The striker has broken multiple records since moving to the Allianz Arena in 2023, but he's now not scored from open play for 541 minutes
Bayern Munich's 3-0 loss to Feyenoord on Wednesday was as puzzling as it was surprising. The Bavarians had enjoyed an 80 percent share of possession and taken 30 shots on goal – and yet coach Vincent Kompany felt their shock defeat was fully deserved.
Why? What did they do wrong? For the always straight-talking Joshua Kimmich, though, it was all very simple. "It's never a good idea," he said matter-of-factly, "to both make a lot of defensive mistakes, and not score."
While several players were singled out for special criticism for gifting Feyenoord goals, including Raphael Guerreiro, who conceded a penalty two minutes after coming on, Harry Kane, as the focal point of the attack, rather predictably copped most of the blame for Bayern's failings up front.
Not for the first time this season, the England international was accused by the German press of going missing when his team needed him most…
AFP'Too old and too expensive'?!
Kane has always had his critics. Even before he signed for Bayern in the summer of 2023 for €100 million, club legend Lothar Matthaus argued that the then-30-year-old was "too old and too expensive". Every second since has been spent trying to prove his worth to the club – and he's done a decent job of it so far.
Certainly, Kane's first season couldn't have gone much better from a purely individual perspective. The former Tottenham ace smashed Uwe Seeler's record for most goals during a debut Bundesliga campaign by netting 36 times in just 32 appearances – while he also finished as the Champions League's top scorer.
AdvertisementGetty Images SportBayern back on top
Unfortunately, while Kane delivered in 2023-24, the majority of those around him did not, and Bayern failed to win a single trophy for the first time in 12 years, prompting many football fans to wonder if the one of the most complete centre-forwards of his generation really is cursed.
Encouragingly for Kane, Bayern are well-placed to reclaim their Bundesliga title this term, with Kompany's side presently four points clear of defending champions Bayer Leverkusen at the top of the table. However, the midweek defeat at De Kuip has cast doubt on not only the team's true strength, but also their star striker's diminishing returns – particularly in big games.
Getty Images'Least of my worries'
After the damaging Feyenoord defeat, which effectively ended Bayern's hopes of progressing directly to the last 16 of the Champions League, sporting director Max Eberl insisted that Kane was "the least of my worries right now" – and one can understand why.
On the face of it, the No.9 is on track for another prolific season. Kane has scored 22 goals in 24 appearances in all competitions, and is averaging a strike every 86.64 minutes – across Europe's 'Big Five' leagues, only Barcelona's Robert Lewandowski boasts a better ratio.
The issue is, though, that 10 of Kane's goals this season have come from the penalty spot, and he's not scored once from open play since November.
GettyNo 'mental problem'
Eberl rightly pointed out that Kane did miss four games in all competitions in December due to injury and thus played down the significance of this two-month 'drought'.
"If it were a young player, you might worry more, but Harry Kane has had so many highs and also some lows, so if anyone can cope and deal with it, it's Harry Kane," the sporting director told reporters. "Of course, we need his goals. He knows that and is probably the one who is most critical of himself. But I don't think it's causing a mental problem for Harry."
It is, however, starting to become a cause for concern.
