Kane condition not a worry for Pochettino

Tottenham’s coaching staff know Harry Kane well enough to steer the England captain through a tricky period according to Mauricio Pochettino, who insists the striker remains one of Europe’s best.

Kane fired 30 goals in the Premier League last season before claiming the World Cup Golden Boot as England reached the semi-finals of Russia 2018.

However, he was without a goal in the Three Lions’ final three matches of the competition and, despite scoring in Spurs’ wins over Fulham and Manchester United this term, recent performances for club and country have prompted fears of burnout for the 25-year-old.

Speaking at a news conference ahead of Saturday’s Premier League match against Liverpool, where he will be without influential injured duo Hugo Lloris and Dele Alli, Pochettino maintained Kane is in safe hands.

“I respect all opinions and in football everyone has their opinions,” he said. “It’s our fifth season at Tottenham and if someone knows him really well I think we do.

“That doesn’t show that we are arrogant and show that we don’t accept the opinions of different people. Only that we know Harry Kane very well from the years we work with him.

“We know that it’s not a situation that worries us. We are in a situation that is under control. We take the decision and we try to take the best decision for the player and of course the team.” 

A very proud moment for me. #WorldCup #GoldenBoot pic.twitter.com/aFvaz1VI8C

— Harry Kane (@HKane) September 9, 2018

One suggested source of Kane’s relative struggles is his quick return from an ankle injury back in April but Pochettino insists he is satisfied with the contribution of a player who is perhaps a victim of the high standards he has set for himself.

“The most [important] thing here is the confidence and trust we have in him,” Pochettino said.

“There’s no doubt that he’s one of the best strikers or players in England and in Europe. It’s only [a matter of] time to score goals and to show his real quality.

“But, of course, for me I’m not disappointed with him. Harry’s so big a player everyone expects him, in every single action, to do something different.

“That’s why the expectations and perspective are completely different to another player.”