Trump Criticizes England’s Use of 32-Year-Old Harry Kane as Defensive Player
Updated
Updated · The New York Times · Jul 18
Trump Criticizes England’s Use of 32-Year-Old Harry Kane as Defensive Player
3 articles · Updated · The New York Times · Jul 18
Summary
Trump said England "made a mistake" by turning Harry Kane into a "defensive player" after taking the lead in its World Cup semi-final loss to Argentina.
The remark tapped into a long-running English debate over Kane’s role after the 32-year-old captain had one shot and no touches inside Argentina’s penalty area.
England dropped deep under Thomas Tuchel once ahead, leaving Kane to clear balls, block a shot and help aerially rather than drive the attack.
The report argues Kane’s deeper positioning also fuels England’s buildup because his long passing stretches defenses, much as it does for Bayern Munich, where he still scored 50 goals in 44 Bundesliga and Champions League games.
That leaves England with a trade-off rather than a clear fix: keeping Kane high may sharpen the box presence of its record 82-goal scorer, but could blunt the team’s wider attacking structure.