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Despite not winning any trophies in his debut season at Bayern the England international had a brilliant season on an individual level, scoring 44 goals in 45 appearances in all competitions.

Kane will be hoping next season he can get his hands on major silverware as Bayern look to win the Champions League and wrestle the Bundesliga title away from Bayer Leverkusen.

Watch Kane refuse to lift trophy

Harry Kane, who was captain of Bayern Munich, refused to lift the pre-season trophy against his former club Tottenham today ?? pic.twitter.com/I7uiGW0FRq

— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) August 10, 2024

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Tottenham in talks to sign bargain Harry Kane replacement with 52 goals across last two seasons

Darren Looney — Fri, 26 Jul 2024 19:59:44 +0000

Tottenham are in talks for Lille forward Jonathan David as the Premier League club look to finally replace Harry Kane in North London.

The Canadian international has been linked with a move away from the Ligue 1 side for a while now but Lille president Olivier Létang has admitted that the forward is likely to leave this summer and the 24-year-old could be signed at the bargain price of £20m as he has just one year remaining on his current contract.

The current transfer window would be the ideal time for the French club to sell David should he fail to pen a new deal and there are several clubs in the Premier League monitoring his situation.

According to Football Insider, Chelsea and West Ham have shown an interest in the Canadian star throughout the summer window, but it is Tottenham who have started talks with Lille for the striker.

The North London club failed to replace their main goalscorer Harry Kane last summer as the England star departed the Premier League club for Bayern Munich and hope to address their lack of striker options ahead of the new campaign.

Ange Postecoglou relied on the goals of Spurs captain Son Heung-min last season but could he be set to welcome a new number nine ahead of the 2024/25 getting underway next month?

Tottenham are in talks for Lille forward Jonathan David

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Is Lille forward Jonathan David ready for Tottenham step?

A move to Tottenham would be a great opportunity for David to show his ability having been a key player for Lille since joining the French club in 2020.

The 24-year-old has gone on to feature in 183 matches for the Ligue 1 club, producing 84 goals and 18 assists. The Canada international managed to score an incredible 52 goals for Lille across the previous two seasons, which hints that he is ready for the next step in his career.

It remains to be seen how serious Tottenham are about signing David as talks continue to see if a deal can be done.

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Collymore: England have a massive inferiority complex that’s stopping them winning tournaments

Jason Pettigrove — Fri, 19 Jul 2024 10:39:37 +0000

When England qualified for the final of Euro 2024, given the way in which they’d play to reach the showpiece, there was enough of a reason for supporters to believe that the Three Lions had their name on the cup.

Gareth Southgate’s side were far from their best throughout the tournament, and yet somehow dragged themselves to Berlin where they’d eventually be undone by a brilliant Spain side.

England did have their moments, but Stan Collymore believes their failure to get over the line in major tournaments is down to a massive inferiority complex that they have.

England’s inferiority complex is continuing to hurt them

“It’s always been the same for England for over 50 years. I think that there is this feeling of inferiority at international level because of our record and because of the hype. “It’s coming home, 60 years of hurt….,” he said to CaughtOffside for his exclusive column.

“People say that English players play well at their clubs because they’ve got foreigners around. That’s rubbish. Phil Foden’s performances and Jude Bellingham’s performances were because of Phil Foden and Jude Bellingham, not because they have foreigners around them. Likewise, Harry Kane.

“I can certainly say, thanks to my own brief foray with England, that you feel that you have to play this mythical thing called international football that is more cerebral, that is more intelligent, so you end up doing things you normally wouldn’t, and that’s where the passing along the back comes from.

England have a massive inferiority complex says Stan Collymore

“[…] I think we’ve got to have a look at what are the hallmarks of English football. One is tempo, two is intensity, three is aggression, and four is attacking, and I think we actually need to have those as cornerstones.

“A lot of the guys that play for England now, they have seen the Barcelona of 2011 and the Spanish sides of 2008-2012, and gone “we need to keep possession and slow the tempo,” but that’s the antithesis of what the very best of English football is about.

