Sunday, 5 April 2015

Even new captain Kane can't lift bore draw

Burnley 0 Tottenham 0: Pochettino's side endure a frustrating afternoon as they see their faint Champions League hopes take blow with a lethargic display
At a time when leadership debates are fresh in the mind, Mauricio Pochettino handed Harry Kane an audition to become Tottenham's captain of the future - but not even he could not inspire Spurs against Burnley.
Pochettino's side endured a frustrating afternoon in the Lancashire sunshine as they saw their faint Champions League hopes take a blow after drawing a blank with a laboured and lethargic display.
Spurs are now seven points behind fourth-placed Manchester City, who can increase that margin further against Crystal Palace on Monday night.
This point could prove inevitably more significant for Burnley and their manager Sean Dyche, though, as they remained in touch in safety with seven matches of the campaign left.
After making his debut for England during the international break the game at least offered another milestone in Kane's memorable season as the 21-year-old was handed the Tottenham captaincy for the first time in his senior career. The youngest skipper in the Premier League this season no less.
Goalkeeper Hugo Lloris has worn the armband for the majority of this season with Spurs club captain Younes Kaboul out of favour at White Hart Lane.
But with the Lloris absent at Turf Moor with the gashed knee he suffered against Leicester City and defender Jan Vertonghen, who has also skippered the side during this campaign, missing through illness the duty passed to Kane.
It was clear from his performance that Kane is never going to be a tub-thumping skipper screaming and shouting at his team-mates.
His qualities lie in his ability to inspire those around him with his own performance.
In truth, though, this was one of Kane's quieter games. His exertions with England - mentally with all the scrutiny on him, as much as physically - played a part in a conservative outing.
That Tottenham could only manage two shots on target in the whole contest epitomised the sluggishness of this performance as the strains of an arduous campaign in their 50th match of the season took a toll.
Arguably the best chance of the drab contest fell to Burnley striker Danny Ings at the very start of the game.
The relentless pressing of Dyche's men early on saw Ryan Mason harried out of possession by the tireless George Boyd which allowed Danny Ings a free run at goal, but the Clarets forward could only strike a low shot straight at Michel Vorm.
Christian Eriksen, one of the few players who looked like he could spark the game into life, had the visitors' best opportunity when he fired wide from just inside the box.
This was very much an afternoon to forget - with the exception of Kane perhaps.

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