The big debate: should Harry Kane start the Champions League final?

Harry Kane has declared himself fit for Champions League action but should Mauricio Pochettino select the returning striker for Saturday's final against Liverpool.

Two Racing Post Sport journalists have differing views ...

Yes

Mark Langdon

Tottenham boss Mauricio Pochettino should not take advice from anyone with Liverpool connections, past or present, given the Champions League final is just days away, but let's make an exception for the legendary Reds manager Bill Shankly.

"Football is a simple game," said Shankly "made complicated by idiots."

Pochettino has a simple choice when it comes to deciding whether Harry Kane is selected in Madrid.

Do you pick your top goalscorer, who is not only the best player but one of the world's most prolific strikers, in the most important match your club is ever likely to play? Yes, yes and, if you're still not sure, yes again.

There is a caveat and that is whether Kane is fully fit, but if he can run normally and the ankle has recovered properly from the injury sustained in the Champions League quarter-final win over Manchester City then Pochettino must pick Tottenham's talisman, probably at the expense of Lucas Moura, or maybe even Heung-Min Son.

It would be harsh on semi-final hero Moura but the Brazilian had one of those crazy, surreal, nights many have in Amsterdam, although those out-of-body experiences usually involve other ingredients rather than a 96th-minute winner to complete a second-half hat-trick.

As Pochettino said, you don't play finals, you win them, and Tottenham have a better chance of winning with Kane in the starting 11.

No

Dan Sait

Forget any nonsense talk of Tottenham being better off without him; a fully fit and firing Harry Kane walks into arguably any team in world football. Sadly, it is unlikely we will see that razor-sharp version of Kane on Saturday night, rather the patched-up imitation.

The England captain’s hunger is admirable, but history shows that his presence when short of match fitness has a negative impact on the team.

He was largely anonymous when rushed back against Arsenal in 2016-17, as invisible as his apparent goalscoring touch at Stoke in 2017-18, sluggish with World Cup fatigue early in 2018-19 and arguably the catalyst for Spurs swapping a four-match winning run for a haul of one point in five games upon February’s rushed return.

Admittedly poor form doesn’t always equate to drought with Kane.

He often scores on his return, albeit a penalty in the north London Derby and a questionable flick off the shoulder against Stoke. But either way, a lone Kane goal in a 3-1 defeat is of no use to Mauricio Pochettino – the Tottenham manager needs a cohesive team performance.

This squad has plenty of attacking alternatives. Lucas Moura, Dele Alli and Christian Eriksen have all stood up to be counted in big moments while Heung-min Son shines when roaming in spaces otherwise occupied by Kane.

Yet they all instinctively defer to their de facto leader when he is present, slowing the play of the entire attacking unit when Kane is off his game.

And against Liverpool, of all teams, Tottenham must be at their sharpest – snappy in the press, sharp in their passing and lightning-fast of thought.

Kane may be king but Ajax, Manchester City and Dortmund could all attest that Tottenham can thrive without him.

Indeed, having their fired-up talisman glower on from the bench need not even be seen as a negative. After all, who better to call on for a match-winning cameo than Tottenham’s legend-in-waiting?

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