Two of the title contenders go head-to-head on Saturday in the Premier League and if Harry Kane had been fit we’d be seeing two very different golden boot candidates leading the line.
Kane tweaked a hamstring last weekend and is a massive miss for Tottenham, and a bigger miss for them than if United were missing Lukaku.
Alan Shearer will always tell you that scoring goals against any team is a difficult thing to do and Romelu Lukaku does that, but his level of consistency needs addressing. Against the top six his record isn’t as good but even without scoring he still doesn’t have a lot of influence against the bigger sides. That was certainly the case against Liverpool a fortnight ago when he missed a big chance and had no influence on the game.
When West Ham started to come back into the Carabao Cup game during the week Kane’s absence was evident because they lost that attacking threat. Considering his form this season I’d fancy Manchester United strongly in the absence of Kane.
He will eventually command a bigger fee than Lukaku did when he went from Everton to United. He’s in the world class bracket and if Tottenham are approached by Real Madrid or Barcelona I don’t think it’s an opportunity Harry Kane himself should turn down. If Tottenham cannot match his ambition, we could see the first English plyer transferred in the ballpark of £150-£200m.
Toffees’ Sticky Patch
David Unsworth has taken charge of my old club Everton and results over the next game or two could dictate whether or not he puts himself in the running for the permanent job.
With the money that is available at Everton and the investment they have put in over the summer I expect it to be a step too far for David at this time. They are more likely to go with a manager who has top level experience, someone who has been used to dealing in the transfer market and used to recruiting the very best of players.
David is an Evertonian and in the meantime he will galvanise the support after their relationship with Ronald Koeman reached an all-time low after the Arsenal defeat. He is saying the right things and giving out a positive message and he’s been coaching in the set up at Everton for a long time. But he’s never managed in the Premier League and a huge job like Everton manager is a step too far for him at this point.
Talking Balls
I found Pep Guardiola’s complaints about the Carabao Cup ball during the week quite funny and it was a strange one as I didn’t hear a complaint from any other club involved in the competition.
To be fair I remember going to the World Cup with Republic of Ireland in 2002 and...
It was incredibly light and it was strange using it throughout the competition. I wouldn’t be surprised if some of the players were complaining about it because it can take a bit of adjustment but these sort of complaints can go over the top and they just have to get on with it.
One To Watch
One player who had no problem using it during the week was Declan Rice when he appeared for West Ham in their comeback win against Tottenham at Wembley.
It was strange to see Slaven Bilic use him in a three-man defence as it’s a different position than I’ve seen him play before. I saw his game at Old Trafford at the start of the season where he gave an accomplished performance and it’s interesting that he can play centre half as well as central midfield.
I watched him for the Republic of Ireland U21s against Norway earlier this month and he played really well that day as well. It is still too early for him to receive a senior call-up because he hasn’t played a lot of football but he’s certainly one to watch for the future, I’ve been impressed.
Kane tweaked a hamstring last weekend and is a massive miss for Tottenham, and a bigger miss for them than if United were missing Lukaku.
Alan Shearer will always tell you that scoring goals against any team is a difficult thing to do and Romelu Lukaku does that, but his level of consistency needs addressing. Against the top six his record isn’t as good but even without scoring he still doesn’t have a lot of influence against the bigger sides. That was certainly the case against Liverpool a fortnight ago when he missed a big chance and had no influence on the game.
When West Ham started to come back into the Carabao Cup game during the week Kane’s absence was evident because they lost that attacking threat. Considering his form this season I’d fancy Manchester United strongly in the absence of Kane.
He will eventually command a bigger fee than Lukaku did when he went from Everton to United. He’s in the world class bracket and if Tottenham are approached by Real Madrid or Barcelona I don’t think it’s an opportunity Harry Kane himself should turn down. If Tottenham cannot match his ambition, we could see the first English plyer transferred in the ballpark of £150-£200m.
Toffees’ Sticky Patch
David Unsworth has taken charge of my old club Everton and results over the next game or two could dictate whether or not he puts himself in the running for the permanent job.
With the money that is available at Everton and the investment they have put in over the summer I expect it to be a step too far for David at this time. They are more likely to go with a manager who has top level experience, someone who has been used to dealing in the transfer market and used to recruiting the very best of players.
David is an Evertonian and in the meantime he will galvanise the support after their relationship with Ronald Koeman reached an all-time low after the Arsenal defeat. He is saying the right things and giving out a positive message and he’s been coaching in the set up at Everton for a long time. But he’s never managed in the Premier League and a huge job like Everton manager is a step too far for him at this point.
I would like them to appoint someone who has managed at the top level.""
Talking Balls
I found Pep Guardiola’s complaints about the Carabao Cup ball during the week quite funny and it was a strange one as I didn’t hear a complaint from any other club involved in the competition.
To be fair I remember going to the World Cup with Republic of Ireland in 2002 and...
the ball we found ourselves using was much lighter than what I had been used to.""
It was incredibly light and it was strange using it throughout the competition. I wouldn’t be surprised if some of the players were complaining about it because it can take a bit of adjustment but these sort of complaints can go over the top and they just have to get on with it.
One To Watch
One player who had no problem using it during the week was Declan Rice when he appeared for West Ham in their comeback win against Tottenham at Wembley.
It was strange to see Slaven Bilic use him in a three-man defence as it’s a different position than I’ve seen him play before. I saw his game at Old Trafford at the start of the season where he gave an accomplished performance and it’s interesting that he can play centre half as well as central midfield.
I watched him for the Republic of Ireland U21s against Norway earlier this month and he played really well that day as well. It is still too early for him to receive a senior call-up because he hasn’t played a lot of football but he’s certainly one to watch for the future, I’ve been impressed.