Harry Kane believes that Tottenham appointing Ryan Mason as head coach on a permanent basis would help the club get back some of the values they have lost in recent years. In a recent interview with Sky Sports, the striker opened up on the team’s fall since Mauricio Pochettino had them competing towards the top of the Premier League and that the values and culture that made them successful at the time have been lost in parts over the last few years.
Harry Kane said: “I think we’re all behind him. We know the club is in a situation where I spoke about getting some of the values back. I feel like Ryan brings all those attributes. He’s been here through the academy, he knows what it’s like as a fan, he knows what it’s like to play here. With that attitude and that desire, he brings a great enthusiasm to the coaching role here. Ultimately it will be down to the chairman and the club what they decide. But for these three games, we’re fully behind him to try to improve and to try to win and see what happens.”
A number of names have been linked with the Tottenham vacancy over the past six weeks, including Julian Nagelsmann, Roberto De Zerbi, Xabi Alonso and Arne Slot to name a few. A huge task for Daniel Levy to pick the right man after Spurs’ recent struggles, Kane was asked about the names being mentioned with the role but he admitted that his full focus is on the remainder of the season.
Harry Kane said: “That’s down to the club. If I end up speaking with the chairman towards the end of the season, then I’m sure he’ll fill me in on what he’s thinking. But ultimately we’ve got three more games, we don’t want to look too far ahead and get too carried away. The club will make the best decision for everyone, for the players, the fans, for the club in general, so we’ll just have to wait and see what that is.”
Having fallen to an agonising defeat against Liverpool last weekend, Tottenham bounced back with a slender 1-0 victory over Crystal Palace. Benefitting from a full week on the training pitch ahead of the game, Mason made some key tactical changes as he opted for a 4-4-2 formation out of possession before switching to the usual 3-4-3 when on the ball.
Harry Kane said: “Full credit to him. It was his first proper week. Last week wasn’t really a week because we played two games in four days. It was his first week of training and preparation. Obviously we changed the system a bit without the ball to go 4-4-2. Then with the ball to do what we’re used to with the 3-4-3 but to keep possession a little bit more, to be a bit more patient with the ball and not force it forward as quickly. I thought we controlled large spells of the game. I still think we’re lacking a bit of confidence in certain areas when under pressure, getting out of tight spaces, but that will come. That comes with working and training. Full credit to Ryan for making those decisions. I’m really happy we’ve been able win and keep a clean sheet.”
Dropping out of Champions League contention following a nightmare run of results, Tottenham will be hoping to achieve a Europa League finish come the end of the month. If the team finish seventh, Spurs will find themselves back in the Europa Conference League for the second time in three seasons. A competition that fans don’t look back fondly on, many believe that missing out on Europe altogether could benefit Spurs, especially as it would allow the new head coach ample time on the training pitch to get his philosophy across. Asked about a potential Europa Conference League finish, Kane admitted that the club cannot disrespect any competition they play in.
Harry Kane said: “Ultimately I think I like to play football games no matter what competition it is. That’s what you deserve from where you finish in the season. You can’t disrespect any competition that you play in. It’s one of those, if you end up in the Conference League and win it, it’s worth it. If you don’t, then people probably look at it as an inconvenience. But when you’ve been at a club where we haven’t won a trophy for 15 years, if we do end up in it, it could be an opportunity to try and put that to bed.”
