Failed Experiment As England Get Grim Glimpse Of Life Without Kane

Former England goalkeeper Paul Robinson, astatine Wembley for BBC Radio 5 Live, said: "This is nan nonstop business nary England instrumentality wants. We've talked astir it for complete a play pinch this World Cup coming up. What do England do without Harry Kane?

"This is what England and Thomas Tuchel do not want. He doesn't person an reply to this question. Hence why we're seeing this caller statement again, pinch nan interchange and mendacious nine.

"We've spoken astir Dominic Calvert-Lewin, Dominic Solanke, Ollie Watkins. Nobody stuck their limb up and said, 'I'll beryllium his replacement'. that's why we're seeing this."

Robinson added: "It was a very disappointing evening for Thomas Tuchel. The research that he tried successful nan first half pinch nan beforehand 4 intelligibly didn't work.

"It didn't return him agelong successful nan 2nd half to alteration it. You do springiness England in installments because erstwhile those changes were made location was a batch much cohesion.

"The 1 area that Thomas Tuchel has sewage a problem is if location is simply a problem pinch Harry Kane. If that happens, past England person a existent problem aft watching that."

Tuchel answered nan mobility astir an over-reliance connected Kane, saying: "Well, why would Argentina not trust connected Lionel Messi, aliases Portugal not trust connected Cristiano Ronaldo? This is wholly normal. Key figures near campy for america and we saw that a bit.

"We lacked a punch successful nan past 20 metres successful some matches. We encouraged nan players. It was difficult for us."

Kane's imaginable absence is an contiguous concern, leaving Tuchel short of viable alternatives erstwhile he needs them most, particularly fixed these 2 toothless performances without him.

English strikers are abruptly a malaise.

Only 10 English strikers person appeared successful nan Premier League successful nan existent campaign, pinch Chelsea's 22-year-old Liam Delap nan only 1 aged nether 26.

Brighton's Danny Welbeck, who turns 35 astatine nan extremity of nan period and mightiness conscionable person had a bully world break by not being involved, and 33-year-old Callum Wilson from West Ham United, are nan only English strikers who person scored much than 1 extremity successful a lucifer successful nan Premier League this season.

Welbeck and Calvert-Lewin are nan only English strikers to person scored 10 aliases much Premier League goals this play – pinch 43 scored by English strikers.

The cupboard is bare, underscoring conscionable really indispensable Kane is.

This was a sobering nighttime for England and Tuchel. This capacity demonstrated that they elemental cannot unrecorded without Harry Kane.