Tottenham could be a lot better considering the quality in their squad, but Harry Kane hasn’t been appreciated enough, Tony Cascarino has suggested.
Spurs scored their seventh win against Everton, and second-half goals by Kane and Pierre Emile Hojbjerg led them to victory. 2-0 win – their third win in a row in all competitions.
However, Everton won all three points and kept a clean sheet. This put Spurs under pressure many times throughout the game.
Summer signing Yves Bissouma’s introduction in place of the injured Richarlison made the difference, with Spurs opening the scoring just seven minutes after the substitution.
But for ex-Chelsea forward Cascarino, this wasn’t the first time Spurs have been guilty of not performing at their best this season, despite the stars at their disposal.
Speaking on Sunday’s Weekend Sports Breakfast, he said: “They are a hard watch, Spurs. They are. I mean, considering they are third in the table and they have got some really good players.”
And co-host Natalie Sawyer doubled down on that, adding: “We said [yesterday]They are efficient, but not exciting. They are not a team where you’re thinking, ‘Cor, I can’t wait to see Spurs in action’.
“Some of the headlines are ‘It’s if and when they get going, they’re going to be great’, and you think, ‘Are they going to get going? Is this their style?’
“But if you look at the players they have, you’re expecting a lot more.”
Cascarino responded: “Well, they have played over a quarter of their Premier League games. They have a lot to offer and we expect them to play more.
“Sometimes I look at them and think, ‘There’s so much more in this team’.
“I’m not saying they are not a really good team because they obviously are – you’ve got to be a decent side if you’re third in the league with your best start ever in the Premier League.
“You’re thinking, wow, and ‘if they get better’. But maybe this is the best they are.”
Cascarino believes that if this is the case, some fans might not be able to stay on-site.
He added: “It’s fine when you’re winning, you will accept a lot but the moment you start dropping points and dropping down the table fans, who are paying a lot of money, will not enjoy it. It’s meant to be entertainment.”
Kane made his 400th appearance for Spurs when he scored the opening goal of the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium game.
His 59th-minute penalty also meant he’s scored in five consecutive Premier League matches – the first time he’s done so in his career – and he’s now eight goals away from Tottenham’s all-time top goalscorer Jimmy Greaves’s record of 266.
Manchester City star Erling Haaland has stolen headlinesThis season, he netted 15 goals in the Premier League.
While the focus has been on the Norwegian captain, Kane has also had a strong start to the league, scoring nine goals in his first ten games. Cascarino believes that the England captain deserves even more praise.
“I can’t remember Harry Kane having as many goals [as he has this season],” he said.
“He played really well yesterday. It wasn’t just his penalty, I thought his all round play, as the game wore on, he got better and better.
“There’s some people who want to undermine what Harry Kane’s achievements are. He is an extraordinary striker, who’s going to beat Wayne Rooney England scoring record without doubt.
“He’ll go past Jimmy Greaves, he could even get to Alan Shearer’s [Premier League goals] record. But there’s some people out there saying he’s not a good player.
“He’s got everything in his armoury. Kane is a great athlete. He’s a team player. I can’t think of many centre-forwards that are team players.”
“Haaland looks like he’s going to run away with the Golden Boot this year, but Kane’s still doing incredibly well.”
