The debate has raged on over Harry Kane ahead of the Euro 2024 final: Should he be dropped?
Kane is England’s top goalscorer at Euro 2024 this summer, netting three which has put him level with four others for the Golden Boot.
That included a penalty in the victory against the Netherlands on Wednesday that helped the Three Lions reach the final, where they will face Spain on Sunday, live on talkSPORT.
But the all-round performances have not been great from the Bayern Munich man, with some criticising his fitness levels and his lack of movement in the box.
Ollie Watkins replaced the 30-year-old on Wednesday and immediately showed what having an incisive forward can do, making a brilliant run into the box before executing an even better finish to make it 2-1 in stoppage time.
Nevertheless, talkSPORT pundit Simon Jordan does not believe Gareth Southgate will drop Kane for the final, something that talkSPORT guest and former Manchester United coach Rene Meulensteen insists would be a bad idea.
Speaking to Jim White in Dusseldorf, Jordan said on Spain’s attacking options: “[Alvaro] Morata has been very hit and miss. On paper, he is not Harry Kane but Harry Kane, at this moment, doesn’t look fit to me.
“But they are not going to change Harry Kane for this game, they might have to change him during the game but they won’t change him from the starting line-up.
Meulensteen asked: “Why would Gareth not consider not starting Kane? If you want to unsettle Spain, you need legs.
“You need energy, you need intensity. So if you start with another striker, you keep Harry on the bench because if the game settles down in the second half, you bring him in later in the game.”
Jordan replied: “Do you believe that there is any possibility that he is not going to start Kane on Sunday? Really.”
Meulensteen admitted: “No but I am just thinking as a coach. I would have legs up front, I would make sure that I got players there and in the midfield that can really squeeze [Spain].
“If you don’t because if one player doesn’t, they will play around you.”
While Kane has come in for criticism this summer, he has already defended himself in the build-up to the Euro 2024 semi-final.
“I’d like to have scored more goals but the tournament has been a low-scoring one for different reasons,” he said.
“The pitches are part of that reason. Teams are more organised and, from a manager’s point of view, they are more structured and they make it difficult for the favourites or better teams to exploit.
“You know that you’re never as bad as you think — and you’re never as good as you think on your good days.”