“If you want proof, every time that we went behind in the Euros, we upped the tempo, upped the aggression and got back in the game.”

Although one never had a feeling that England were a team that sometimes played like a ‘frightened rabbit in the headlights,’ there was very much a feeling, particularly against Spain, that the Three Lions were always going for the safety first option.

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That things were a little cagey and no one really wanted to put their head above the parapet and grab the game by the scruff of the neck like the Turkish or Georgian sides were doing in their games, for example.

If England are consistently making it to the business end of tournaments, then the players need to puff out their chests and play brave, front foot, attacking football.

They deserve to be in such esteemed company, so it’s about time that English football and England footballers believed it.

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Collymore: Kane needed rest and Bellingham was too keen at Euro 2024

Jason Pettigrove — Fri, 19 Jul 2024 10:02:19 +0000

So near and yet so far. The usual story for England at international tournaments.

Whilst the Three Lions have come the closest they ever have to adding to their 1966 World Cup win under Gareth Southgate’s stewardship, the plain fact of the matter is that the national team still haven’t got over the line.

Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham were particularly underwhelming, and when you consider the calibre of player that has pulled on the shirt over the years, that’s nothing less than a disgrace.

But how can it be changed?

Kane and Bellingham were disappointing for England

Stan Collymore believes it’s time that the big names fall in line with the rest of the squad.

“In terms of Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham’s individual performances, I’m not so worried about Jude because I think that this was his first tournament on the back of the elation of winning La Liga and the Champions League and being the best player for Real Madrid,” he said to CaughtOffside for his exclusive column.

“I think that he came flying out of the blocks in in the first half of the first game at the Euros, but then the drop off in the second half of the first game was was noticeable. He’s got to manage his minutes, his emotional state and his physical state much better.

“Harry had an excuse of already playing year in and year out, whether it be for club or country, in the Premier League, Bundesliga, at World Cups, pre and post-season tournaments, and I think he was genuinely knackered.

“We’ve had this sort of problem before of course, going right the way back to Jimmy Greaves. He got injured before the World Cup in 66, Geoff Hurst comes in and scores a hat-trick in the final, and then stays in the side forever. It happened with Gary Lineker too, and Alan Shearer.

“We had at least 10 strikers waiting to step into Shearer’s shoes at international level, but no one could get a look in even when he went 12 England games without scoring, which would be unthinkable now for any striker.

“From my perspective, I’d like to think that the next coach would look at Harry Kane and say, ‘ok, you’re the number nine, you’ve scored a load of goals over the last decade, but if you’re not doing the business, we’re going to take you off at 60 minutes’ etc.

“Gareth Southgate, to his credit, has smashed the glass ceiling now, and although subbing Kane or leaving him out entirely could have been done sooner, the precedent has been set.

“In future, no matter the name, if you’re playing poorly, the national team coach has to have the bravery to make those big calls for the good of everyone, including themselves.”

It’s hard to disagree with Collymore’s opinion. If it’s all about winning games and winning tournaments for a manager, than outside pressures need to take a back seat.

Managers do have to be brave in making what might ostensibly be considered as bold decisions, whilst players themselves have a duty to hold their hands up if they’re not at it.

Bellingham’s ‘who else’ statement after putting away that last minute overhead kick came back to bite him later in the tournament, because there were a number of players on the bench that could’ve arguably given more to the cause than the 21-year-old.

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Collymore’s column: England – six out of 10 at Euro 2024, a massive inferiority complex and why Emma Hayes should be manager

Stan Collymore — Fri, 19 Jul 2024 09:33:55 +0000

In his exclusive column for CaughtOffside, former Aston Villa attacker Stan Collymore discusses some of football’s biggest talking points, including why England were only a six out of 10 at Euro 2024, why big name players must be subbed if they’re not playing well, and why Lee Carsley will be the new England coach despite Emma Hayes and Sarina Wiegman both deserving to be in the conversation.

