Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag claims his team have a plan to stop Harry Kane in Thursday’s Premier League game against Tottenham Hotspur.
The Red Devils come into the game fresh after their FA Cup semi-final win over Brighton & Hove Albion on penalties, who booked a return to Wembley in June to face neighborhood rivals City in the final.
Victory would give Ten Hag’s United a domestic cup double in their first season at Old Trafford, and help banish painful memories of their recent thrashing of Sevilla in the Europa League quarter-final.
Spurs recently met with a thrashing of their own, falling 6-1 to Champions League qualifying rivals Newcastle at St James’ Park while putting on an abject defensive performance that truly had to be seen to be believed.
The only ray of sunshine in the North East was Kane scoring his 24th Premier League goal of the season and his 26th in all competitions, another fine return for a player who is again being linked with a summer move away from Spurs. .
Manchester United are interested in taking Kane on this summer, as are Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain, and Ten Hag’s words in his pre-match press conference certainly suggest he is impressed with the captain’s play. from England.
“It’s pretty clear his impact on the Spurs game,” Ten Hag said of the 29-year-old ahead of United’s trip to the N17. “We have a plan for that and in the home game we did very well, so for tomorrow we also need a very good plan.
“You have to defend as a team, he’s a smart player, don’t let him get into situations, he can have a big impact on the game.”
Spurs’ recent downturn, and the subsequent sacking of caretaker boss Cristian Stellini, has dominated the headlines in recent days, but the Dutchman stressed that the game still holds significant importance for United and the race to finish in the top four. .
“Very. You see the table. It’s pretty clear, but the focus, our focus won’t change,” he added. “Our focus is that we want to win every game, no matter who the opponent is.”
The future of Harry Kane’s Tottenham
It is not the first time that Kane’s future at Tottenham has been under a microscope. He has signed new contracts in the past but is yet to win a North London trophy, something he will continue to throw at him despite his scoring record.
United are not in a position to guarantee trophies, but it could be argued that the club is clearly moving in the right direction under Ten Hag despite some dishonest results in the Premier League. They also have a trophy to show for the Dutchman’s efforts so far, and could double their money against City in June.
Bayern Munich and PSG would guarantee Kane’s trophy success, but there’s another factor to consider: Premier League goalscoring record. Alan Shearer’s 260-goal haul could realistically be revised if Kane stays in England, leaving him with a big decision to make.
He could even stay at Tottenham, depending on who is appointed as the club’s new boss.
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