Speaking exclusively with BOYLE Sports , former Newcastle, Spurs and England star Chris Waddle has some earnest words for former Newcastle striker Alexander Isak arguing that he handled the move to Liverpool incorrectly and is now paying the consequences.
Waddles discusses whether Harry Kane could return to the Premier League one day and attempt to breaking Alan Shearer's goal scoring record but controversially calls for him to move to Real Madrid in La Liga instead and extend his career by playing abroad!
The former Premier League star also discusses the modern games "obsession" with stats, back Spurs to make an £100 million move for megastar and predicts Everton vs Spurs at the weekend.
Alexander Isak
Isak Handled Move Incorrectly!
Fans are critical, and there's a lot of criticism flying around because he's not performing. You have to realise; he handled it all wrong at Newcastle. He said he wanted to leave, refused to train, and went to Real Sociedad to train basically on his own. He didn't play any friendlies, then went to Liverpool and suddenly he's in the Premier League, which, as I've said earlier, is a hard and physical league, mentally as well.
He hasn't hit the ground running at all. He's probably two or three weeks behind most players. We know he's a talented footballer, and he will probably come good. I'm not saying he won't, but he handled it all wrong, and he's paying the consequences now for being behind.
He hasn't done well with Sweden either. Sweden never qualified for the World Cup despite some of the players they have, and they are bottom of their group. It's just unbelievable.
But listen, the longer it goes without him scoring and playing well, his confidence will be sapped. We've seen this with Florian Wirtz, a young, very talented player who is unfortunately now on the bench. So it's going to take Isak time to settle. He needs to start scoring goals, but he has to work on his fitness and sharpness. The only way he's going to get that is by playing games.
But if he's not scoring, the manager will be tempted to leave him on the bench and bring him on for half an hour, which he probably never anticipated would happen to him. So, yes, I think he's a bit of a concern, but he will come good because he's done it before.
Harry Kane
Kane To Another Premier League Team? I Would Be Surprised!
I would be surprised. I think he's a Tottenham player, like Glenn Hoddle, who went to Monaco, came back to Swindon, then Chelsea. A lot of people thought, ‘Why not?’ He was 33. Tottenham moved on. But Harry could easily come back, get into the Tottenham team, be their number nine again, and score goals, which would obviously help Tottenham perform better in the Premier League and have a chance of winning it.
However, I'd be surprised if he came back. I don't know if someone got to him and said he wants to return to Tottenham. He's done really well at Munich. Whether he's thought he's had enough of Bayern Munich, I can't say, because he's well-respected, done ever so well, and been brilliant.
Why would you give that up? I came back from Marseille, but Marseille had financial difficulties and had to sell all the players. So, sometimes you're forced to move to a club. I was basically told I could only go to England. So, I was quite happy; I had a great time at Sheffield Wednesday. But Bayern Munich is not in the same situation as Marseille was. So, why would they want to get rid of a guy who basically scores a goal every game for them?
Break Shearers Record? Go To Real Madrid Instead!
I think he could beat the record. Will he come back to Tottenham? He's played for Bayern Munich, who are probably the favourites in the Champions League based on what I've seen so far. They're playing exceptionally well. I watched them against Dortmund, where Harry Kane played as a number 10, spraying the ball everywhere. He played behind Nickolas Jackson as a midfield player, and his passing range was phenomenal. He scored from a corner with a header.
Why would he leave Bayern Munich? You know what I'd like to see him do if he's thinking, ‘I've been there, I've conquered it,’ which he has. He won a trophy, which was lovely to see. I'd like to see him do what Lewandowski did and go to Barcelona or Real Madrid.
I'm sure he's happy at Bayern Munich. He must be well-liked by the players, the fans, and everyone. So why would they want to get rid of Harry Kane? I know he's getting into his 30s, and some clubs decide to cash in on players. Lewandowski was sort of let go with the idea that he'd had his best days, which was a mistake in hindsight. If you look at Lewandowski's goal record, it's absolutely phenomenal. And he's still doing it today, whether he comes off the bench or starts. He's never lost that knack, and he doesn't rely on pace.
Harry Kane doesn't rely on pace; he has a football brain. Going back to Tottenham would be great because he supported them, and it would be nice to see him return there for the Tottenham fans. I'm sure they'd love it. If he decided, ‘I've done well in Germany, now I'm going to have a game in Paris Saint-Germain or Real Madrid,’ I'm sure Real Madrid would be interested in taking him if he wanted to leave Bayern.
And listen, I'm sure Tottenham would welcome him back. He's a great player, and people talk about Harry Kane being a really good, intelligent centre-forward. People say he's not quick enough or this or that, but he's gone through his career and scored goals everywhere he's gone.
Every season, he consistently scores goals, and that's what he's paid for. But he's a very good footballer. As I said, I watched him playing as a midfield player against Dortmund, and he was excellent. He was spraying the ball everywhere, hardly ever giving it away. So that's a role England could consider if they want to play somebody quick up front. He could play as that number 10, never mind others. Harry Kane could play that role as well as anybody else.
