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Brady & Hamann Double Down On Harry Kane Criticism Despite Croatia Win

Brady & Hamann Double Down On Harry Kane Criticism Despite Croatia Win
Gary Connaughton
By Gary Connaughton
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England have won their opening game of Euro 2020, and while the fixture against Croatia was not the easiest of watches, Gareth Southgate will be delighted to start the tournament with a victory.

Raheem Sterling's second half strike was the deciding moment of what was a game of relatively few chances, especially after the opening 20 minutes.

England did seem to lack a bit of creativity in the final third despite their attacking options, with Harry Kane putting in a very passive performance.

Billed as the man who could fire his side to glory this summer, he had very little involvement in the game. He was eventually substituted with ten minutes to play. They will certainly require better showings from him moving forward.

Speaking on RTÉ before the game, Brady suggested that he wasn't all that convinced by Harry Kane, suggesting he wasn't perhaps 'world class'. The Arsenal legend said that the striker's dependence on others to provide his scoring chances.

He doubled down on that after the final whistle, saying that Kane's performance will 'worry' England moving forward.

It's probably a little bit of nit picking about Harry Kane but he didn't bring anybody into the game.

You need somebody up front who's going to hold up the ball and bring Foden and bring Sterling into it. I think he's a worry for England...

The world class players can do things on their own. I didn't think he had a great World Cup in 2018, I didn't think he had a great Euros in 2016, and he's started poorly here today.

That would be troubling for Southgate when he goes back. I don't see him being dropped in the next two games, but if he doesn't do it in those games, what are you going to do then?

You're into the knockout stages. Are you going to pick the best team or just hope that Harry Kane can switch it back on?

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Didi Hamann agreed with that assessment.

While Kane contributes in a number of ways in the Premier League, his all round performances in the Champions League and at international level have left something to be desired at times when he does not score.

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Hamann believes that Kane has consistently failed to perform at major tournaments for England, even if a number of penalties at the 2018 World Cup made him top scorer in that competition.

It is something he will need to correct moving forward if he is to be England's talisman at Euro 2020.

I think if you have your number nine and you captain, he has to contribute even if he doesn't score.

With the great centre forwards, they always give you something. Even if they don't score they create a chance, they hold the ball up. Today he didn't do anything.

That's always the question with Kane when you're talking about him being world class. He is a fantastic goalscorer, no doubt about it, but when he doesn't score does he give the team enough?

He is there to create space for others...

The question is at the highest level does he do it enough? Has he had the impact in the Champions League? I don't think he did. Has he had the impact in major tournaments? I don't think he has.

The Premier League is a different competition, of course it's hard to score goals in the Premier League. Based on today's performance, it is a worry.

Both Brady and Hamann would go on to suggest that Kane's poor performance could be related to the transfer speculation currently surrounding the player, with the 27-year old keen to leave Spurs this summer.

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Gareth Southgate will be hoping that his head is right moving forward in this tournament.

SEE ALSO: Liam Brady Was Given An 'Impossible' Task By Jack Charlton At Euro 88

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