Arne Slot provided an update on Federico Chiesa's potential Liverpool debut against Nottingham Forest.
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Well, that was all just a bit odd.
Has a Tottenham Hotspur loss ever been so welcomed by their own fans and mourned by their nearest and dearest down the road before?
Ange Postecoglou told the media on Monday that the Lilywhites faithful who wanted their side to roll over for Manchester City in light of Arsenal's title bid last night "need counselling", and for about 50 minutes or so, those supporters might've been thinking about it, until Mr inevitable himself, Erling Haaland, turned up and put the visitors ahead.
There were a few more twists and turns in the game, but ultimately, the treble-winners emerged victorious, thus dealing a potentially fatal blow to Arsenal's hopes of winning a first league crown in 20 years.
Still, to Tottenham's credit, the home side put up a valiant effort, apart from a couple of their players, specifically Son Heung-min and one of his partners in crime.
Son Heung-min's performance vs Manchester City
It was a night to forget for Son last night, as he was woefully ineffective from the first minute right up until the end, and while he had one seriously clear-cut chance to level the score in the second half, he also missed several half-chances throughout.
His display was so poor that football.london's Alasdair Gold gave him a match rating on the night of 6/10, with the score mostly coming down to his massive miss in the 85th minute.
However, Gold's appraisal of the 31-year-old's performance might be too generous, as his statistics from the match do not paint a picture of a player anywhere near the top of his game.
Minutes
100'
Goals
0
Assists
0
Expected Goals
0.56
Shots on Target
2
Shots off Target
1
Shots Blocked
1
Dribbles (Successful)
5 (1)
Big Chances Missed
2
Completed Passes
23
Key Passes
1
Crosses (Complete)
1 (0)
Long Balls
0
Duels (Won)
9 (3)
Offside
1
Dribbled Past
1
In his 100 minutes of action, the South Korean failed to score or provide an assist despite registering an expected goals figure of 0.56, took two shots on target and one shot off target, failed in four of his five dribbles, missed two big chances completed just 23 passes, failed to complete his one cross, lost six of nine duels, was offside once and was dribbled past once as well.
In all, the veteran winger's performance was dreadful, but one of his teammates was arguably even worse.
Pedro Porro's performance vs Manchester City
Yes, the starter who put in 90 minutes just as bad, if not worse, than Son was right-back Pedro Porro, who not only failed to offer very much going forward but was also defensively suspect throughout and ultimately killed the game off by giving away a late penalty.
Gold gave the Spaniard a 6/10 on the night, writing that he was kept 'busy' all night and focused on the brain-dead tackle on Jeremy Doku that led to the penalty.
However, as was the case with the captain, the respected journalist was probably too kind to the full-back in his assessment, as his statistics from the game might be some of his worst from the entire season.
Minutes
100'
Dribbled Past
1
Penalties Conceded
1
Duels (Won)
11 (3)
Possession Lost
24
Fouls
3
Accurate Passes
49/62 (79%)
Key Passes
0
Crosses (Accurate)
2 (0)
Long Balls (Accurate)
7 (3)
Shots
0
Dribbles (Successful)
4 (1)
In his 100 minutes on the pitch, the former Sporting man was dribbled past, conceded the penalty, lost 8 of 11 duels, lost the ball a staggering 24 times, committed three fouls, maintained a passing accuracy of just 79%, made no key passes, failed to deliver either of his crosses, could only complete three of seven long balls, took no shots, and failed in three of his four dribbles.
Ultimately, it's hard to think of something the 24-year-old did right last night, but at the end of the day, it was an unusual game from start to finish, and while Postecoglou was irate with the circus around it, the fans probably won't be getting on the players' backs for it.
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Everton enjoyed a successful period during the 2010s, with the club qualifying for the Europa League multiple times and enjoying success in the Premier League.
It's a stark contrast from what the Toffees have endured over the last couple of seasons with the club flirting dangerously close to the top-flight relegation zone under Sean Dyche.
The financial situation off the field has seen the club hit with a six-point deduction this season, but the club remain in a good position to avoid the drop with Dyche doing a brilliant job, all things considered.
Everton's successful stint in the mid-2010s looks a distant memory, with one of the club's most influential players of that era now struggling with injury and his career in doubt.
Gerard Deulofeu's stats at Everton
Spanish forward Gerard Deulofeu joined the Toffees back in 2015 for a deal in the region of £4.2m after originally arriving at Goodison Park on loan back in 2013.
