The rise of Hareth Kale

Everyone's favorite Son & Kane Show spinoff

Mar 10, 2021

Just when you think Harry Kane couldn’t possibly have a better game, he goes and does this: two assists, two goals, and a crucial defensive block. There’s really very little that Kane can’t do (free kicks 😬). He’s gotta be a contender for Player of the Year, he’s still firmly in the running for Golden Boot, and currently leads the race for Playmaker of the Season. Oh, and he and Son have officially set a new record for most goal combinations in a single season, just as Spurs hit 100 goals for all competitions. As Mourinho put it:

I was told we have now scored 100 goals in the season which for a very defensive team, a very negative team is not bad.

Touché.

Harry Kane laying on the pitch — easy work for Harry

But perhaps the biggest talking point from this 4-1 defeat of Crystal Palace was the linkup between Kane and Bale. Or as many are now affectionately calling the duo: Hareth Kale. They’re bridging the gap between two different generations of Spurs teams as Bale gets ever closer to his former glory with each match he plays. I wasn’t following Spurs closely during his first reign, but now I understand why longtime fans were so hyped about him re-joining the team. During his last six games, he’s been electrifying, commanding, and inspiring to watch. In other words, everything I was promised as a newer fan uninitiated to his brilliance. Simply put, he wins games. And when he combines with Kane? That’s the kind of scenario that puts fear into the hearts of opposing defenders. See below:

Gareth Bale points at Harry Kane in delight while a Crystal Palace defender appears to be in agony — What a photo!

Sonny’s PL goal drought continues, unfortunately (he hasn’t scored in the league since the West Brom match on February 7), but his assists have not dried up. It almost feels like he’s reversed roles with Harry from earlier in the season, when Kane was doing more assisting than scoring. We also got a rare Vinícius PL cameo, though he was unable to convert either.

Let’s talk defense. It was a bummer not to get a fourth clean sheet in a row, but overall the defense was decent. Toby was poor on the goal we conceded, but for the most part he and Sánchez have been working out well together in the center back partnership, and it’s good to see some consistency in that part of the lineup finally. The buildup to that goal concession also found Doherty culpable, and even Lucas if you go further back to his two back-to-back giveaways not far from the box (Lucas played very well otherwise).

One player who has been absent from the backline for several games now is Eric Dier. You have to wonder, when (if?) he’s finally let out of Mourinho’s doghouse, will he look as rusty as Harry Winks did in this Crystal Palace match from lack of playing time? Not that Winks had any major moments of concern—he was solid—but definitely not up to the new standard for the starting XI.

Reguilón warms the cockles of my cold heart. The passion! The enthusiasm! The hustle! Every match he plays, you know his heart is 100% in it. And his pace is always a boost to the attack. He’s not Alphonso Davies, but he’s pretty darn fast.

On a similar note, I’ve really appreciate Lamela’s professionalism this season (okay, the Christmas COVID calamity aside); he makes an impact with the minutes he’s given and leaves it all on the pitch. The same can also be said of Sissoko. I’m glad the overall team spirit seems to be on the upswing. Speaking of team spirit:

Hotspur Edition @HotspurEdition

Tanguy ‘blanket supplier’ Ndombele.

I have never related to Ndombele more. Blankets for everyone!

One thing I was disappointed about with the lineup was the lack of Aurier in the starting XI or on the bench. Mourinho had made it sound like a sure thing he would play! So we basically had the opposite of his usual media spin strategy, where he acts like so-and-so player is questionable to play and then has them start. Always the mind games with José…

Even though we were only able to move up one place in the table to 7th, thanks to West Ham handily beating Leeds, top 4 is still well within grasp if we finish the season strong. It’s probably better in the long run that Chelsea beat Everton, since the latter has a game in hand just like we do (West Ham do too). As it stand we’re five points off 4th. In my next league-wide recap during the international break, I’ll take a look at the remaining schedules of Spurs and the other top 4 contenders to see who has the potential edge with fixtures.

The one negative thing I was thinking about after the Crystal Palace match—after yet another Bale masterclass that still feels like a breath of fresh air—is that it’s hard to assess my feelings on Mourinho at the moment. Yes, he deserves some credit for finally making the necessary lineup changes to unlock this amazing attack, but why did he wait so long? There’s a very real chance that we’re going to look back on those disappointing results from earlier in the season (West Ham pt 1, Crystal Palace, Fulham, West Ham pt 2… I could go on) with even more regret if the difference between getting Champions League or Europa League football next season comes down to a point or two. Time will tell, but it’s going to be so, so frustrating if we suffered through all of that low block, low intensity football just to miss out on Champions League again. What do y’all think: was Mourinho wise not to risk Bale earlier and is letting him heat up just at the right time, or was his man management too cautious?

Spurs Across the Pond

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