Harry Kane scored 36 goals in the Bundesliga in his first season with Bayern. But is this his limit or what will new coach Vincent Kompany do to take this striker to new heights?
Kane’s first Bundesliga season may not have gone exactly to plan as the Gray Tigers lost the title for the first time in more than a decade to Bayer Leverkusen.
However, on an individual basis, the Englishman really couldn’t have done better in his first season in Germany. Scoring a total of 36 goals and providing 8 assists for Bayern, Kane has led the top scorer list for most of the season.
However, currently, Bayern is starting a new chapter under Kompany’s management. The Belgian strategist joined Bayern this summer and has made a series of changes with the arrival of Hiroki Ito, Michael Olise and Joao Palhinha. Kompany intends to apply the ball control style of play to Bayern and this will benefit some of the current personnel at the Allianz Arena.
But what about Bayern’s top scorer? Will he improve under Kompany’s tutelage and how?
Under Thomas Tuchel, Kane was placed in the number 9 position in a 4-2-3-1 system, with the players around him moving flexibly so he could exploit his full potential when he had the ball at his feet.
Kane is unlike most modern number 9s as he has a combination of tactical vision and effective finishing ability. This striker has a habit of leaving the opponent’s penalty area and forcing the centre-backs to fall deeper with him.
Kane often plays as a midfielder, asking for the ball to come to his feet and then dribbling, passing the ball himself or coordinating with teammates to penetrate the opponent’s final third of the field.
At the start of last season, Leroy Sane was the beneficiary of Kane’s passing ability as the pair combined to score some impressive goals in the first few weeks. Slowly but surely, Kane then created great chemistry with the rest of Bayern’s attack, especially with Thomas Muller.
Kane’s chemistry with his Bayern teammates could be even better as he enters his second season. The addition of Olise on the right wing would bring balance and Arjen Robben-like presence with the Frenchman’s ability to create or score with his left foot.
Last season under Tuchel, Bayen was the team with the highest average ball control in the tournament, about 59%. However, their best attacks come from the transition from defense to counterattack. Speedy players like Musiala, Sane and Alphonso Davies are always especially dangerous when the Gray Tigers counterattack.
However, under new coach Kompany, things may be different. Bayern will still look to control the ball but also use it as a means to create chances and hurt the opposition defence. This could be good for someone with Kane’s style, who likes to hold the ball a lot.
At Burnley, Kompany deployed many different systems, but the most prominent was the 4-4-2 and several variations of the 4-3-3 or 4-2-3-1. The key is system-wide cooperation between the centre-backs, central midfielders and strikers.
So far, Kompany’s signings will only help raise the team’s technical level, meaning more players with more passing range and movement to provide opportunities for their number nine Kane .
Last season, Kane led the league in shots, taking a total of 145 shots on goal – well above the rest of the league’s strikers such as Lois Openda (118) and Deniz Undav (103). .
That number is likely to increase significantly this season with the creativity that the likes of Musiala and Olise bring. In addition, midfielder Ito also has the ability to play the ball from behind very well. This will be beneficial in helping Kane make runs behind the opponent’s defense. He will receive passes directly from home, then use ball-keeping play to connect with surrounding satellites.
Kompany’s tactics may not bring the desired results in the Premier League. But in the Bundesliga, with Bayern’s high-class squad, the results will be completely different.
The Belgian tactician’s immediate priority is to find the best attacking players to play alongside Kane, be it Sane, Musiala or someone else. To maximize Kane’s potential also means surrounding him with players who are willing to move to receive the ball.
This summer at EURO 2024, Gareth Southgate’s England team reached the final, however, Kane himself will certainly be disappointed not only with the result but also with his individual performance throughout the tournament. .
One of the most notable things is the lack of a player who can penetrate opposition defenses with speed and directness. Only in the minutes Ollie Watkins is on the field can Kane maximize his potential.
Kompany must learn lessons from Southgate’s failure to get the best out of Kane.
