Alan Smith shared his concerns for Tottenham attacker Harry Kane ahead of his side’s clash with Fulham on Saturday at Wembley.
The Sky Sports pundit and commentator shared that the 25-year-old’s surprising record of having not scored in August in the Premier League surely wouldn’t go on any longer and shared that he thought Kane must be desperate to get a goal this month.
However Smith then shared that he did wonder if the forward was able to be at his best as he looked tired against Newcastle last weekend similar how he looked in the later stages of the World Cup for England.
The pundit questioned whether Kane was getting enough rest as he didn’t have the longest of summer breaks and he had a new baby in his household.
“It’s still August, which means Harry Kane obviously won’t score against Fulham. only joking, of course,” Smith wrote for the London Evening Standard.
“That surprising record of never having notched in this opening month surely can’t last much longer. Tottenham’s top man must be desperate to get going.
“I do wonder about Kane, though. He looked a bit jaded at St James’ Park, lacking his normal zip, just as he did as the World Cup progressed.
“You do have to ask if he has enjoyed a long enough break to refresh body and mind. I mean, he’s only human. Plus, a new baby in the house won’t be doing much for his sleep.”
OPINION
It’s easy to see where Smith is coming from as Kane didn’t look full of energy when his side managed to overcome Newcastle United last week and the pundit’s concerns are logical. The 25-year-old had a fantastic campaign for Spurs last season as he scored 41 goals in 48 games but he didn’t exactly get to rest after putting in a lot of hard work. Kane went to the World Cup with England where he started off brightly only to fade as the tournament went on and it’s possible that he is in need of an extended rest as his jam-packed schedule has caught up with him. However the issue is that Maurico Pochettino’s side really can’t afford to be without Kane as even when he’s not firing on all cylinders, you wouldn’t bet against him scoring. While Smith goes on to suggest that with Dele Alli looking sharper in his first game of the new Premier League season, Spurs needs both players at their best. While it’s early days in the new season, the race for top-four looks set to be tighter than ever before and that means Pochettino’s side will fear dropping points even though the is plenty of time to go.