Micah Richards has criticised Tottenham Hotspur star Harry Kane for coming too deep in recent matches.
Kane has enjoyed a hugely productive first half of the season, netting 15 Premier League goals from 19 outings. However, his team hasn't had similar success, currently sitting fifth in the league table, 14 points behind local rivals Arsenal in first.
The Lillywhites' start to 2023 went from bad to worse on Sunday afternoon when the Gunners recorded a 2-0 victory in N17, the first time they won away to Spurs in the league since 2014 - when current Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta was still playing in their midfield. Kane struggled to get involved during the derby defeat and former Manchester City defender Richards has now criticised the England captain for his positioning in recent matches.
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Speaking on the Monday Night Club, he said: “In terms of the way they are set up, it’s a little bit too negative. Kane is again coming too deep, which must be frustrating for all of his teammates.
“When he’s not having the best of games, he’s going to be involved which then leaves nobody up front which is even harder to do when you have so many players back.”
Kane dropping deep has been a common theme for Spurs in recent years, with the 29-year-old regularly utilising his elite playmaking to assist fellow attacker Son Heung-Min. However, Son has endured a difficult campaign, netting just four times in the league and looking considerably slower than he did last term.
This means Kane must shoulder the majority of both the creative and goalscoring burden, a hugely challenging task considering the way manager Antonio Conte sets his team up with five defenders. The north Londoners will hope they can immediately bounce back this week when they travel to the Etihad Stadium to take on second-placed Manchester City on Thursday evening.
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