But he wouldn't necessarily say, ‘I'd love to go back to Tottenham.’ If I were him, I'd think, ‘Why don't I sample somewhere else and play for someone like Real Madrid?’ What an opportunity that would be.
Should Harry Kane Return to the Premier League?
Stats Obsession: “People Are Too Invested”
I think people are too invested in stats. If a player is the top goalscorer, it proves they're the best at scoring goals, but that doesn't necessarily make them a great player. I've had discussions about this: there are great goal scorers and then there are great players, like Lionel Messi. Why did Ronaldo and Messi always win the Ballon d'Or? Not now, obviously, Ousmane Dembele won it.
Dembele is an off-the-cuff player who sometimes dribbles like Messi, but other weeks he looks like a fourth-division player. You never know what you're going to get with him. He's a dribbler. There are great goal scorers, but getting a great player is a different thing. Messi, yes, a great player. As is Ronaldo.
When you look at goal scorers, I always judge people as just that: goal scorers. They're not necessarily the greatest players in the world. You can see people who have scored 30 goals in a season, but realistically, you think, ‘He doesn't really do anything else. He scores the goals for them, but he doesn't really dribble, doesn't link the play up well, doesn't really hit it well.’ So, you're good at your job as a goalscorer. Similarly, a defender could be a great defender but very average on the ball. If they can tackle and read the game well, they become a great defender. To me, that means they're a great defender, not necessarily a great all-around footballer.
Harry Kane, if he came back, people would judge him on goals, obviously. I know that over the years I've seen it. So if he did beat the record, then he would be great, plus he's the greatest Premier League striker. Wayne Rooney was an all-around player. Alan Shearer was a great goal scorer, a good target man who could hold the ball up, but he was judged on his goals.
Harry Kane, as I said, can play as a nine or a ten. He is an all-around footballer who can score his own goals. I think if Harry Kane came back, if he had that in his head, I believe Harry does like his stats. If he did come back and purely wanted to come back to beat the record, then there's a fair chance he'd definitely beat it.
He can score all types of goals and can also play as a number ten. There aren't many centre-forwards, if you're talking about goal scorers, who can play as both a ten and a nine. Wayne Rooney obviously played as a ten more than a nine, but Harry Kane can definitely play both.
Stay Abroad And Extend Your Career!
Harry Kane faces a big decision over his future, with a lot of factors influencing his next move. He might be tempted by the prospect of playing in the Spanish or Italian leagues, much like how Erling Haaland has gone after new challenges. This is a path many players choose, and Kane may find the allure of a different lifestyle and a new footballing environment appealing.
While Bayern Munich currently seems keen to retain him – and it's hard to imagine why they wouldn't, given his performance – there's precedent for players moving on, as seen with Robert Lewandowski.
Kane could opt to stay at Bayern, enjoying his time in Munich and seeing out his career there. Alternatively, he might seek a fresh challenge at clubs like Real Madrid or Barcelona, especially as players like Lewandowski age.
It's clear that Kane will not be short of offers. The decision rests with him, whether he chooses to settle back in England, which would undoubtedly benefit Tottenham given his past ties and being close to his former home, or continue playing abroad.
There's speculation about his return to England, but it's important to remember that many opportunities will be there. A move back to England would likely be driven by his family, especially as he approaches 32.
However, continuing his career abroad could extend his playing years by two, three, or even four seasons. The demanding nature of the Premier League makes staying abroad a potentially more attractive option for him.
Antoine Semenyo
£100 Million Investment: Sign Semenyo!
Spurs look okay, but the problem is at the top end. Dominic Solanke is injured. I can see why Harry Kane's name keeps coming up because they do need a number nine. Solanke gets going and looks sharp, then he gets injured again. He hasn't had the best of luck at Spurs, so it's been hard to judge his performances.
They also need another creative midfielder. James Maddison obviously did his cruciate. I thought they would have got Eberechi Eze from Palace, but he went to Arsenal. Someone of that type would be a handy player in midfield, playing behind a number nine. If you're looking to strengthen the team, you need a centre forward and a really good playmaker.
Antoine Semenyo would be ideal – they need someone who can carry the ball and make something happen. And who's putting the ball in the net? They'll be lucky if they get 12-13 goals from their top scorer at the end of the season. They need a centre forward who's going to get 20 to 25 goals. We'll see if Solanke can do a job when he gets fit. The one thing they lack is a goalscorer and definitely a really creative footballer. Kudus has done really well on the right. If they could get Semenyo on the left, that would be a good frontline if they could get a centre forward in there.
Prediction: Everton vs Spurs
Prediction: Everton vs Spurs
David Moyes' teams are known for being well-organised and difficult to break down. We saw this at West Ham; his teams rarely get caught on the counter-attack because they always have numbers behind the ball.
They rely on players like Jack Grealish to create chances and score goals, hoping to get that crucial second goal and then defend their lead effectively. Tottenham, under Thomas Frank, are also well-organised, and they are very good on the counter-attack.
I don't expect many goals in this match. I predict a 0-0 or a 1-1 draw.
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