Harry Kane remains capable of producing moments of magic for England – but Thomas Tuchel still should choose a different No.9 to lead bid for 2026 World Cup glory

Southgate came closer than anyone to delivering the country’s first piece of silverware since 1966, reaching back-to-back European Championship finals as well as the semi-finals of the 2018 World Cup, but wasn’t equipped to make that final step. His conservative tactics and blind loyalty to certain players held England back when it really mattered.

Tuchel holds similar values when it comes to selection, saying: “We will maybe not choose the 26 best individual players, but the best group that supports each other.” However, the German coach also stressed the importance of having a squad that “builds a certain atmosphere and one that can make us overperform”.

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  Still a game-changer

  Kane grabbed the headlines again at Wembley after a superb second-half display against Ireland. In the 50th minute, his beautifully weighted cross-field pass opened up what had been a tense affair up that point, as he picked out an intelligent run behind enemy lines from Jude Bellingham. The Real Madrid man was then chopped down by Liam Scales after cutting inside, leaving the referee with no choice but to point to the penalty spot, and Kane stepped up to convert his 69th international goal in typically assured fashion.

  To make matters worse for Ireland, Scales was shown a second yellow card and sent straight down the tunnel. England proceeded to ruthlessly make their numerical advantage count over the next 25 minutes, with Anthony Gordon, Conor Gallagher, Jarrod Bowen and Taylor Harwood-Bellis all scoring their first goals for the Three Lions.

  In the end, England strolled to a victory that took them back into the top tier of the Nations League and wrapped up Lee Carsley’s interim tenure in impressive fashion, but it probably wouldn’t have been that straightforward had it not been for Kane. He changed the game with one moment of magic after dropping deep, and once the floodgates were open, the Bayern Munich striker oozed class in a playmaker capacity as England’s young guns went in for the kill.

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    Physical decline

    It would be wrong to celebrate Kane’s latest outing for England as proof that he is irreplaceable, though. The opposite is true, based on his dour first-half display.

    Kane didn’t muster a single shot, dribble or tackle, and touched the ball a measly 11 times overall. Aside from a petulant push on Jayson Molumby that earned Kane a fully deserved booking, the former Tottenham frontman was completely anonymous.

    No one would doubt that Kane remains a deadly finisher with a brilliant football brain and wand of a right foot, but he’s showing clear signs of physical decline. He looks slow and ponderous on and off the ball, doesn’t press, and most of the time, he leaves England without a proper outlet upfront by constantly dropping back into midfield.

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    Nothing has changed

    Euro 2024 was realistically Kane’s last chance to win a trophy as England’s main man, and he blew it. He scored three goals in Germany to earn a share of the Golden Boot, but was the weak link in Southgate’s side throughout the tournament.

    It was a miracle that England made it all the way through to the final with Kane starting every game. The one glimmer of light came when the skipper was substituted in the semi-finals against the Netherlands for Ollie Watkins, who gave the Three Lions an immediate injection of energy and scored a superb stoppage-time winner to book their spot in the showpiece.

    Predictably, Southgate stuck with Kane in the final; he was poor again, and Spain completely overpowered England. Kane’s lack of mobility was clear for all to see except for the manager, and even more worryingly, the skipper insisted it was not a result of any underlying fitness issue.

    Nothing has changed since then. Kane’s legs are failing him, and England cannot unlock their full potential if he continues to be the first name on the team-sheet.

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    Time to unleash Watkins & Solanke

    To Carsley’s credit, he has at least recognised that Kane is not England’s only option upfront. The ex-Ireland international opted for Watkins to start ahead of Kane against Greece last week, which came as a major bombshell after the captain’s public criticism of the players who dropped out of England duty for the November break.

    Carsley was immediately vindicated, though, as Watkins scored with his first touch in the sixth minute, getting himself in the right place to turn a Noni Madueke pull-back into an empty net. Watkins didn’t get involved in general play much, but he was a constant threat with his intelligent runs in behind and gave Bellingham, Curtis Jones and Gallagher an out-ball.

    “It was brilliant for Ollie to get a goal. It’s important that if we are going to put these players in a position where we are going to go and win the World Cup, then these players need to have as many experiences as they can,” Carsley said after England’s 3-0 victory. He is absolutely right.

    Centre-forwards with the speed and vigour of Watkins and Dominic Solanke, who was restricted to only 15 minutes of action across England’s latest pair of Nations League fixtures, must be given the chance to show their unique value and gain confidence at this level. It makes no sense for them to sit on the bench while Kane labours through every game, relying on moments to make an impact instead of helping the Three Lions improve as a collective.

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    Tuchel must avoid Southgate mistake

    Tuchel is an exciting appointment for England because he’s a serial winner, and likes to play on the front foot. His best teams at Borussia Dortmund, Paris Saint-Germain and Chelsea liked to dominate possession, and employed an aggressive press off the ball, forcing opponents into mistakes before pouncing with ruthless efficiency.

    At Bayern Munich, however, he was less successful. In his only full season at Allianz Arena, Bayern didn’t win a single trophy, finishing third in the Bundesliga – 18 points behind champions Bayer Leverkusen. That was despite Tuchel splashing €100 million on Kane in the 2023 summer transfer window.

    Kane certainly wasn’t to blame for Bayern’s worst campaign in 12 years; he scored 44 goals in 45 appearances across all competitions and set up another 12 for good measure. But Tuchel’s decision to build his team around Kane backfired, because he couldn’t play his usual brand of football.

    If Tuchel makes the same mistake with England, his 18-month contract won’t be renewed beyond the next World Cup. The 51-year-old had Kane as the focal point in a 4-2-3-1 formation at Bayern, and he scored at a prolific rate due to his natural poaching ability, but often cut an isolated figure, especially in the biggest matches.

    That was also Southgate’s preferred system. How can this be a new era for England if Tuchel just continues in the same vein? The German was known for his tactical flexibility in the past, and it will be necessary for him to experiment again in order to succeed where Southgate failed.

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    What’s next?

    Of course, dropping Kane is not a decision that can be taken lightly. He may well go down as England’s greatest-ever striker, and his incredible start to the new season at Bayern suggests he is as determined for success as ever.

    Tuchel already has a pre-existing bond with Kane, too, and it’s difficult to imagine the new boss axing him as his first order of business after starting work on January 1. However, it’s not beyond the realms of possibility. When asked if he plans for Kane to remain England captain, Tuchel told reporters: “Everyone knows how I feel about Harry. I fought very hard to bring him to Bayern. He is already on his way to being a legend. But it’s too early to make these decisions [about the captaincy].”

    That was Tuchel’s window to shut down speculation over Kane’s future, and he let it pass him by. Tuchel is clearly going to assess all aspects of the squad before plotting a path forward.

    He may well let Kane keep the armband, given his obvious successor, Bellingham, is still only 21, but that doesn’t mean he has to retain all of his current privileges. Kane can still lead by example in a reduced role. As we saw against Ireland, he only needs a yard of space to make the difference.

    The Three Lions just don’t need to pin all their hopes on Kane’s shoulders anymore. Tuchel has inherited a squad capable of conquering the world, but he won’t be the man to end 60 years of hurt if one player continues to be valued above all the rest.