season than in the entirety of last season (3), with Conte's constantly developing system certainly helping play to his strengths.
Clinical and able to score a wide range of goals, expect Kane, who can find the back in a plethora of ways, such as with 1v1s the keeper, headers, long range blasts, crafty dinks, tap ins and with his minimal backlift shots, to maintain his menace.
Able to parlay power and finesse, plus finish with both feet and using all parts of his foot, all the signs suggest the man who's just surpassed 200 career goals will keep adding to his tally.
'As physically imposing as ever'
Physically imposing and a nightmare for defenders to handle, his aerial prowess amplifies his worth, as he's terrific at not only scoring from crosses from open play and corners, but he also offers his team a quality outlet when they need to go long, where he can then help his team regain second balls with flick ons or nod downs.
Showing sound judgement and quick to pick up the ball's trajectory, it's never an easy task to outmuscle or defeat the 188 cm colossus in these instances.
Meanwhile, when it comes to his dribbling and distribution, there's much to admire about his work here. To start with his efforts with the ball at his feet, and his tidy ball control and first touch give him the foundation he needs to embark on dangerous bursts upfield, weave away from danger and hold up the ball assuredly.
Using his body effectively to shield and protect the ball and smart at adjusting his body shape depending on the situation, the fast thinking forward's very handy in this regard too.
Reading the play coherently and with the execution to match, his passing is also at a high level. As a result, it's a common sight to see him manufacturing chances with splitting through balls on the ground or in the air and with his nifty crosses and cutbacks. How he engages in intricate interplay in close quarters, hits penetrative line breaking passes into the feet of his fellow attackers, switches the play and recycles possession calmly if needed adds to his worth.
A real game changer who can hurt adversaries in so many ways, it's been impressive to watch the multidimensional Kane work his magic for Spurs again this season.
Adapting his game wonderfully to Conte's style, which sometimes means Spurs don't always dominate possession, how Kane can stamp his mark by producing something special despite not having many touches has served as a testament to his quality.
Haaland over Kane? Not that simple...
Kane, of course, came close to joining Manchester City last year. It's interesting to compare how he stacks up with City's newly acquired star striker.
Although Erling Haaland obviously has the edge in goalscoring courtesy of his blistering start to life under Pep Guardiola, the more rounded and involved Kane certainly holds his own in a host of metrics relating to progressive passing, heading, creativity and ball carrying.
In talks to sign a new contract at Spurs, Conte was full of praise for Kane and urged the club to get things sorted when asked on the topic, stating: "I think that Harry for sure is happy because he is seeing this type of situation. There is a vision, there is a direction and there is a unity to try to improve the team and also to improve the team at the level of his expectations.
"My opinion is only one of a million opinions. We are talking about a world-class striker and a player who in this moment is the most representative player for Tottenham. For sure I would like him to sign a new contract.
"But in this moment, for me it is very important to see him happy, totally involved with this season, totally involved with this project and in what we are doing. For me, this is the most important."
Happy, in sensational form and honing his craft all the time under Conte's guidance, Kane continues to encapsulate why he's one of the truly elite forwards in world football - even if at times, it can be taken for granted just how good he is.
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