Why Harry Kane Not Wayne Rooney Should Be England's Attacking Spearhead
Harry Kane's goal in England's 3-2 win over Germany satisfied on almost every level you could want as a football fan (supporters of the losing home side excluded).
The determination beating Thomas Muller to the loose penalty-area ball. The audacity to deceive both the Bayern Munich man and Arsenal's Mesut Ozil with—in the week the Dutch maestro died—a simultaneously practical and sublime Cruyff turn. Then the composed bottom-corner finish that brought Roy Hodgson's team back into the game from two-nil down (all from the 3:36 mark on the video below).
It was a goal emblematic of the kind of footballer the Tottenham Hotspur striker is, and a moment that exemplified why he, and not Manchester United's Wayne Rooney, should be England's attacking spearhead moving forward.
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There is one thing we must get out of the way in any discussion about the national team's forward options: If he is fit, Rooney is a must for Hodgson's Euro 2016 squad.
Out of sight and somewhat out of mind during the recent international break, some may be tempted to cast the usual captain aside given the bright attacking displays of those involved. But even if others have moved ahead in the pecking order, there will still be room.
The 30-year-old scored seven times in England's Group E-topping qualifying campaign and also netted a double in a 3-1 friendly win over a then-ascendant Scotland outfit. Though not the most demanding of groups, it was the kind of no-nonsense effort required to get the national team back on track after their disappointing early World Cup exit.
Altogether, it has been a challenging 2015-16 for Rooney at club level. Manchester United sit a point outside of the Premier League top four heading into Sunday's game against Kane and Tottenham, nine behind the second-place north Londoners.
Yet prior to getting injured recently, Rooney was finding a level closer to his recognisable best, doubling his pre-Christmas tally of seven goals in just nine games—a winner away at rivals Liverpool among them.
Though not ready to play Spurs, so long as Rooney gets a good four or five appearances under his belt before the end of the season, he should be heading to France with the national team this summer.
His quality and major tournament experience make him the kind of option and squad presence Hodgson would be foolish to leave behind. Especially in a squad short on leadership (worryingly so at the back) and mostly untested in the concentrated environment of a European Championship.
However, we are way past the point where Rooney has an inalienable right to be a guaranteed starter for his country.
The favouritism that enabled illogical selections of big-name players at the expense of a balanced team is looking like a thing of the past. To his credit, Rooney has done enough thus far to earn his place in the thinking of this healthier new philosophy and what he described to the BBC's Football Focus as "the most exciting squad I've ever been involved with."
He cannot completely escape from the past, though. Notably the fact that, besides some occasional glimmers, he has not enjoyed a genuinely good major tournament experience since his strong turn in Euro 2004 (although closer-run injury recoveries undermined his efforts at the 2006 and 2010 World Cups).
Kane does not carry that burden and offers plenty more besides, too.
With due respect to the achievements of Leicester City's Jamie Vardy this season, the Tottenham centre-forward is the in-form English striker right now. He has backed up a name-making campaign in 2014-15 with another outstanding year, racing to the top of the Premier League scoring charts with 22 goals (just one coming before 25 October). Once again he is a contender for individual honours (see below).
Kane's record in big games for Spurs—goals and accompanying outstanding performances in positive results against Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester City—suggest a player well-equipped to produce on the international stage. A thinking well backed up by his game-changing contribution in the prestige friendly against Germany.
The decisive factors in why Kane should lead England's attack over Rooney revolve around how he simplifies Hodgson's related strategising.
Speaking to Spurs' official website this week, the ex-England and former Manchester United forward Teddy Sheringham said: "I like that he’s not just one particular type of striker."
The versatile Rooney could be similarly described. But, unlike the more mercurial veteran, there is a certainty to Kane's actions that make him a more reliable performer, while not detracting from what Sheringham describes as his ability to "ask defenders different questions."
Kane is well-suited to the three-pronged attack that started against Germany and best suited the team in qualifying (the DNA of a 4-3-3 similar to Spurs' usual 4-2-3-1, especially with Dele Alli prominent in both).
He is a sturdy and intelligent occupier of opposition defences with whom an incisive wide-man like Adam Lallana can link up, as well as a focal point for full-backs' crosses. His good judgement when dropping deep can help facilitate flexibility and fluidity in England's attack, too—something that would ensure a more direct-minded flanking forward like Danny Welbeck is not confined to the periphery.
Kane runs akin to clockwork. That suits the creative yet organised system Hodgson is trying to establish.
Rooney's more maverick style and unpredictable instincts will be trickier to set it by, at least as the team's spearhead.
Vardy's form has put him in strong contention to be the alternate supporting/accompanying option to Kane, while his dynamism makes him a good candidate to bring on as an impact substitute, too (reinforced by his own excellent goal versus Germany).
Rooney's greater experience and familiarity to Hodgson may give him the edge in being accommodated here. Another option was recently mooted by former Republic of Ireland international and current Herald columnist John Giles—"build a team around Rooney as the playmaker" in support of a Vardy and Kane pairing.
Switching up the system now would surely be counterproductive. Nevertheless, that fitting Rooney in generates such discussion speaks to his enduring value.
Be it in dramatic interventions or starting contributions, the likelihood of a successful England Euro 2016 campaign probably increases with his involvement. They will need all the talent they can get.
But after years of disappointing tournament displays from Rooney, it says a lot that starting the proactive and fearless Kane feels much the safer bet.
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