more
Tottenham are a ‘hard watch’ despite being third in the Premier League, says Tony Cascarino, as ex-Chelsea man claims ‘extraordinary’ Harry Kane is underrated this season
Tottenham could be a lot better considering the quality in their squad, but Harry Kane hasn't been appreciated enough, Tony Cascarino has suggested.
Spurs secured their seventh win of the season against Everton on Saturday, with second-half goals from Kane and Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg leading them to a 2-0 victory - their third win in a row in all competitions.
6
6
But despite gaining all three points and keeping a clean sheet, Everton put Spurs under pressure plenty of times throughout the game.
Summer signing Yves Bissouma's introduction in place of the injured Richarlison made the difference, with Spurs opening the scoring just seven minutes after the substitution.
But for ex-Chelsea forward Cascarino, this wasn't the first time Spurs have been guilty of not performing at their best this season, despite the stars at their disposal.
Speaking on Sunday's Weekend Sports Breakfast, he said: "They are a hard watch, Spurs. They are. I mean, considering they are third in the table and they have got some really good players."
And co-host Natalie Sawyer doubled down on that, adding: "We said [yesterday] they are efficient but not electrifying. They are not a team where you're thinking, 'Cor, I can't wait to see Spurs in action'.
"Some of the headlines are 'It's if and when they get going, they're going to be great', and you think, 'Are they going to get going? Is this their style?'
Most read in Football
6
"But if you look at the players they have, you're expecting a lot more."
Cascarino responded: "Well, they have played over a quarter of their Premier League games. We do expect more because they have a lot of quality in their squad.
"Sometimes I look at them and think, 'There's so much more in this team'.
"I'm not saying they are not a really good team because they obviously are - you've got to be a decent side if you're third in the league with your best start ever in the Premier League.
6
"You're thinking, wow, and 'if they get better'. But maybe this is the best they are."
And Cascarino reckons if that turns out to be the case, some fans may not stick around to watch.
He added: "It's fine when you're winning, you will accept a lot but the moment you start dropping points and dropping down the table fans, who are paying a lot of money, will not enjoy it. It's meant to be entertainment."
Kane marked his 400th appearance for Spurs with the opening goal in the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium clash.
6
His 59th-minute penalty also meant he's scored in five consecutive Premier League matches - the first time he's done so in his career - and he's now eight goals away from Tottenham's all-time top goalscorer Jimmy Greaves's record of 266.
Manchester City star Erling Haaland has stolen headlines in the Premier League this season, netting 15 goals in his first ten appearances.
But whilst the spotlight has been firmly placed on the Norwegian, Kane has had a strong start too, scoring nine times in ten outings in the league. And Cascarino believes the England captain deserves more praise.
"I can't remember Harry Kane having as many goals [as he has this season]," he said.
6
"He played really well yesterday. It wasn't just his penalty, I thought his all round play, as the game wore on, he got better and better.
"There's some people who want to undermine what Harry Kane's achievements are. He is an extraordinary striker, who's going to beat Wayne Rooney England scoring record without doubt.
"He'll go past Jimmy Greaves, he could even get to Alan Shearer's [Premier League goals] record. But there's some people out there saying he's not a good player.
Read More on talkSPORT
"He's got everything in his armoury. You can be spoilt in sport, Kane has a hell of a lot of talent. He's a team player. I can't think of many centre-forwards that are team players."
"Haaland looks like he's going to run away with the Golden Boot this year, but Kane's still doing incredibly well."
Topics