'He's ready to be the protagonist'- Antonio Conte backs fit and firing Harry Kane to star at World Cup - Independent 12/11/22

Plus: Why cool and composed Dejan Kulusevski is the player who elevates Spurs

Matt Law,

Tottenham Hotspur head coach Antonio Conte has backed Harry Kane to take the World Cup by storm with England, insisting the striker is in “the best physical and mental condition.”

Kane was on target in Tottenham’s dramatic comeback win against Leeds United and, just a few days after claiming the England captain had been tired, Conte insisted the 29-year-old will travel to Qatar in perfect shape.

“I have to be honest, in this period, especially in the last 13 games, Harry played a really important role,” said Conte. “We had many injuries and I think Harry honestly deserves great praise because he took a lot of weight on his shoulders and he played in a fantastic way.

“Now he is arriving to play at the World Cup with great enthusiasm, in good physical condition, stronger mentally than before. I see a player that is ready. I see in his eyes the desire to be a protagonist in the best competition in the world, in the World Cup.”

Conte added: “I’m talking about what I’m seeing in my period. Before I knew Harry from watching him because we played sometimes against him, but to be his coach and to see the way he has decided that he has to improve himself is really important.

“I think with Harry, we are talking about a really world-class striker. He can continue to improve and to become stronger and stronger. I think so.

“Now he’s arriving at this World Cup in the best physical condition and also mental condition. He feels a lot of responsibility because he’s the captain of England. I consider Enlgand to be one of the best teams in the world, one of the candidates to have an important tournament. For this reason, I know he wants to play an amazing tournament.

“I wish the best for him and for England because Italy is not playing in the World Cup. I can become a supporter of England!”

While Conte claimed Kane is in the best possible condition, Tottenham look like a team who could do with a week in the sun during the World Cup break and yet there will be no warm weather training for Conte and his non-tournament players while the club’s rivals jet off to Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Saudi Arabia.

Spurs have been running on fumes over recent weeks, which was demonstrated again in this stunning comeback. But the club were unable to secure a suitable venue for a winter trip, which means Conte and his non-World Cup players will instead remain in London and train and play friendlies at the club’s chilly Enfield base.

Conte wanted to take his squad to the sun, but, while the likes of Arsenal, Manchester City, Chelsea, Liverpool and Newcastle United, get away from the cold conditions, Tottenham’s players can look forward to more of the same.

At least they have taken some momentum into the break, having fought back three times to secure a victory that sparked wild celebrations from the Tottenham supporters, who had booed their team off at half-time.

Kane’s goal was Tottenham’s first equaliser after Crysencio Summerville had fired Leeds into a 10th-minute lead and sparked complaints from the visitors, who believed Clement Lenglet had barged into goalkeeper Illan Meslier before Kane scored with a shot on the turn.

Leeds manager Jesse Marsch said: “That’s a foul. The fourth official says, ‘Yeah I think it’s a foul’. I’m like ‘OK, good, it’s going to go to VAR’ and they don’t even look at it.

“But what am I going to do, freak out like I did at Brentford? They’ll throw me out and I’m going to be the guy who is in the wrong, which is incredible. What wrong is that it’s a foul.”

That sense of injustice was shared by Tottenham later in the game, but first Leeds re-took the lead shortly before half-time and the home side could only blame bad defending that was capitalised on by Rodrigo.

Ben Davies levelled for the home team yet again, before Richarlison, who had been substituted, and managing director of football Fabio Paratici remonstrated with fourth official Graham Scott when Rodrigo beat Hugo Lloris with a brilliant angled drive to put Leeds 3-2 up.

Tottenham felt Rodrigo Bentancur had been fouled in the build up to the goal, but it was allowed to stand and the Spurs midfielder reacted brilliantly to clinch all three points for his team.

Just four minutes after falling behind for a third time, Tottehmam levelled again with Bentancur’s shot that beat Meslier via a deflection off Leeds substitute Luke Ayling.

And in the 84th minute, Spurs completed a remarkable turnaround to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat. Kane played in Dejan Kulusevski down the right and he kept his cool to pick out Bentancur, who slotted the ball into the net.

There was still time for Tyler Adams to get sent off after earning a second yellow card for a foul on Yves Bissouma and Tottenham’s half-time boos were replaced by a party atmosphere at full-time.

Aaronson’s pass was played between Royal and Dier, who could not put him off his shot or make what would have been a vital challenge.

At least Tottenham have been used to trying to come back from behind and they responded by pinning the visitors back.

Royal had a shot saved by Illan Meslier, but posted his own contender for miss of the season in the 18th minute.

Ben Davies played an excellent one-two with Richarlison to get free on the left and put the ball on a plate for Royal, but the Brazilian blazed his effort miles over the crossbar with the goal gaping.

Hugo Lloris had to be alert to stop Summerville scoring from another Aaronson pass, before Kane netted a controversial equaliser.

Clement Lenglet jumped into Meslier at a corner. The goalkeeper still managed to punch the ball clear, but it fell to Kane, who took a touch before scoring on the turn.

Leeds appealed furiously that the goal should have been ruled out, but a VAR check allowed it to stand much to the annoyance of Jesse Marsch, who lost his head on the touchline for a good couple of minutes.

Lloris was out quickly to stop Summerville regaining Leeds’ advantage, but the visitors took advantage of some more terrible Tottenham defending to go in at the break ahead.

Just two minutes before half-time, Tottenham failed to properly clear a corner, Liam Cooper nodded the ball back towards the penalty area, Rasmus Kristensen helped it on and Rodrigo, played onside by Dier, volleyed a brilliant shot into the net.

The Tottenham Hotspur stadium quickly emptied for half-time, but those who did stay in their seats booed off Conte’s team as they headed for the tunnel.