—

I’d give England a six out of 10… players such as Kane and Bellingham can’t be above being subbed

I’d give the overall England performance at Euro 2024 a six out of 10, because we got to a final which only two teams can ever do, but the performances to get there, and the side of the draw that we had… I think a six out of 10 is fair enough.

In terms of Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham’s individual performances, I’m not so worried about Jude because I think that this was his first tournament on the back of the elation of winning La Liga and the Champions League and being the best player for Real Madrid.

I think that he came flying out of the blocks in in the first half of the first game at the Euros, but then the drop off in the second half of the first game was was noticeable. He’s got to manage his minutes, his emotional state and his physical state much better.

Harry Kane was knackered during Euro 2024

Harry had an excuse of already playing year in and year out, whether it be for club or country, in the Premier League, Bundesliga, at World Cups, pre and post-season tournaments, and I think he was genuinely knackered.

We’ve had this sort of problem before of course, going right the way back to Jimmy Greaves. He got injured before the World Cup in 66, Geoff Hurst comes in and scores a hat-trick in the final, and then stays in the side forever. It happened with Gary Lineker too, and Alan Shearer.

We had at least 10 strikers waiting to step into Shearer’s shoes at international level, but no one could get a look in even when he went 12 England games without scoring, which would be unthinkable now for any striker.

From my perspective, I’d like to think that the next coach would look at Harry Kane and say, ‘ok, you’re the number nine, you’ve scored a load of goals over the last decade, but if you’re not doing the business, we’re going to take you off at 60 minutes’ etc.

Gareth Southgate, to his credit, has smashed the glass ceiling now, and although subbing Kane or leaving him out entirely could have been done sooner, the precedent has been set.

In future, no matter the name, if you’re playing poorly, the national team coach has to have the bravery to make those big calls for the good of everyone, including themselves.

England have a massive inferiority complex

English football has a massive inferiority complex.

It’s always been the same for England for over 50 years. I think that there is this feeling of inferiority at international level because of our record and because of the hype. “It’s coming home, 60 years of hurt….”

People say that English players play well at their clubs because they’ve got foreigners around. That’s boll**ks. Phil Foden’s performances and Jude Bellingham’s performances were because of Phil Foden and Jude Bellingham, not because they have foreigners around them. Likewise, Harry Kane.

I can certainly say, thanks to my own brief foray with England, that you feel that you have to play this mythical thing called international football that is more cerebral, that is more intelligent, so you end up doing things you normally wouldn’t, and that’s where the passing along the back comes from.

Foden was out-shone by Bellingham in England’s win over Serbia

It’s like you watch the Spanish, you watch the Italians, you watch the great Germans and they all pass it along the back, but English football doesn’t realise that there’s method to the madness. Spain will pop it very quickly into midfield and then their players, already waiting on the half-turn, are off on the run.

The general feeling amongst the English is that international football is some higher form of the game, and it’s not. Georgia proved that. Turkey proved that. You can go out and play in a way that is on the fruitful and exciting side, utilising your assets and getting results beyond your your ranking.

So from that perspective, I think we’ve got to have a look at what are the hallmarks of English football. One is tempo, two is intensity, three is aggression, and four is attacking, and I think we actually need to have those as cornerstones.

A lot of the guys that play for England now, they have seen the Barcelona of 2011 and the Spanish sides of 2008-2012, and gone “we need to keep possession and slow the tempo,” but that’s the antithesis of what the very best of English football is about.

If you want proof, every time that we went behind in the Euros, we upped the tempo, upped the aggression and got back in the game.

There’s a lot of talk about winning tournaments with 60-70% possession, but you can win a tournament with 40% possession. You can win a tournament with equal possession.

Ideally, if you’re Pep Guardiola, you win a tournament with 70-80% possession, and with exciting attacking play, but don’t forget that when Pep gets to sign the players that he wants, they are specific players to do specific jobs in specific areas of the pitch. The England national team is a markedly different proposition.

