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Three reasons Antonio Conte is a match for Harry Kane at Tottenham

By Aaron Coe

Tottenham Hotspur's English striker Harry Kane during the English Premier League football match between Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London, on April 11, 2021. - - RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or 'live' services. Online in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No video emulation. Social media in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No use in betting publications, games or single club/league/player publications. (Photo by Clive Rose / POOL / AFP) / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or 'live' services. Online in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No video emulation. Social media in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No use in betting publications, games or single club/league/player publications. / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or 'live' services. Online in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No video emulation. Social media in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No use in betting publications, games or single club/league/player publications. (Photo by CLIVE ROSE/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)
Tottenham Hotspur's English striker Harry Kane during the English Premier League football match between Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London, on April 11, 2021. - - RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or 'live' services. Online in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No video emulation. Social media in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No use in betting publications, games or single club/league/player publications. (Photo by Clive Rose / POOL / AFP) / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or 'live' services. Online in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No video emulation. Social media in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No use in betting publications, games or single club/league/player publications. / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or 'live' services. Online in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No video emulation. Social media in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No use in betting publications, games or single club/league/player publications. (Photo by CLIVE ROSE/POOL/AFP via Getty Images) /
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Harry Kane Tottenham Hotspur striker
LEICESTER, ENGLAND – MAY 23: Harry Kane of Tottenham Hotspur during the Premier League match between Leicester City and Tottenham Hotspur at The King Power Stadium on May 23, 2021, in Leicester, England. A limited number of fans will be allowed into Premier League stadiums as Coronavirus restrictions begin to ease in the UK following the COVID-19 pandemic. (Photo by Visionhaus/Getty Images) /

Why Kane and Tottenham should be happy with Conte

Antonio Conte brings stability to the football club that was lacking during the last couple of seasons. For Conte, it is about the team and the results, not the players, not the media, about the success or lack thereof on the field. That promise of success as much as anything else should be reasons enough for Harry Kane to want to stay but here are three specific reasons Kane should be happy about Conte taking charge.

Conte’s teams like to shoot

One of the biggest issues for Tottenham last season was how they were often outshot by the opposition. Despite often winning the battle for possession, Spurs would regularly get outshot by their opponent. This is unlikely to happen with Antonio Conte in charge. Conte wants his teams attacking and wants them taking chances, especially his strikers.

Over two seasons at Inter, his teams averaged 15.14 shots per contest. Conversely, the Lilywhites averaged only 11.63 shots per match. Those four extra shots add up over time and equate to more than 150 more shots over a 38 game season.

And while we know Harry Kane is going to get his shots, those rebound goals were pretty few this past season and surely would go up if everyone was shooting more.

More shots equals more goals

Most importantly the additional shooting leads to more opportunities to score. Inter had an expected Goals or xG of 1.97 compared to Tottenham’s 1.44. That is more than half a goal a match, so taking more shots does matter because like Tottenham this season, Conte’s teams tend to be very efficient.

While the xG for Inter this season was 1.97  per 90, they scored 2.21 goals per 90, outpacing their xG. With 82 goals per season for over the last two seasons, Conte’s teams like to shoot and they are good at it and that should make Harry Kane happy.

Son Heung-Min Tottenham
Tottenham Hotspur’s South Korean striker Son Heung-Min (Photo by LINDSEY PARNABY/POOL/AFP via Getty Images) /

Kane should see a lot more service

Play on the wings is a hallmark of an Antonio Conte team and this is not just spraying the ball wide to spread the field. Rather, Antonio Conte has his teams use the wings to stretch the defense vertically and provide crosses into the box, something Tottenham desperately needs.

Conte’s Inter teams have averaged about five more crosses per match compared to Tottenham this past season. At less than 9 crosses per match, the Spurs simply were not providing very much service. In fact, Lukaku had so much service this past season his xG was actually higher than Harry Kane’s.

The idea that Harry Kane can actually play some striker and be a target in the box for crosses has to sound good to the English captain. Harry Kane had a lot of goals this past season but there was not a lot that one could call easy. Getting Harry Kane more crosses into the box to try and get on the end of is just a good idea.

Just like it is a good idea to have someone beyond Kane to target and giving Kane someone to play off of. This is exactly what Conte does with his two-striker approach.

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