Croatia vs England: Should we be worried about Harry Kane’s international goal drought?

Fans weren’t the only thing missing in Rijeka as England’s main attacking threat failed to score for a sixth successive international match - but his club form continues to provide some comfort

Harry Kane hasn’t scored in his last six England games (Reuters)

It got a bit lost amid – well – all of the commotion about the lack of noise, but just as relevant as the absence of fans in Rijeka was the absence of form from England’s main match-winner. Harry Kane has now gone six internationals without a goal.

The question is how concerning this should actually be, even if it is one that will always be more pronounced when other attackers like Marcus Rashford are so profligate.

We at least know exactly why the Manchester United forward is in the form he is. Still so young, he hasn’t responded well to the irregular situation at Manchester United, or to the man-management of Jose Mourinho. That obviously isn’t all on the Portuguese but Rashford is a player who is said to often be baffled by how Mourinho talks to him and about him. He could do with a change.

As for Kane? What has changed with him?

It does still look as if he could do with some kind of rest. There’s just that slightly notable lagged nature to his play, compared to his forceful best.

Gareth Southgate did point to the fact he took one of his two main opportunities well, even if it was ruled offside. From the other, he hit the bar with a header.

“He had the chance he buried from just offside,” the manager argued after the 0-0 draw in Croatia. “Harry will get us goals. We were a real threat. The most important thing for the team is we create chances, look dangerous, and the players who didn’t score tonight will score.”

And there is a wider point here. For all the concerns about Kane going into the Premier League season, he still has a record of five in eight. That is more than one in two so it wouldn’t bother him too much, especially when you add in that supreme strike against Barcelona in the Champions League.

Should England be worried about Harry Kane's six-match goal drought? (Action Images via Reuters) (Reuters)

The latter was a moment he effectively manufactured himself, picking the ball up from wide and driving at goal with a fierce shot, but that is also relevant.

It does feel as if everything about Kane’s game is a battle at the moment. It just isn’t as coming as naturally to him as it usually does.

It is to his credit, then, that he has the record he does. That is testament to his persistence, to the mindset that has made him one of the best strikers in the world.

Harry Kane has not scored for England in his last six matches (Getty)

It’s just that this week might well illustrate one of the rare occasions where that mindset – that relentless persistence – becomes a negative. Kane will badly want to play away to Spain on Monday, with that recent international drought no doubt a factor.

Southgate has already said he will experiment and change things up, though, so why not with his main attacking threat?

Kane found the back of the net but saw his goal ruled out for offside (Action Images via Reuters)

It might ironically be the quickest way to end that drought, to just give Kane that bit of breathing space he seems to need.

This goalless run otherwise obviously isn’t a big concern, as those goals for Tottenham Hotspur emphasise.