In his first permanent season for the club, the attacker scored twice and provided nine assists in his 26 Premier League appearances during the 2015/16 season, before rapidly losing form the following season.
He would only feature 11 times in England's top flight during 2016/17, struggling with his fitness and failing to register a single goal or assist in that campaign.
Deulofeu would subsequently leave Goodison on a season-long loan, joining Italian giants AC Milan for the second half of the season – allowing him to feature 17 times in a move that would catch the eye of another European side.
The forward would join Barcelona on a permanent deal in the summer of 2017 during Ronaldo Koeman's stint in charge, after the LaLiga giants activated the buy-back clause in his contract originally implemented when he arrived at Everton from the Catalan side.
Across both his temporary and permanent stints at Goodison, Deulofeu registered 27 goal involvements in 75 appearances, a respectable return for a then promising talent.
Gerard Deulofeu's stats since leaving Everton
After leaving the club under Koeman, Deulofeu failed to make an impact at the Nou Camp, swapping Spain for England once more, this time joining Watford for £11.5m just a year after leaving Everton.
His stint at Vicarage Road would be marred by injury with the Spaniard suffering an awful knee blow after a mistimed tackle from Liverpool defender Virgil Van Dijk, albeit while racking up 28 goals and assists in just 70 games for the Hornets.
He would leave Watford at the end of the season to join Italian side Udinese on a permanent basis, enjoying a successful few years before another issue with his knee in 2022/23.
The now 30-year-old had to undergo surgery, once more in an attempt to fix the issue, with Deulofeu confirming on Jijantes' Twitch channel via Calciomercato, that he may never return to the beautiful game after missing the last 13 months.
"For several months I've known that I might not play anymore. I can't do what I love for a long time: I haven't played for over a year. I can't say much, but I'm going through an ordeal .
"You can't imagine what I'm going through. I am trying to recover in every way, but I have accepted the idea that I may never recover."
It's heartbreaking to see a player who had such an impact at Goodison Park suffer in recent seasons, with the Spaniard unlucky with his injuries since his departure from the Toffees.
Hopefully, he can make a speedy recovery, allowing Deulofeu to once again showcase his talents and get back to playing the sport he has loved for most of his life.
Everton talent who left too soon is now outscoring Calvert-Lewin
He left the club in 2021 after an unsuccessful stint at Goodison Park.
ByEthan Lamb Mar 29, 2024
There was a share of the points in Sydney as welcome rain swept through the city
Andrew McGlashan16-Jan-2020No one will begrudge New South Wales – or anywhere in Australia – some desperately needed rain even if it did mean an abandonment after less than seven overs at the SCG between the Sydney Sixers and Hobart Hurricanes.The share of the points was more damaging to the Hurricanes who remain second-bottom with seven points from their 10 matches with just four games remaining to try and squeeze into the knockouts. The Sixers stay second behind runaway leaders the Melbourne Stars.With the forecast poor from well before the start it was no surprise that the Hurricanes bowled first on winning a delayed toss. They made useful inroads during the powerplay as Josh Philippe charged and missed against Clive Rose then James Vince was caught behind off Scott Boland when he tried to use his feet.Daniel Hughes was forming a promising innings having reached 26 off 22 balls with some pleasing off-side strokes as he and captain Moises Henriques tried to steady the innings. Henriques survived a run out chance when George Bailey missed from point two balls before the rain became too heavy.The Sixers’ next match is the local derby against the Sydney Thunder on Saturday while the Hurricanes face the Adelaide Strikers in Launceston on Sunday
Seamer to play on into his 40s with Middlesex after calling time on international career
ESPNcricinfo staff29-Nov-2019
Tim Murtagh leads Ireland off after his five-wicket haul•Getty Images
