Why Tottenham, Kane should stick with two striker approach

In the last game for Tottenham Hotspur before the break, we saw something the Spurs had only done a few other times this season, play two strikers. Playing Carlos Vinicius up top with Harry Kane, gave the Lilywhites a more offensive approach Tottenham should adopt moving forward. Here are three reasons Spurs should stick with a two-forward system.

Tottenham asking too much of Kane

While the injury to Heung-Min Son has exacerbated the problem – as has the up-and-down performance of Gareth Bale – Tottenham Hotspur needs to do more to help Harry Kane. Currently, Kane is the primary target on most punts and long goal kicks. As the primary target for most longer forward passes Kane takes a lot of abuse.

Kane is good at battling in the air and does win his share but the effort takes its toll over a season. Likewise, in terms of the hold-up play from the front line, Kane is usually the primary target there too.

These situations often give opposing defenses a few free-kicks and a stomp or two each game as Kane fights to hold possession and move Spurs’ offense forward. This abuse can be lessened if there is a second forward. Similarly, Kane is often the primary target in crosses, although he is also the deep-lying playmaker.

A second striker must be accounted for by the defense

If Tottenham plays Kane with a second striker, suddenly all the attention he gets defensively has to be shared. As much as Bale and Son and others often contribute, it is usually fullbacks and wings that cover the rest of Tottenham. This means there are usually two center-halves guarding Harry Kane.

If there is a second striker, preferably staying on the deepest defender’s shoulder, Kane is less likely to be double-teamed. He may even find himself without a defender from time to time as the center backs have to stay home on the second forward who plays up top. Assuming that the second forward is Carlos Vinicius as was the case in the win against Aston Villa. If the second forward is someone like Dele, he and Kane take turns dropping deep because we know Kane likes to do that and be upfront.

More options for the deep playmakers

By having two strikers, particularly if the playmaker is Kane dropping deep, there are now more options at his disposal. When Kane is playing as a lone striker and drops deep, first he can play the ball back to a defender or midfielder where it came so they can push the ball forward. Second, he could turn and hit the ball out wide, or third, he turns and plays the ball over the top to one of the wingers.

What Kane does not have the option to do is turn and then hit a target man further up the pitch. In having Vinicius or even Dane Scarlett on that final defender, Kane now has a fourth, more direct option.

The magic of Kane playing the ball wide is that the ball is often crossed back into Kane, versus a long ball to a racing wing. A direct ball to another forward’s feet then gives Kane the option to get the ball played back to him facing goal.

Now Spurs have the ball at the feet of their best playmaker and goalscorer in the middle of the field with options galore, sounds like a good idea. This is true because most of all what Spurs want is Kane with the ball in the middle of the field, which leads to our third reason to keep playing with two forward, space to play.

Having two forwards will give Kane more space to play

It seems counter-intuitive at first but having two strikers will give Kane more room to operate. This is true for two reasons. First, the wings will not have to fill the void up front when Kane drops deep. Instead of always having wings drift inside and crowd the box they can stay wide. Far too often the middle gets crowded as everyone cuts inside.

Besides not needing the wings in the box as much, to play with two forwards means losing a player somewhere else on the pitch in the most common Tottenham set-up. Likely this player would be the center attacking midfielder. Arguably, Kane has been playing this role as well as the #9 role all season for Spurs anyway, this would just give him more help in the attack, as opposed to another player to fight for space in the deep attack.

Ultimately, Tottenham may have only played two forwards because Son was injured and we see Mourinho revert to the preferred one up-top. However, Tottenham needed something two weeks ago and likely still does today to help get over the hump this season. Maybe that something is the second striker, I know I want to see it more.