Harry Kane forced to multi-task in blunted, one-paced England attack | Barney Ronay


The attacking talent Gareth Southgate is keen to use keeps getting bogged down by stodgy and defensive selections

Shortly before half-time at the King Power at Den Dreef Stadium, Harry Kane could be seen scooting back into his own half to take the ball. Ten seconds later he was kicked heavily on an ankle driving through the centre circle. Ten seconds after that Kane was in an inverted left-winger role, cutting in to fire a cross-shot against the lunge of Jason Denayer.

Throughout this sequence, a triptych of deep-midfield-Kane, playmaker-Kane and winger-Kane, it was hard not to long for another Kane: the ghost Kane, saving his spring, doing No 9-type things; and not forced to become Kane cubed, both pointlessly ever-present and depressingly dilute.

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