Harry Kane's Rising Star Undeniable but Will He Disrupt Pochettino's Plans?

Tottenham's hero of the moment is Harry Kane. The 21-year-old striker has moved swiftly from cult hero to major talking point. His match-winning free-kick at Villa Park ensured his place in the headlines. 

Speaking before the Aston Villa match, Pochettino admitted to being under pressure from fans to give Kane more playing time. He said "always, he is English, he is young and from the Tottenham academy so it is normal."

He conceded after the win at Villa Park that "he deserves to play more in the Premier League." 

Kane has now reached the point where he is playing well enough to be considered a better option for Spurs than Emmanuel Adebayor or Roberto Soldado.

His influence on the match against Aston Villa was stunningly apparent. 

Spurs had been slow and apathetic, trailing 1-0 to a desperately poor Villa side and looking unlikely to even test goalkeeper Brad Guzan. 

From the moment he entered the match, Kane was at the heart of everything. He created an immediate chance, and he fired a header at Guzan from the ensuing corner. His attempt at goal was easily dealt with but Kane was already making things happen.

Kane even played a role in the equaliser. He and Nacer Chadli began from the same spot as Lamela's corner was sent in, but Kane made a run towards the centre of the goal, allowing Chadli to ghost in at the back post. It was an excellent finish from Chadli but Kane helped to confuse the Villa defence.

Jon Super/Associated Press

Jamie Redknapp told Sky Sports after the match that there can be "no comparison" between Kane and his teammates, "Kane is an exceptional talent who works hard on his game and there is absolutely no way Pochettino can leave him out of this team now."

If Kane has won his place in the Tottenham team, what impact will that have on the style of football that Pochettino is trying to play? Will it hurt players around him?  

Against Aston Villa, Pochettino deployed his team in a surprising formation. Selecting two forwards and asking Christian Eriksen to play out wide, the team struggled in both attack and defence. Eriksen was wasted and then withdrawn to make room for Erik Lamela.  

Were Kane to be selected as the deeper forward in this formation, there would be no obvious position for Eriksen. He could be selected as one of the midfield pair but this would shift virtually the entire defensive role onto his partner and would leave the defence badly exposed. Against the bigger teams, such an approach would be suicidal. 

It is possible that Eriksen will develop the capacity to play in that area, much as Luka Modric did, but he is certainly not ready to take that role yet. It's worth remembering that Modric was 23 when he arrived at Spurs; a full year older than Eriksen is now. 

Eriksen is one of Tottenham's best players. He simply must play. With that in mind, the only way to find a place for Kane is as the lone striker.

It would benefit Eriksen to play in a more advanced position behind a single striker. Many of his best games for Spurs have come in that role. 

Rui Vieira/Associated Press

This approach would have the also keep Ryan Mason in the starting lineup. Much like Kane, Mason is enjoying a stunning rise and benefiting from regular playing time. Playing Eriksen in the holding role would likely see Mason jettisoned. 

It would be a significant statement for Pochettino to drop his two veteran forwards for an academy graduate but it would be merited by their collective form. 

Being replaced in the starting lineup by Kane could further damage Soldado's fragile confidence and upset Adebayor's equally delicate temperament, but neither deserves their place. Is it worth the potential long-term damage to both of his senior forwards for Pochettino to stick with the "hot hand?"

Alan Smith argues in the Telegraph that Kane remains a work in progress. However, he believes that only by playing often can Kane be polished into the finished article. Already a good, Premier League quality player, Kane has the potential to be great. 

Pochettino has insisted that all members of his squad are worthy of playing time and that he must share that time fairly. According to The Times (H/T 101GreatGoals.com), Kane will start Thursday's Europa League clash against Asteras Tripolis which suggests that he will return to the bench for the next league game, at home to Stoke City. 

Kane himself insists that fatigue is not an issue and that he would "play a game for Tottenham every day" if he could. Respectfully, Kane is sending a message to the manager that he can be the man to lead Spurs' attack.

Regardless of his impact on the results, selecting Kane more often would be a shrewd move on Pochettino's part. Since his 2011 debut against Hearts, Kane has been held in high esteem by many Spurs fans. He has long been a favourite of those that carefully watch the development squad and youth teams. 

Pochettino would earn political capital by putting Kane in the team. He may find it easier to install his long-term plan with a young, grateful striker in the lineup and the fans would be more patient with what will inevitably be a long-term process.