‘He was brought off twice, Gareth thought the same!’: Jamie Carragher defends his early criticism of Harry Kane at Euro 2020 after the England captain marked his return to form with a brace in the 4-0 win over Ukraine
Jamie Carragher has stood by his criticism of Harry Kane‘s early performances at Euro 2020 after the England captain returned to top form against Ukraine.
Kane has now scored three goals in his last matches and looks to be peaking at just the right time for his country, having struggled significantly in the group stage.
And when former Tottenham player Graham Roberts questioned Carragher’s comments after Kane’s performance against Ukraine, the pundit defended himself and insisted even Gareth Southgate agreed with him.
Jamie Carragher has defended his criticism of Harry Kane’s early Euro 2020 performances
The England captain has returned to form in the knockout stage with three goals in two games
Carragher tweeted: ‘He hadn’t looked his normal self until that goal v Germany.
‘I never mentioned his lack of goals once but his general play & movement, he was brought off twice so Gareth thought the same. I also said without Kane near his best we can’t win it. Spot on analysis as usual!’
The England captain was substituted against Croatia as his side won their opening match of the tournament, and Carragher suggested afterwards that Kane was no longer capable of the high energy performances of the past.
‘Kane barely featured in the victory and looked exhausted,’ Carragher wrote for the Telegraph. ‘Brave as it seems for an England manager to substitute his captain, it was the right and obvious call.
Kane struggled against Croatia in England’s tournament opener and was brought off
‘Kane does not lead the press, chase down the full-backs and try to play off the shoulder of the last defender any more.
‘He has become a different player because he no longer has the energy and pace he possessed when he was 24 under Mauricio Pochettino.’
The 27-year-old was brought off again in the Scotland match, after 74 minutes despite the fact England were searching for a goal late on in the goalless draw.
Speaking after the Germany win in the last 16, when Kane scored his first goal of the tournament, Carragher insisted the problem was not just one to be solved by other players but by the striker himself.
He was also substituted against Scotland and Carragher questioned his all-round contribution
He told Sky: ‘I am not one for going to town on Kane. But at the moment the rhetoric around him from a lot of people is that the other players are not creating chances and not getting him into the game enough.
‘He has got to do more himself. That is my problem with it. The onus is always on the other players. Kane needs to do more himself.
‘If Kane is given chances he will score. But he has not created enough for himself.
‘Can England get more out of him? Yes. But what more can Kane do because it is not a one-off game now, it is a bit of a pattern.’
‘I would like him more involved because if Kane is anywhere near his best then I think England will win this tournament.’