How do England fill a void left by Harry Kane?
Something something hold up play
If Harry Kane picked up an injury against Iran, then a spanner may have been thrown in the works for England’s most recent attempt to ‘bring football home’.
Of all the players in Gareth Southgate’s squad, he could be considered the most irreplaceable. There is no direct fix for the hole he leaves in the starting XI; no player who fits his profile and can do his job effectively.
But what exactly does Kane bring to this England team? Well goals to begin with, but that is the most easily replaceable facet of his game.
The rest of his skill set is what Southgate will struggle to replicate.
Against Iran, Kane didn’t get on the score sheet but his influence on the fixture was clear. He was key to breaking down the Middle Eastern side’s low block.
He brought others into the game, both by occupying defenders and also by linking up with the likes of Buyako Saka and Raheem Sterling on the wings alongside Jude Bellingham and Mason Mount in the midfield.
The 29-year-old’s passing has always been one of his most underrated traits, both when he is holding it up and laying it off, but also creatively. Fans were able to see this in the build-up to Sterling’s goal, where he played an exceptional pass that the winger met on the volley.
He is the focal point of the team and influences everything England does in the opponent’s half, so these are incredibly big boots to fill at the World Cup no less, especially with such short notice.
He might be fine, but if there are any doubts then the smart idea here would be to rest him for England’s game against the USA and then hopefully he’ll be fit again for the final group game against Wales. Though the scan may confirm our worst fears.
But if Southgate can’t use Kane, what actually are his options (a Tammy Abraham would come in handy right now)?
Callum Wilson
The only other pure striker in the squad (which now seems like a massive oversight), Wilson has been in good goalscoring form for Newcastle this season, scoring six goals in 10 Premier League games.
He is a traditional number nine in many ways, able to find space in defensive lines and in the box to get onto the end of chances and slot them home.
He did not score during his cameo against Iran, but what he was able to do was exploit the space in behind a defensive line that had pushed up in search of a goal and then he showed good decision-making to cut the ball back across for Jack Grealish to score.
The issue is he doesn’t have the same presence as Kane. Wilson plays his best football when defenders momentarily forget about his existence rather than when they are well aware he is there.
You can ask him to hold the ball up I guess, but I think that would limit his influence on the game (which is why he doesn’t do it for Newcastle regularly).
With both of the options I list before the ‘Something Experimental’ section, it feels like Phil Foden needs to be brought in to play alongside them as he plays mainly with the ball at his feet and he would offset the creativity void left by losing Kane.
Marcus Rashford
One positive about England’s next opponent being the USA is that Greg Berhalter wants to play possession-based football and that means a high line for the team to get in behind.
This will suit Wilson but it will also suit Marcus Rashford, a player who has regained his form (and more importantly confidence) under Erik ten Hag this season.
As a United fan, I don’t want to be biased even if I do want to see Rashford lead the line for England, so I’ll offer a balanced viewpoint.
Rashford will get more chances due to his movement and on his day he’ll finish them. If he isn’t on his game, however, then fans may become frustrated as he fails to finish the opportunities he gets.
Wilson will get you fewer chances, but he’s more likely to finish the ones he does get.
Overall they are two great striker options to have but they don’t solve the main issue of compensating for what you lose when Kane is injured, so in that way let’s take a look at…
Something Experimental
It’s Phil Foden as a False 9 (or just as a striker who links everything up because playing a midfielder upfront doesn’t instantly make it a false 9).
There’s no point beating around the bush, suggesting Sterling upfront or changing the formation (because honestly going to three at the back against the USA isn’t something we deserve to be subjected to), Foden upfront is the best ‘experimental option’.
England have players who can score goals - Sterling, Saka, Mount, and Bellingham etc, so they can make up for Kane’s output without putting another striker on the pitch.
What they can’t afford to lose having someone in the centre of the attack who can play with the ball at his feet.
In both the striker situations, I was basically suggesting that Foden would have to play instead of Sterling or Saka to make up for having another runner centrally, so why not follow City’s example and play Foden through the middle instead?
It also allows Southgate to play Foden without sacrificing the work rate of his midfield three, which is probably the reason why the City midfielder/winger started on the bench against Iran.
Overall, if Kane can stand up and move unaided, it’s likely he plays. Both because the manager trusts him and also because Kane himself is determined to play for England whenever he can.
Based on the comments made by Jordan Pickford in his press conference today, this seems to be the case as well with the goalkeeper telling the media that he’d been out on the grass during training.
But in service of the bigger picture, if there is even the smallest doubt about Kane going into the USA match, play Foden upfront, he’s the best fit.
And if he is fit, let’s just keep this information in our back pocket for if he does suffer an injury.