da premier bet: The Tottenham striker would dramatically transform a team that was relying on Eric-Maxim Choupo-Moting for goals last season…
da 888casino: Thomas Tuchel's red card in the closing stages of Bayern Munich's Champions League quarter-final second leg against Manchester City came as no surprise. He'd barely stopped ranting and raving for a second during the preceding 86 minutes at the Allianz Arena.
Tuchel's rage was directed at the referee but, in truth, his players were the real source of his frustration. Dayot Upamecano had proven an complete liability over the course of the two games, giving away a goal in Manchester and then a penalty in Bavaria as he failed dismally to cope with City's pressing, and Erling Haaland's combination of pace and power.
But what killed Tuchel was Bayern's inability to turn possession into goals, in both legs. They saw more of the ball not only at home but also in City's backyard, while they also had more shots than Pep Guardiola's side (31-24) overall, and as many on target (11 apiece) – and yet still lost 4-1 on aggregate.
"I try to not allow my players to focus on the result," Tuchel said after the 3-0 loss at the Etihad. "I think it is not a deserved result, it does not tell the story of this match. We played with personality, courage and a lot of quality but we didn't get the rewards we deserved. This does not feel like a 3-0 but it is a 3-0. So, it is a huge task to turn it around."
And yet they actually could have done – had it not been for some dreadful finishing from the likes of Leroy Sane.
Getty ImagesLosing Lewandowski & Mane's misery
In that sense, Haaland had effectively proven the difference between the two sides. One side had a world-class centre-forward leading the line, while the other had a half-fit Eric-Maxim Choupo-Moting, who top-scored for Bayern last season with just 17 goals.
So, while much of the fall-out from Bayern's elimination focused on the surprise decision to fire Julian Nagelsmann and hire Tuchel just before the quarter-finals of the Champions League, the real problem was replacing Robert Lewandowski with Sadio Mane. Obviously, nobody could have envisaged the latter proving more adept at hitting team-mates than the back of the net, but it was still a poor call by sporting director Hasan Salihamidzic.
Mane, who has just been sent packing to Saudi Arabia, had earned himself a reputation as a world-class wide attacker and a reliable source of goals during his time at Liverpool – but was never as prolific as Mohamed Salah. There was never any chance of him filling the void left by Lewandowski, who had scored 50 times in just 46 appearances in his final season in Germany.
Of course, that is the kind of insane strike-rate that very, very few centre-forwards could replicate at Bayern. But Harry Kane could. Genuinely. He is that good.
AdvertisementGettyKane a complete centre-forward
Lewandowski is obviously more of a pure goalscorer, a classic No.9 that truly comes alive in the area. Kane, though, is capable of both scoring and creating goals, which is why Real Madrid were also interested in signing him before Kylian Mbappe sent them yet another 'come-and-get-me' plea.
There really was no better 'like-for-like' replacement for Karim Benzema than Kane. He's the closest thing to the Frenchman in the game today. Neither player is especially quick but they are that rare breed of clever centre-forward who can do almost anything in the final third.
They are simultaneously unselfish and single-minded, willing to work hard for their team-mates and drop deep to link the play, while at the same time intent on getting on the end of every single pass or cross into the area, making them a nightmare to mark – and almost impossible to keep completely quiet for 90 minutes.
Getty ImagesA perfect fit for Bayern
It really is easy, then, to envisage Kane flourishing at Bayern. The Bavarians have an abundance of young and gifted attacking midfielders and pacey wide men that would, in theory at least, work wonderfully well with such an experienced and mobile forward that would not only offer an excellent focal point in attack, but also be able to move away from central areas to create space for his colleagues to exploit.
Indeed, the image of Kane being surrounded and supported by fantastic dribblers like Jamal Musiala and Kingsley Coman (if he manages to stay fit next season) is a mouth-watering prospect for Bayern fans right now. And rightly so.
GettyKane could run riot in the Bundesliga
Kane currently sits second on the list of the Premier League's all-time leading goalscorers. If he were to remain in England, even at Spurs, he would undoubtedly take the record away from Alan Shearer inside three seasons.
After all, we're talking about a forward so clinical that he converted 12 percent more of his 'big chances' in last season's Premier League than Haaland (52.54%), and managed to score 30 goals in 38 appearances for the eighth-best team in England – meaning he finished just six shy of the Norwegian's record-breaking haul.
That is a truly staggering achievement in the circumstances and one cannot help but wonder, if Kane can continue to score freely for a team in total disarray, just how many goals would he rack up for a Bayern side that will be all the better for a full pre-season under Tuchel?