Harry Kane Says Tottenham's Poor Start Doesn't Match 'Standards That We've Set'

Harry Kane isn't happy about Tottenham Hotspur's "disappointing" start to the season, a run he feels isn't up to the "standards" the north London club has set in recent years.

Kane spoke to Sky Sports and discussed a worrying run that later extended to just two wins out of eight in all competitions after Spurs lost 4-3 on penalties to League Two side Colchester United in the third round of the Carabao Cup on Tuesday night.

The result took one potential piece of silverware away from a club that hasn't won a trophy since 2008, and Kane thinks there's no excuses:

"I'd say it's been disappointing, I don't think there's any hiding behind that. To only win two games out of our first seven is not the standards that we've set in previous years. Obviously the two draws at (Manchester) City and Arsenal are not terrible results, but being 2-0 up at Arsenal and drawing does feel like a terrible result."

Kane won't rule Tottenham out of the Premier League title race, but he believes he and his team-mates need to master one subtle art in order to see out results from winning positions:

"(Game management) is something we need to get better at, when we go ahead in games we need to be more confident, to see the game out, whether we drop behind the ball or carry on playing, whatever suits that game. We're not inexperienced any more, we're not young any more, the excuses aren't there for us any more. It's down to us players to take responsibility."

Kane's comments come at a time when the mood and atmosphere within the Spurs camp are being brought into sharper focus. Mauricio Pochettino has already said he wants to add to his squad during the January transfer window, amid what he referred to as "different agendas in the squad," per Ben Grounds of Sky Sports.

Tottenham's core group has shown signs of cracking during a summer fraught with speculation involving some of its key members. Playmaker Christian Eriksen led the way after publicly declaring he'd like to leave the club back in June.

Eriksen didn't get a transfer, but his motivation will naturally be questioned after such a statement. Similarly, centre-backs Jan Vertonghen and Toby Alderweireld appeared unsettled entering the final year of their respective contracts.

Unlike last summer, Spurs did dip into the market, but the buys are yet to improve the group who lost last season's UEFA Champions League final 2-0 against Liverpool. Club-record signing Tanguy Ndombele has been inconsistent in midfield, while Ryan Sessegnon has dealt with injury and Pochettino has questioned the fitness of Real Betis loanee Giovani Lo Celso.

While new faces are yet to make an impact, holding onto leads has been Spurs' biggest problem. Kane and Co. were 2-0 up in the north London derby against Arsenal earlier this month before having to settle for a point.

The pattern was repeated away to Olympiacos in the Champions League. Meanwhile, Saturday saw the Lilywhites slip to a 3-1 defeat away to Leicester City, despite scoring first at the King Power Stadium.

Things might appear to be going stale for Tottenham, but it may be the natural outcome of the same manager and set of players reaching their limit. Pochettino has been in charge since 2014, working with Kane, Eriksen, Vertonghen, Danny Rose and Hugo Lloris during that whole time.

Despite winning plaudits from neutrals and pundits, Spurs haven't been able to take the final step and win trophies. The lack of silverware made Tuesday's team selection, which involved resting Kane and leaving Eriksen, Heung-Min Son, Vertonghen and Erik Lamela on the bench, difficult to take for some, including Ali Tweedale of The Telegraph:

Tweedale also noted the absence from Spurs' play of a key characteristic of the Pochettino era:

This is a squad in need of a refresh, as well as the return to full fitness of gifted attacking midfielder Dele Alli, who has been dealing with hamstring problems. Spurs and Kane could be set for a season of transition waiting for Alli to get back up to full speed and for new signings to make the grade.

It may be a painful process, but it will likely be worth the wait for a group beginning to look closer and closer to the end of its cycle.