DOMINIC KING: Harry Kane’s Bayern trophy hopes are hanging by a thread
- Harry Kane faces the prospect of one other season with out workforce silverware
- The England star was helpless to cease Bayern being crushed by Leverkusen
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You will know the pose. Head bowed, arms on hips, the haunting realisation an opportunity to lastly turn out to be a winner had slipped away.
Harry Kane lower that determine in Moscow and Madrid, Wembley and Doha however he might by no means have foreseen including Leverkusen to his locations of despair. But right here he was, shattered, confronting the prospect that one other calamity is probably unfolding.
When Kane lower ties with Tottenham, we anticipated with good motive his medal famine would finish. Bayern Munich all the time win the Bundesliga and had signed England’s captain for £100million – how might issues go fallacious?
Well, issues are definitely going fallacious now. Bayern have time to extricate themselves from a scenario that sees them path Xabi Alonso’s effervescent collective by 5 factors however, watching them get ripped aside, you feared Kane will once more be second greatest when the hints are given out in May.
This was the type of contest you anticipated to see him arriving into the penalty space with stealth, sweeping his proper foot again and operating off with that trademark celebration, a kiss of his left hand and just a little bounce within the air.
Harry Kane was pissed off as Bayern slipped to a 3-0 defeat in opposition to Bayer Leverkusen on Saturday and dropped five-points behind the Bundesliga leaders
Kane was pissed off as he managed simply 18 touches over a brutal 95 minutes in opposition to Leverkusen
When the England talisman moved to Germany in the summertime, it was for silverware not particular person success
To stand an opportunity of doing that, although, he wanted to see the ball – and he didn’t. He bought 18 touches over these brutal 95 minutes, when Alonso confirmed why many are able to anoint him as Liverpool’s subsequent supervisor, and by no means mustered a shot. Kane’s closing contribution was an injury-time go that rolled apologetically out of play.
Kane, be completely clear, isn’t the rationale Bayern are floundering. His debut marketing campaign in Germany, personally, has been glorious with 28 objectives thus far however he sought this problem as a result of he wished greater than particular person recognition. He wished to be a winner.
But Bayern are out of the German Cup, face a difficult Champions League task in opposition to Lazio and this 3-0 defeat leaves them gasping for air within the quest to retain the Bundesliga title; worse for Kane, plainly all just isn’t effectively inside within the camp.
‘To be honest, I’m ****ed off,’ Thomas Muller fumed concerning the efficiency in opposition to Leverkusen. ‘What is missing from this team is balls. There has to be energy. It is not just about (looking at) the coach (Thomas Tuchel). It’s concerning the gamers taking accountability.’
Bayern Munich gamers have been dejected as they trudged off the pitch at full time on the BayArena
Kane has been individually glorious for Bayern this season with 28 objectives thus far
Not a very good signal. Perhaps Bayern will rouse themselves and Kane will get that chance to have fun however to see him standing there so forlornly, you had to wonder if historical past – for him at the very least – will repeat.
All the momentum is with Alonso and his males, whose triumph was secured with objectives from Josip Stanisic, Alex Grimaldo and Jeremie Frimpong.
‘The mentality (Alonso) has given us is that the season isn’t over, it’s one win,’ mentioned Leverkusen defender Jonathon Tah. ‘We’re in a very good place however we should maintain pushing. We loved this, it was good. Sometimes you must cease and luxuriate in moments. But for the subsequent sport? We maintain going.’
Kane will do this too; he can solely hope the remainder of Bayern’s itemizing squad will observe.