Tim Murtagh has announced his retirement from Ireland duty after signing a two-year contract extension with Middlesex. The decision, forced in part by the change to ECB regulations that would have seen him classed as an overseas player had his continued his international career, means Murtagh’s final outing in an Ireland shirt was his honours board-worthy performance in their maiden Test at Lord’s.Murtagh, 38, has instead committed to Middlesex, where he has taken almost 1000 wickets since moving from Surrey in 2007. He was first capped by Ireland in 2012, qualifying through his Irish grandparents, and went on to feature in all three formats, delivering their first ball as a Test nation at Malahide last year.However, with Ireland’s rise to Test status came the ECB’s decision to revoke their status as non-overseas players. With that rule due to come into effect from next summer, Murtagh has lived up to his word after telling Middlesex’s director of cricket, Angus Fraser, that he would stick with the county if required to make the choice. Several Irish players have been forced to give up county contracts in recent times, including Paul Stirling at Middlesex.”This is a day that I have known has been coming for a few years since the ECB changed their regulations, but it hasn’t made the decision any easier,” Murtagh said. “I’ve had eight great years playing international cricket and loved every minute of it. It’s sad that it has come to an end but a decision that I have made my peace with.”I made a promise to Angus Fraser when I first started playing international cricket that if I ever had to make a choice between playing for Ireland or rewarding Middlesex for the commitment they’d shown to me over the years, that I would commit to finishing my playing days at Lord’s.”Having been a member of the Middlesex family for over a decade now, I believe that with the additions we’ve made over the winter, we have one of the most promising squads here now that I’ve ever been a part of.”I wouldn’t have committed my future to Middlesex unless I felt that the club shared my ambition to win trophies and we have a huge amount of young talent here to drive us forwards towards that goal. Under the new coaching regime, we’ve got a harmonious dressing room that is excited for the new season to get underway and a new captain that everyone is keen to impress.”Murtagh made his T20I and ODI debuts within a few days of each other in July 2012, although his hopes of playing at the 2015 World Cup were dashed by a foot injury. He was part of the 2016 World T20 team, before making three Test appearances as Ireland rose to Full Member status at the ICC.Each of them were memorable: he opened the bowling against Pakistan in 2018, taking six wickets as Ireland briefly threatened an upset; against Afghanistan, in Dehradun, he scored a maiden Test fifty batting at No. 11; and then at Lord’s earlier this year, his five-wicket haul saw England dismissed before lunch on the first day, although Ireland then collapsed themselves in the second innings as the wait for a first Test win went on.”On behalf of the management and staff of Cricket Ireland I’d like to thank Tim for his eight years of service to Irish cricket,” Cricket Ireland’s performance director, Richard Holdsworth, said. “It only seems like the other day that we were organising the paperwork to allow him to declare for Ireland – while you always hope for the best when opportunities like that arise, little did we know the impact he would have on the international setup.”Irish cricket has been on quite a journey over the last decade, and Tim has certainly played a key role in our rise. That the Lord’s Test will be his last game for us is very appropriate, and he certainly gave a lot of Irish fans great pleasure on that first morning having written his name on the honours board before lunch.”We know how hard the decision was for him, but we wish Tim, Karina and his family well. I would also like to thank Angus Fraser and all at Middlesex Cricket for their support and flexibility in working with us on Tim’s availability for internationals and tours. Cricket Ireland and Middlesex have had a great relationship over many years, and it is always appreciated when club and country can work so well together for the benefit of the player.”Murtagh is set to play on into his 40s with Middlesex, with the club aiming to push for promotion in the Championship next season. Middlesex finished a disappointing eighth in Division Two in 2019, with Dawid Malan resigning the captaincy and subsequently moving to Yorkshire; they will be led next year by Australia batsman Peter Handscomb.Middlesex’s head coach, Stuart Law, said: “To have Murts commit to Middlesex for the future is really great news for the club. It has been a tough decision for him no doubt, but we are looking forward to seeing him continue to provide the team with quality and experience.”A vital member of our squad, both on and off the field, I look forward to working with him again in 2020.”
