Honestly,if anyone believes Kane would leave whilst Poch is at the club,then there is no hope for football and fans of any club except maybe 6 teams in europe.
Extract from the Poch book Brave new world.
I know it was really tough for Kane at the start [when Pochettino arrived at Spurs in 2014]. We had to win over hearts, minds and bodies so that they would keep pressing and running up and down the pitch. But I refused to entertain any doubts about this being the way forward. ‘If you do it, and continue doing it, and you’re tired at the end, don’t worry,’ I told Harry and the rest of the team. ‘I’ll introduce someone else to do your job, but you can’t leave anything in the tank.’
Before I arrived, his game was a bit more back to goal, holding it up. Whereas now, he is always on the front foot, always trying to press. And if we have the ball, he has freedom to move around, not just wait for the ball to get to him. He has to be alive every minute.
This is how we’ve turned the team with the worst defensive record in the top 10 into the best defence in the division. And without playing defensive football or making many personnel changes. It is all about being brave. I love that word in English. We must display bravery at all times and, since mental preparation is crucial nowadays, we send daily messages to this effect in different formats and packaging.
I told the squad all that and then restated it differently by reminding them about when England played Spain in Alicante in November 2015. It was 0–0 at half-time, but 2–0 to Spain at the final whistle. The England internationals returned home happy, reckoning they’d given a good account of themselves in the first half.
I told them: ‘Excuse me, but I disagree, because at no point did you seek to take the initiative or be brave. Truth be told, it was clear right from the warm-up that Spain were going to win. The only question was whether they’d score in the first minute or the 90th, but the match was a foregone conclusion. Football is all about attitude.’ Kane was a frustrated guy when I arrived. He struggled to visualise his future at the club, with two or three strikers ahead of him. He was constantly being shipped out on loan. It was doubly exasperating for him as a Tottenham fan.
The club then suddenly hired an Argentinian coach and I picked up on his sense of resignation: ‘I’m sure this guy will bring in some other big-name striker.’ It was a tough few months because we didn’t click initially. He was out of form and, at 21, had the habits of a player in his thirties, the type who has been around the block. I had several stern conversations with Harry in which I had to make him understand that he had to get ready for whenever the opportunity might arise. Fame and a hefty transfer fee don’t pave the way to a starting berth, only hard work.
Harry was humble enough to listen and take advice. We put the tools in place for him to improve. The moment finally arrived for him. He played and then played again. By seeing his progress the boys coming up through the ranks realised that we kept our word.
Kane is a warrior now. He already was, but he didn’t know he had it in him. I’m not speaking about qualities or traits, but that essential mental strength to be able to stay in the elite. I believe he is the best player in the world in terms of mental strength, willpower and endeavour.
He is completely focused on his football. He has a house in Essex but spends the week at another one he owns closer to the training ground. He’s the first to arrive and the last to leave. He likes to join in when someone with different experiences in football visits. He enjoys sitting down with us, soaking it all up and participating in the discussions. At those times it is as though for him nothing else in the world exists.
And, at 23, [when the diary was written, he is now 24] he is as enthusiastic as ever: he enjoys training, he prolongs his sessions and he studies elite players, past and present. I WhatsApp him videos of goals or interesting pieces of play by other strikers. At all hours. The last one I sent was at 11pm.
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