- Harry Kane faces the prospect of another season without team titles
- The English star could not avoid Bayern’s defeat against Leverkusen
- The only PR coaches get is results… the way Erik ten Hag handled Marcus Rashford was a rare positive for the Man U boss. Podcast Everything is beginning
You will know the pose. With his head bowed and hands on his hips, the unsettling realization that the chance to finally become a winner was gone.
Harry Kane reduced that figure in Moscow and Madrid, Wembley and Doha, but he would never have expected to add Leverkusen to his desperate destinations. But here he was, broken, facing the prospect of another calamity potentially unfolding.
When Kane cut ties with Tottenham, we rightly expected his medal hunger to end. Bayern Munich always wins the Bundesliga and signed the England captain for 100 million pounds. How could things go wrong?
Well, things are certainly going badly now. Bayern have time to get out of a situation that places them five points behind Xabi Alonso’s effervescent team, but, seeing it destroyed, it was feared that Kane would once again be second best when the clues were given in May.
This was the kind of contest you’d expect to see him sneak into the penalty area, moving his right foot back and running with that trademark celebration, a kiss on his left hand and a little jump in the air.
Harry Kane was left frustrated as Bayern lost 3-0 to Bayer Leverkusen on Saturday to move five points behind the Bundesliga leaders.
Kane was frustrated as he managed just 18 touches in a brutal 95 minutes against Leverkusen.
When England’s talisman moved to Germany in the summer, it was for silverware, not individual success.
However, to have a chance to do so he needed to see the ball, and he didn’t. He earned 18 touches in those brutal 95 minutes, when Alonso showed why many are ready to anoint him as Liverpool’s next manager, and never managed to get a shot off. Kane’s final contribution was an injury-time pass that apologetically left the game.
Kane, to be absolutely clear, is not the reason Bayern are faltering. Personally, his debut campaign in Germany has been excellent, with 28 goals to date, but he sought this challenge because he wanted more than just individual recognition. He wanted to be a winner.
But Bayern are out of the German Cup, they face a difficult task in the Champions League against Lazio and this 3-0 defeat leaves them gasping for air in the quest to retain the Bundesliga title; The worst thing for Kane is that it seems that all is not well in camp.
“The truth is that I’m pissed off,” fumed Thomas Müller about his performance against Leverkusen. ‘What this team lacks are balls. There has to be energy. It’s not just about (looking at) the coach (Thomas Tuchel). “It’s about the players taking responsibility.”
The Bayern Munich players left the field of play at the BayArena dejected at the end of time.
Kane has been excellent individually for Bayern this season with 28 goals to date
It is not a good sign. Maybe Bayern will wake up and Kane will have the opportunity to celebrate, but seeing him there so sad, one wonders if history, at least for him, will repeat itself.
All the momentum is with Alonso and his men, whose victory was secured with goals from Josip Stanisic, Alex Grimaldo and Jeremie Frimpong.
“The mentality that (Alonso) has given us is that the season is not over, it is a victory,” said Leverkusen defender Jonathon Tah. “We are in a good position, but we have to keep pushing. We enjoyed it, it was nice. Sometimes you have to stop and enjoy the moments. But for the next game? We keep going.’
Kane will do that too; He can only hope that the rest of the Bayern squad will follow suit.