England should consider a woman to replace Southgate but Carsley will be the FA’s man

Emma Hayes

Emma Hayes and Sarina Wiegman should definitely be in the conversation to be the new England men’s first-team manager because they’re successful football managers in their own right, they know the FA system and the inner workings of it.

The reasons that they won’t be are because I think there will be a feeling inside the Football Association that ‘we’ve got the best group of players ever, and we don’t need experiments.’

How will a group of men react to a woman manager? Would they subconsciously think ‘no she can’t do the job, she’s only managed Chelsea Women’ for example, and that’s the reality.

Only one step above that would be Lee Carsley and I’ve got a sneaky feeling it’s going to be him. Why?

The FA’s St George’s Park system was designed to produce players and coaches for the elite level, and with Lee Carsley, they’ve done that from scratch. They’ve invested a lot of money in him to get to this point, and his England U21 team is, pound for pound, the best England team that I’ve ever seen.

They’re solid at the back, they pop it around everywhere, and play front foot, attacking, inventive and creative football. So, the FA system is shown to be working.

As importantly, it’s the antithesis of spending £17m on somebody (Pep Guardiola?) to come in at the last minute, grab a group of players and try and get them over the line at a major tournament.

The reality for England fans is that they don’t care that St George’s Park creates players and managers but they should, because all of the other European nations had managers that came through their respective systems. It should matter if we want to be a self sustaining football association.

Lee Carsley is a very good coach but the level of risk is that he’s never managed anybody significant and isn’t the big name – Steven Gerrard/Frank Lampard/Pep Guardiola – that people want to see. ’Lee who?’ some might say, as well as reminding everyone that he played for Ireland. Not very God save the King is it.

So, if the FA are going to appoint Lee Carsley, the England PR machine needs to get him out there. They need to put out an urgent, positively worded, press release, and get him on as many TV and radio shows, and in as many newspaper columns as possible in order to give him a fully rounded personality who England fans can get behind.

If England then spank Finland in their first Nations League game and then beat Greece away, all of a sudden we’re rocking and rolling and you create a personality that can start to walk alongside those aforementioned big names.

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Gareth Southgate steps down as England manager with immediate effect

Jason Pettigrove — Tue, 16 Jul 2024 10:15:58 +0000

It isn’t really a surprise to understand that in the aftermath of England’s European Championship final defeat, manager, Gareth Southgate, has decided to step down with immediate effect.

A man that has managed to galvanise the Three Lions to two finals and the latter stages of the World Cup, whilst bringing some sort of harmony to the England dressing room, still hasn’t managed to get them over the line in a major tournament.

Gareth Southgate steps down from the England job

?England have announced that Gareth Southgate will step down from his role as England manager after the Euro 2024 final defeat.

— Nizaar Kinsella (@NizaarKinsella) July 16, 2024

When push came to shove against Spain, Southgate reverted to type and played defensively for the most part.

He also didn’t appear to possess the courage to drop both Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham for the showpiece, despite the fact that both had been well below par in the tournament to that point.

Neither impacted the final in any meaningful way either, and though Cole Palmer came off the bench to great effect, it was too little, too late as far as England’s chances of landing a long-overdue piece of silverware was concerned.

Gareth Southgate has stepped down from the England job

It is perhaps a little unfair that he should be judged on his failures because he has done more for the national team in terms of togetherness and will to win that most realise.

He hands over the reigns to someone new with the England squad in a much better place than when he took over.

If there’s one criticism, which needs to be addressed as soon as the new man in charge is chosen, it’s that they’ve got to stop playing an English brand of football.

The game has moved on incredibly, and therefore the national team also need to move with the times.

Most of the players are used to playing in an attacking, front-foot, system, so booting it long from Jordan Pickford needs to go out with the rubbish.

Time will tell if the FA pick the right man to replace Southgate.

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Video: Fans react as Southgate and England players leave hotel at Euro 2024 for the last time

Mark Brus — Mon, 15 Jul 2024 09:53:32 +0000

England manager Gareth Southgate and his players were given a good reception as they left their hotel to return home from Euro 2024 this morning following the pain of losing last night’s final to Spain.