A look at the teams, players and coaches featuring in the new Hundred tournament in 2020
ESPNcricinfo staff21-Oct-2019
Jofra Archer of Southern Brave, one of the eight new teams in The Hundred•Getty Images
Who picked the squads?The head coaches went into the men’s player draft armed with their wish lists, compiled in consultation with their team analysts and backroom staff. They had two windows of 100 seconds each per round – there were seven rounds – in which to make their picks. Each side had already chosen or been allocated one England Test player plus two ‘local icons’ who had spent the 2019 season with a county in their catchment area.Who entered the draft?A fairly comprehensive list of domestic and overseas players put their names forward, with teams allowed to choose a maximum of three overseas players.So are the squad complete then?Not quite. Each team can award a £30,000 contract (the minimum salary band) to one more ‘wildcard’ player following next season’s Vitality Blast.What about the women’s squads?With no player draft for the women, teams are selected by their respective head coaches. Each team has already signed two England-contracted players and one ‘marquee’ pick, announced on the night of the men’s draft. Teams have until the end of May 2020 to finalise their squads.So, who’s in then?Trent RocketsJoe Root of Trent Rockets, one of the eight new teams that competing in The Hundred•Getty Images
Men’s squad: Joe Root, Rashid Khan, D’Arcy Short, Lewis Gregory (captain), Alex Hales, Nathan Coulter-Nile, Harry Gurney, Steven Mullaney, Matthew Carter, Luke Wood, Tom Moores, Dawid Malan, Ben Cox, Luke Fletcher, Luke Wright
Head coach: Stephen FlemingWomen’s squad: Katherine Brunt, Kathryn Bryce, Sarah Glenn, Beth Langston, Sophie Molineux, Natalie Sciver (captain), Elyse Villani, Mady Villiers
Head coach: Salliann BriggsSouthern BraveAndre Russell was selected for Southern Brave at No. 2 in The Hundred draft•Getty Images
Men’s squad: Jofra Archer, Andre Russell, David Warner, Liam Dawson, James Vince, Shadab Khan, Chris Jordan, Tymal Mills, Ross Whiteley, Delray Rawlins, Ollie Pope, George Garton, Alex Davies, Max Waller, Craig Overton
Head coach: Mahela JayawardenaWomen’s squad: Suzie Bates, Lauren Bell, Sophia Dunkley, Fi Morris, Paige Scholfield, Anya Shrubsole, Stafanie Taylor, Danni Wyatt
Head coach: Charlotte EdwardsNorthern SuperchargersBen Stokes of Northern Superchargers at The Hundred Draft•Getty Images
Men’s squad: Ben Stokes, Aaron Finch (captain), Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Chris Lynn, Adil Rashid, Adam Lyth, David Willey, Richard Gleeson, Ben Foakes, Tom Kohler-Cadmore, David Wiese, Nathan Rimmington, Brydon Carse, Ed Barnard, John Simpson
Head coach: Darren LehmannWomen’s squad: Nicola Carey, Alice Davidson-Richards, Georgia Davis, Helen Fenby, Alyssa Healy, Bess Heath, Katie Levick, Linsey Smith, Lauren Winfield (captain)
Head coach: Danielle HazellWelsh FireWelsh Fire head coach Gary Kirsten and star player Jonny Bairstow at The Hundred draft•Getty Images
Men’s squad: Jonny Bairstow, Mitchell Starc, Steve Smith (captain), Colin Ingram, Tom Banton, Ben Duckett, Ravi Rampaul, Simon Harmer, Qais Ahmed, Liam Plunkett, Ryan ten Doeschate, David Payne, Ryan Higgins, Danny Briggs, Leus du Plooy
Head coach: Gary KirstenWomen’s squad: Lauren Filer, Katie George, Alex Griffiths, Georgia Hennessy, Jess Jonassen, Meg Lanning, Sophie Luff, Beth Mooney, Claire Nicholas, Bryony Smith
Head coach: Matthew MottOval InvinciblesJason Roy and Sam Curran at the launch of The Hundred•Getty Images
Men’s squad: Sam Curran, Sunil Narine, Jason Roy, Sam Billings, Sandeep Lamichhane, Rilee Rossouw, Tom Curran, Reece Topley, Hardus Viljoen, Fabian Allen, Alex Blake, Will Jacks, Chris Wood, Nathan Sowter, Laurie Evans
Head coach: Tom MoodyWomen’s squad: Georgia Adams, Hollie Armitage, Tash Farrant, Rachael Haynes, Marizanne Kapp, Laura Marsh, Rhianna Southby, Dane van Niekerk, Fran Wilson
Head coach: Lydia GreenwayManchester OriginalsJos Buttler of Manchester Originals looks on prior to The Hundred Draft•Getty Images