Dier’s day could have got even worse three minutes after the restart, as Marc Roca caught him up by the knee with a terrible late challenge. Roca was fortunate to escape with a booking and Dier was perhaps even more lucky to avoid a World Cup-ending injury.

Tottenham levelled again in the 51st minute, this time through Davies who had been the home side’s best player up until that point. Dejan Kulusevski crossed for Kane, whose shot hit Kristensen. Meslier looked well placed to keep out the follow up from Davies, but the ball squirmed under his body and into the net.

Conte responded by making a double substitution and the withdrawal of Royal, with Matt Doherty taking his place, prompted loud cheers from sections of the Spurs crowd.

Kulusevski shot wide after being played through by a wonderful pass from Richarlison, but the Brazilian was remonstrating from the substitutes bench when Leeds went ahead for a third time after he had been replaced by Yves Bissouma.

Richarlison and Tottenham were convinced play should have been stopped for a foul on Bentancur before the ball was worked forwards to Rodrigo, who beat Lloris with a brilliant low drive from the left angle of the area.

Managing director of football Fabio Paratici was so incensed that he made his way down from the seats behind the substitutes to argue with the fourth official, but it was not long before he and Tottenham were celebrating wildly.

Just four minutes after falling behind for a third time, Tottehmam levelled again with Bentancur’s shot that beat Meslier via a deflection off Leeds substitute Luke Ayling.

And in the 84th minute, Spurs completed a remarkable turnaround to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat. Kane played in Kulusevski down the right and he kept his cool to pick out Bentancur, who slotted the ball into the net.

There was still time for Adams to get sent off after earning a second yellow card for a foul on Yves Bissouma.

Tottenham head coach Antonio Conte pumped both of his fists at the final whistle and may well welcome the break for the World Cup with his team pushed to their limit.

When Spurs’ line-up is announced before their games the loudest cheer is always reserved for Harry Kane. Any plans for a clapometer at their new stadium went the same way as the much-mourned cheese room, so it is impossible to confirm this scientifically, but on Saturday it sounded like he was eclipsed by Dejan Kulusevski.

No Tottenham fan doubts his importance. They have been a tough watch at times during his absence, chronically unable to pathfind through crowded defences and missing an attacking midfielder who delivers purpose rather than promise. His return brings a zippy directness to Antonio Conte’s team, which an otherwise capable Leeds had no answer for.

These are two endearingly flawed teams, as Leeds proved by throwing away the lead three times and Tottenham by going in behind at the break for the fourth league game in a row. Boos at half time here are becoming as familiar as Chas and Dave’s Glory Glory beforehand.

But Kulusevski was at the forefront of their spirited comeback, albeit in a less starry way than double goalscorer Rodrigo Bentancur. He carries such menace with the ball but it is married to rare calmness and poise. It seems like a misprint that he is only 22 years old.

It was not an impeccable day, indeed his aimless header from a cleared corner was returned with interest by Liam Cooper and led to Leeds’s second goal. But he had a crucial role in Tottenham’s second equaliser, with a smart blindside run off Brenden Aaronson’s shoulder to receive a throw, then a neat if fortuitous nutmeg to beat Cooper and tee up Harry Kane in the six yard box. His shot was blocked but Ben Davies fired the rebound past Illan Meslier.

No rebounds needed for the winner, when another clever run exploiting half-space wrongfooted Cooper and brought Kulusevski into the box on the ball. Most attackers would look to cut back from this position, Kulusevski cleverly gambled on Robin Koch expecting this, prodded the ball past him towards the byline and kept his head to tee up Rodrigo Bentancur for a euphoric tap-in and 4-3. Kulusevski’s composure here was exemplary, the inverse to a disastrous first half Emerson Royal shot spooned so far over that his team-mates looked as queasy as Boy George doing a bushtucker trial.

Kulusevski’s part in two Tottenham’s goals further bolstered his chance creation statistics. He ranks as fifth in the Premier League for goal creating actions per 90 minutes, with 0.86 per game. Spurs’ win percentage in the league with Kulusevski in the team is 67 per cent, up from 50 per cent without him. They score 2.6 league goals per game on average when he plays, and 1.3 without.

Crucially, as Tottenham attempt to address their bad habit of falling behind, he is a doer of things to teams rather than a reactor. When the game was a mere 2-2 thriller, Kulusevski sensed the need for someone in white to affect the momentum. He picked up the ball in his own half and took off on a steely run, skipping past two Leeds players who chased him with gusto.

Cooper came rushing out from defence, the likely outcome seemed a collision and several fatalities. The Leeds defender calmly stood on the ball and watched Kulusevski and his pursuers pass him, like a train not stopping at this station. Possession had been lost but the crowd was roused.

No goal to cap his excellent game, but Kulusevski received a standing ovation when substituted. The afternoon had a valedictory end-of-season feel, and while the result was a fillip for Spurs before the World Cup break Jesse Marsch was peppier than Antonio Conte in the post-game press conferences. Conte seemed exhausted.

Who can blame him after the last few weeks, when the uneasy rhetoric around his team has belied their position in the top four and progress to the Champions League knockout round as group winners? It has not just been fixture crunch and key injuries which have affected Spurs. Since the death of his friend, the fitness coach Gian Piero Ventrone, last month Conte has understood it would be crass to invoke his name in relation to his team’s results. But before and after this game Conte gently reminded reporters that he and his squad were still affected. Of course they are. Grief moves at a different pace to the football news cycle.

So it is laudable that Spurs are where they are. Sweden will play no part in the World Cup and a rested Kulusevski will give his club a fantastic chance to seize the initiative when the Premier League returns.