Goals from Nico Williams and Mikel Oyarzabal gave Spain a fourth European Championship title, while England became the first team to lose two finals in a row, and continue their long wait for trophy in a men’s tournament.

See below, though, as England fans gave the team a good send-off, in stark contrast to some of the negativity we’ve been seeing on social media since last night’s result, and for much of the tournament in general…

Gareth Southgate and the England players depart their hotel and set off home after losing the 2024 Euro final against Spain in Berlin ??? pic.twitter.com/jFqgcm1iDO

— Sky Sports News (@SkySportsNews) July 15, 2024

England did well to reach another final this summer, but in general they never really played as well as they are truly capable of, and that surely raises questions over Southgate’s future.

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Even if the current Three Lions boss has done a good job in his time in charge, there is surely an argument that someone else could produce a better playing style to make more use of the talented attacking players in this squad.

For now, though, it’s only right that England are applauded for their efforts, and for the fans to try to lift their spirits a bit after what will have been a hugely disappointing evening for all of them.

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Gary Neville discusses what he noticed about Harry Kane during difficult Euro 2024 with England

Mark Brus — Mon, 15 Jul 2024 08:37:36 +0000

Former Manchester United and England defender Gary Neville has admitted he thinks Harry Kane looked like was carrying an injury at Euro 2024 this summer after a poor tournament by his high standards.

Kane scored three goals at the Euros, but he was pretty anonymous as England lost the final to Spain yesterday, and never really put in the kind of performances we’ve seen from him when he’s been at his best at club level in recent years.

See below as Neville looks back at Kane’s tournament and makes it clear he thinks something will eventually come out to reveal that the Bayern Munich forward was carrying a knock throughout the competition…

"I'd be amazed if it doesn't come out that Harry has been carrying some form of injury" ?

Gary Neville on Harry Kane's performances for England at Euro 2024 ?pic.twitter.com/PqfQxjqsda

— Sky Sports News (@SkySportsNews) July 15, 2024

Kane ended up being subbed off after an hour in yesterday’s game against Spain, and some fans will no doubt feel it was the wrong decision by Gareth Southgate to keep starting him ahead of Ollie Watkins.

Watkins always looked lively coming off the bench, and he scored a superb winning goal in the semi-final victory over the Netherlands last week, reminding us all what he’s capable of.

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If there was really no alternative to Kane then Southgate could perhaps be forgiven for persisting with him, but he clearly wasn’t at his best and someone like Watkins may well have contributed more in this tournament if he’d had more of a chance.

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Jamie Carragher slams England stars who “didn’t turn up” at Euro 2024

Mark Brus — Mon, 15 Jul 2024 05:25:40 +0000

Former Liverpool and England defender Jamie Carragher has hit out at some of the big names in the national team who didn’t turn up at Euro 2024 this summer.

Much of the focus has been on England manager Gareth Southgate after last night’s 2-1 defeat to Spain in the final of the European Championships, but Carragher has defended Southgate by commenting on how it always seems to be the manager’s fault, even though so many big-name players keep failing to perform at their best at major tournaments.

See below for Carragher’s post on X, formerly Twitter, as he took aim at the England stars who weren’t at their best at the Euros…

Sven played 442, Fabio was too strict, Gareth is too defensive!
Funny how it’s always on the manager isn’t it?!!
The fact is our big players didn’t turn up in this tournament. And other tournaments going back years.

— Jamie Carragher (@Carra23) July 14, 2024

It’s fair to say that players like Harry Kane and Phil Foden were well below their usual level at Euro 2024, but then fans will perhaps rightly question Southgate for continuing to play them instead of being a bit more brave with his team selection.

Cole Palmer made a great impact off the bench yesterday as he scored the equaliser for England, while Ollie Watkins was also the hero off the bench in the semi-final as he scored that late winner against the Netherlands.

Phil Foden had a really underwhelming Euro 2024

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