Men’s squad: Jos Buttler, Imran Tahir, Dane Vilas, Phil Salt, Tom Abell, Matt Parkinson, Saqib Mahmood, Dan Christian, Wayne Madsen, Wayne Parnell, Mitchell Santner, Joe Clarke, Marchant de Lange, Ed Pollock, Eddie Byrom
Head coach: Simon KatichWomen’s squad: Georgia Boyce, Kate Cross, Mignon du Preez, Sophie Ecclestone, Alex Hartley, Emma Lamb, Lizelle Lee, Ellie Threlkeld
Head coach: TBALondon SpiritEoin Morgan of London Spirit during the Hundred draft•Getty Images
Men’s squad: Rory Burns, Glenn Maxwell, Eoin Morgan (captain), Mohammad Nabi, Mohammad Amir, Roelof van der Merwe, Mark Wood, Joe Denly, Dan Lawrence, Mason Crane, Kyle Abbott, Adam Rossington, Zak Crawley, Jade Dernbach, Luis Reece
Head coach: Shane WarneWomen’s squad: Tammy Beaumont, Aylish Cranstone, Naomi Dattani, Freya Davies, Charlie Dean, Deandra Dottin, Hannah Jones, Heather Knight (captain), Chloe Tryon
Head coach: Trevor GriffinBirmingham PhoenixChris Woakes of Birmingham Phoenix, one of the eight new teams competing in The Hundred•Getty Images
Men’s squad: Chris Woakes, Liam Livingstone, Moeen Ali (captain), Kane Williamson, Ravi Bopara, Benny Howell, Tom Helm, Shaheen Afridi, Pat Brown, Adam Hose, Cameron Delport, Henry Brookes, Adam Zampa, Riki Wessels, Chris Cooke
Head coach: Andrew McDonaldWomen’s squad: Sophie Devine (captain), Georgia Elwiss, Ria Fackrell, Ashleigh Gardner, Kirstie Gordon, Amy Jones, Evelyn Jones, Marie Kelly, Isabelle Wong
Head coach: Ben SawyerThis page is regularly updated
As Liverpool prepare for the exit of Jurgen Klopp and the impossible task of replacing a true Anfield great, FSG have turned up the heat in their hunt to ensure that the Reds only get even better after Klopp.
Liverpool's post-Klopp era
Not only do Liverpool have to find a replacement for Klopp, but they also have to rebuild away from the dugout with a new sporting director following the exit of Jorg Schmadtke. The rumour mill has already got going on both those fronts too. When it comes to the managerial role, Xabi Alonso is the name leading the way, having already reportedly been offered a deal by FSG.
Meanwhile, Liverpool have also been linked with Richard Hughes, who is set to leave his role on the Bournemouth board at the end of the season, as confirmed by Fabrizio Romano.
Hughes is not FSG's preferred candidate, however. According to Paul Joyce, the American owners and Liverpool have held fresh talks with Michael Edwards over a possible return to the club this summer. Edwards, of course, was largely responsible for the Reds' most successful Premier League chapter, helping to build what proved to be a dominant side capable of winning any and everything on offer.
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Now, as they look to build towards similar success, Liverpool have turned to Edwards once again. It remains to be seen whether the former sporting director will make his return, however, having rejected previous proposals and with reports indicating that he wants full control of the restructure of the club this summer.
Michael Edwards' best Liverpool signings
There's no doubt that Edwards is one of the best in the business at what he does and it comes as no surprise that FSG have recognised that once again. If they can secure the return of their former sporting director and then welcome Alonso in the dugout, then they may even pick up where Klopp leaves things, avoiding an awkward transition altogether.
Edwards' best Liverpool signings shaped an era of Anfield history that left Klopp and co standing tall as dominant Premier League champions.
Michael Edwards' Liverpool signings
Signed from
Year
Cost
Virgil van Dijk
Southampton
2018
£75m
Mohamed Salah
AS Roma
2017
£37m
Alisson Becker
AS Roma
2018
£67m
Sadio Mane
Southampton
2016
£34m
Fabinho
AS Monaco
2018
£39m
FSG's reported talks with Edwards could be their final chance to secure his return with time ticking away to restructure things away from the action. Edwards has rejected previous proposals, but the Liverpool owners have seemingly failed to shift their focus towards other options.
The former sporting director has been at the centre of the Reds' success in the past and could yet shape another era to remember at Anfield post-Klopp.
