Conte hopes he doesn’t have to cross this particular bridge at Tottenham

Antonio Conte will have innumerable difficult decisions to make at Tottenham, but dropping Harry Kane, if things unravel further for the talisman, will unquestionably be his hardest. 

While Conte hopes he doesn’t have to cross that particular bridge, the possibility of dropping Kane is becoming increasingly likely as the Englishman’s malaise perpetuates. This predicament, when Kane indirectly showed his desire to leave the club, became all too predictable.

We’ve been through this narrative before, with Conte’s former central midfielder at Inter Milan, Christian Eriksen. There are clear differences in their respective plights, but an abundance of similarities also exist. The Kane conundrum is clearly dragging on, as Spurs’ talisman struggles mightily to find his world-beating form from seasons past.

Most of his current decay is down to his desire to play elsewhere. When your heart is no longer emotionally attached, it’s almost impossible to perform at your peak. Kane has experienced this psychological putrefaction first hand.

Although Kane has thrown all of his support behind Spurs’ new gaffer, returning to elite form isn’t as easy as simply flicking a switch. Even if he has found a renewed vigour and devotion to Spurs, a slightly dubious notion, time is ticking for Kane to find a way to shake off the worst slump of his career.