Here are your Tottenham morning headlines for February 28
Keane brands Spurs “average”
Former Manchester United midfielder Roy Keane believes Jose Mourinho’s Tottenham squad is loaded with “average” players that makes a mockery of them being considered a genuine top-four team.
Spurs are eighth, six points outside the Champions League qualification places, following a 4-0 win over Burnley in which Gareth Bale scored twice and further goals were added by Lucas Moura and Harry Kane.
Speaking during the game, while working as a studio pundit for Sky Sports, Keane claimed that bar Kane and Son Heung-min, Spurs don’t possess enough quality to be considered among the country’s elite.
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In a heated debate with Jamie Redknapp, Keane said: “I think Tottenham have got so many average players, we talk about the pressure Spurs have on them to get in the top four, but if you take Kane and Son out of that team, Spurs are an average Premiership team and I’m being polite.
“I think Spurs were better two or three years ago with Trippier, Eriksen and when Alli had the hunger.
“Spurs are good on their day, like lots of teams. Jamie makes the point there that they’ve got lots of internationals. If you trap the ball, you’re going to play for your country. If you don’t play for your country now, you are a bad player.”
Harry Kane told to leave
Harry Kane is facing a pivotal summer transfer window that could decide the destiny of the rest of his career; whether it’s with Tottenham or somewhere else.
That’s according to Danny Murphy who claims Kane deserves to be regularly competing for trophies but as he moves into his late 20s, his price and value become less attractive for potential buyers.
The Telegraph reported on Friday that many of the clubs who would be normally interested in Kane, Barcelona and Real Madrid in particular, will have to curb their spending this summer due to Covid-19.
“If he doesn’t leave Tottenham now, he never will,” Murphy wrote in the Mail. “I’m sure he’s thinking about it every day because time isn’t on his side. Right now, he is among the best three strikers in the world and would improve any team.
“He turns 28 this summer, with younger models Erling Haaland and Kylian Mbappe becoming increasingly attractive to the elite clubs every year.
“Kane clearly loves Spurs and wanted to give Jose Mourinho every chance this season. But they are miles off challenging for a Premier League title or Champions League so now it’s decision time.”
Mourinho still closely monitoring Bale fitness
Jose Mourinho admits Gareth Bale will have to be assessed on Monday before any decision over his availability can be made for Thursday’s fixture against Fulham.
Bale starred for Spurs in their 4-0 win over Burnley, scoring two and creating another for Kane, as he continues his upward curve following a disappointing start to the season.
Mourinho has previously commented that the volume of injuries Bale sustained during his seven years at Real Madrid has affected his ability to play multiple matches inside a week.
But with Spurs in need of points to lift themselves further towards the top four, the clamour for the Welshman to play against the Cottagers will be huge.
“A player that gives me this kind of performance of course I want to play him on Thursday and on Sunday, and I want to play him next week against Dinamo Zagreb but I don’t think I can. I don’t think I can,” Mourinho said.
“So this is a process that we have to manage day by day and see how he feels tomorrow and see how he feels after tomorrow. He’s a very important part of this decision-making because he has a lot of experience.”