If England is to resurrect its Euro 2024 campaign and remind everyone that, oh yeah, just a couple of weeks ago it was considered the tournament favorite, Harry Kane needs to step up.
And speak up.
Kane, the England captain, has had muted performances in more ways than one during the group stage, scoring once but generally performing below his typical level as the team narrowly beat Serbia, then squeezed out draws against Slovenia and Denmark.
Within the England camp, the Bayern Munich forward commands universal respect, given his status as leader and the country’s all-time leading goalscorer.
What is needed now is for him to find his most commanding voice, and to ensure that the message is clear as the players take on Slovakia in the Round of 16 on Sunday (noon ET on FOX).
Over the past two games, the greatest amount of talking has been done by Jude Bellingham, but what has been heard from the Real Madrid midfielder has too often taken the form of frustration rather than encouragement.
Gareth Southgate’s England needs to get back on track, and now. When Phil Foden and Bellingham get in each other’s way, it needs Kane’s voice to interpret the mess and sort out an on-field solution.
When the midfield fails to fire, it needs Kane to direct traffic. If a youngster like Kobbie Mainoo, expected to start, feels some jitters, it is Kane who needs to put an arm around his shoulder.
For there has been too much confusion from England. Too much talent, some will say, or at the very least too many players thinking they are the leader and having license to freelance.
“Jude’s body language told you a lot,” former England forward Wayne Rooney wrote, in the London Times. “Three or four times in the first half (against Slovenia) he could not hide his frustration.
“He was turning round to look at others and throwing his arms up. Body language like that sends a message to the fans, to his team-mates, to the manager.”
Bellingham is the most gifted player in the England squad and his performances over the past months indicate he is one of the very best in the world, let alone the best in his country.
However, he is still just 20 and does not yet have the gravitas to be the person that everyone in the camp listens to, and acts upon their say-so.
That person has to be Kane.
Sometimes Kane needs something to bounce off to get him fired up. Earlier in the tournament, he was angered by criticism from former England forward Gary Lineker and snapped back when questioned about it in a rare example of him losing his cool.
Perhaps the heated words of Slovakia defender Milan Skriniar will do the trick. Skriniar gave a fiery press conference this week in a press conference, in which he insisted his team can topple England.
“I believe we will torment them,” Skriniar said. “We have to try to play our game. The whole team believes that we can surprise them.
“We have the weapons to defeat them. Of course, they are definitely better than us, but with teamwork, we can beat them. They have a squad full of stars, but as a team we are better.
“They will be under much more pressure and that can play in our favor. I felt from their previous performances that they rely a lot on individual quality and know that they have players who can decide matches. However, we can manage it as a team.”
The idea that England’s recent reputation has been built on individualism is not a new one. With Kane the German Bundesliga’s top scorer, Foden the EPL player of the year, and Bellingham La Liga’s player of the season, England has rarely been blessed with such elite superstars, all at the same time.
Whether they can make it count will soon be discovered. Whether the captain can find his voice, could tilt the balance.
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