The ODIs, part of Cricket World Cup League Two structure, were originally designated to be hosted in North Carolina
Peter Della Penna04-Aug-2019
Peter Della Penna
USA’s first round of ODIs against Namibia and Papua New Guinea, as part of the new Cricket World Cup League Two structure, are set to be hosted at the Central Broward Regional Park in Lauderhill, beginning from September 13. These ODIs had been originally designated to be played in North Carolina. A USA Cricket board member corroborated the match schedule outline including the change of venue to Lauderhill. These games will be the first ODIs ever played on American soil by any team, making USA the 32nd country to host ODI cricket.ESPNcricinfo had reported last month that the ODI matches had been pulled from Church Street Park in the Raleigh suburb of Morrisville after the ICC had announced in May that the venue would host these games. Woodley Park in Los Angeles and an under-construction venue at Morgan Hill, California in the Silicon Valley became the frontrunners to land the hosting gig for USA’s first home ODIs.However, the new turf venue at Morgan Hill – which is being paid for by American Cricket Enterprises (ACE) – will not be ready in time. Meanwhile, Woodley Park’s recent investment upgrades from ACE funding were not enough to have the venue receive ODI ground accreditation from the ICC in time to host matches in September.The result is that, in spite of September being the height of the south Florida tropical storm season, the Central Broward Regional Park turned into the default host option due to its ODI ground status listing, which it received from the ICC upon opening in 2008. Despite having had ODI status for more than a decade, the ground has never actually hosted an official ODI. Sunday’s 2nd T20I between India and West Indies will be the ground’s 10th T20I match since the inaugural T20I was played between New Zealand and Sri Lanka in May 2010.Multiple sources, however, confirmed that USA Cricket has begun moving forward with plans to host the round of six ODIs at the venue. Sources have also stated that the matches were pushed back a week from their originally announced dates of September 7-14.A request was made by USA Cricket to both Cricket PNG and Cricket Namibia during the ICC Annual Conference in London last month to push the series back a week due to venue availability issues in Lauderhill, with other vendors having rented out the facility in the week prior. According to a USA Cricket source, the series will now start on Friday, September 13 with USA’s first home ODI to be played against Papua New Guinea.Namibia are not scheduled to arrive from a training camp in South Africa until September 15, meaning the next match in the tri-series will not take place until September 17, when USA take on Namibia. The home side are then penciled in to play back-to-back ODIs on September 19 & 20 against both visiting sides to accommodate USA Cricket’s original plans for the squad to leave on September 21 for an extended training camp at the National Cricket Academy in Bangalore, in preparation for the T20 World Cup Qualifier in the UAE beginning on October 11.Namibia and PNG, meanwhile, will play back-to-back ODIs in Lauderhill after USA’s departure to round off the scheduled series. The ODI series dates have been sent to the ICC for confirmation but are expected to be rubber-stamped with all parties in agreement. The two visiting countries also have tentative plans to play one or two T20Is at the Florida venue after the ODI series, as part of their own preparations for the T20 World Cup Qualifier, before flying back home.USA have played only three ODIs so far. The first two came at the 2004 Champions Trophy in England, where they suffered heavy defeats to Australia and New Zealand. Their third and most recent ODI came this past April in the third place playoff match at ICC World Cricket League Division Two in Namibia. After securing a top-four finish in the league stage, USA’s playoff match with Papua New Guinea was given ODI status. Despite having beaten PNG by 10 wickets in a non-ODI in the league stage, USA lost the playoff by five wickets.
Gary Lineker had some advice for a "plodding" Harry Kane after the England captain was taken off against Denmark at Euro 2024.
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Kane got on the scoresheet against DenmarkStruggled to make an impact as the game wore onLineker says his movement was minimalWHAT HAPPENED?
In a candid assessment following England's 1-1 draw with Denmark at Euro 2024, former England striker and BBC pundit Gary Lineker called for a significant improvement from Kane. Despite scoring England's only goal, Kane's overall performance left much to be desired, prompting Lineker to advise manager Gareth Southgate to demand more from the team captain.
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Kane's contributions beyond the goal were minimal, as he struggled to make a significant impact on the game. This was not an isolated incident; Kane faced similar challenges in England's 1-0 victory over Serbia in their opening group game, where his presence was largely peripheral.
WHAT LINEKER SAID
Speaking on BBC Sport, Lineker outlined specific areas where Kane needs to improve. He said: "As a striker you have two jobs, score goals, which Harry Kane has been good at all his career, and make space. He needs his manager to come to him and ask a little bit more of him. I would have expected that if I'd put in that kind of performance. Against a back three he has to stretch the play, run one way and then come short so you don't have to come too far to receive it. He needs to make more space for the midfield players behind him to create chances."
Lineker did not mince words when critiquing Kane's movement, describing it as "minimal" and "lethargic."
"In all honesty, Harry Kane needs to do a lot better," he added. "His movement was minimal. He didn't look to go behind and he doesn't often, but even when he comes short he's drifting short very lethargically, he's plodding short and that's not going to help."
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DID YOU KNOW?
Kane's underwhelming performance led to his substitution in the 70th minute, with Ollie Watkins coming on as his replacement. This change underscored Southgate's recognition of the need for more dynamism and energy up front. However, the broader issue of how to best utilize Kane remains a pressing concern for Southgate and his coaching staff.