England 5-0 Albania: Will Harry Kane hat-trick mark turning point for club and country?
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Harry Kane's hat-trick against Albania took him level with Jimmy Greaves on 44 goals for England
England's victory against Albania must be viewed through the prism of mediocre and amenable opposition but there was plenty to satisfy manager Gareth Southgate - and even the new Tottenham manager Antonio Conte.
All analysis of this 5-0 win, all goals scored and victory sewn up before half-time, comes within the context of how easily Albania were taken apart once they had got a few shuddering challenges out of their system in the opening minutes.
The visitors have enjoyed a respectable campaign and, with their own World Cup hopes still alive, were portrayed as opponents who might make life difficult for an England side who started the qualifier at Wembley needing four points from this game and Monday's visit to San Marino to be certain of their own place in Qatar next year.
Not a bit of it. This was the perfect night, especially for captain Kane who has cut a disconnected and disaffected figure at Spurs ever since a proposed summer move to Manchester City failed to materialise.
Kane's mood of discontent even crossed over into England territory when he performed so poorly that he was hooked by Southgate with 14 minutes left of the last qualifier against Hungary at Wembley, even though they were seeking a winner in a game where they were held 1-1.
This was different. This was the prime Kane. Albania were the perfect punchbag or, to use another sporting metaphor, this was like an out-of-nick world-class batter being served up a few full tosses outside the leg stump down at his local club to get his eye back in.
Despite all these qualifications, Kane's hat-trick showed a player discovering the old touch and confidence.
He scored three in the first half and could have had more, a complete contrast to the player who has laboured for Spurs this season, even feeling the rough end of his own fans' tongues in the recent home loss to Manchester United which saw off manager Nuno Espirito Santo.
From the first whistle Kane was engaged, pushed high into dangerous areas by Southgate and told to stay there, not work as the unhappy wanderer seen at club level this season, playing in areas where he could do the least damage.
Kane looked the old goal-hungry version of himself as he met Jordan Henderson's cross with a firm header for his first goal before repaying the compliment by setting up Liverpool's captain to score.
He then unleashed two superb goals of different styles, a thunderous angled finish then the best of the lot to round off the first half - an acrobatic flying scissor-kick from Phil Foden's corner to complete his hat-trick.
Kane has scored plenty of memorable goals for England but this may just have been his finest. All three were delivered in the space of 27 minutes.
And amid this mayhem he forced a superb save from Albania keeper Thomas Strakosha and shot inches wide, the end result leaving Kane level with the great Jimmy Greaves on 44 England goals and beating Wayne Rooney's record of 37 competitive goals for his country. Kane is now on 39.
Only Rooney, Sir Bobby Charlton and Gary Lineker have scored more for England. This is the measure of his quality and importance.
Kane has scored 12 goals for England in 2021 - no player has netted more for the Three Lions in a calendar year (George Hilsdon in 1908, Dixie Dean in 1927 and Kane in 2019 also scored 12)
The last week could be a turning point in Kane's season. In his defence, the Tottenham striker has barely had service worthy of the name at club level this season, scoring only one Premier League goal, showing here that if you offer him the supply the natural instincts will eventually kick in.
Conte's arrival at Spurs could represent something of a reboot for Kane after his apparent unhappiness, working under a coach who will recognise his quality and who has shown his ability to improve even strikers of great repute, "Exhibit A" being his work with Romelu Lukaku at Inter Milan.
It looks like a perfect relationship to get Kane back to his best, the spin-off being Southgate gets the striker who is crucial to his World Cup plans back in his best working order.
"I thought Harry gave a brilliant centre-forward's performance - held the ball up and played other people in," said the England manager. "His all-round game was excellent."
Kane is used to the criticism. "Whenever I score I seem to be sharp, whenever I don't I'm not sharp anymore," he said. "That is part and parcel of being a striker. The most important thing is we are moving forward as a team."
England's state of grace by half-time enabled them to close out the win without exerting themselves and gave Southgate the chance to use his substitutes, which showed the riches available to him as well as the options he has at his disposal once he starts his planning for Qatar.
He gave an England debut to Arsenal's talented 21-year-old Emile Smith Rowe then sent on 18-year-old Borussia Dortmund prodigy Jude Bellingham, Manchester City's £100m signing Jack Grealish and Liverpool's Trent Alexander-Arnold.
This is a signpost to the future and a bright one, especially for a quartet who will only improve and be even more comfortable at this level before the World Cup gets under way in 12 months.
England were expected to win this game, but the emphatic nature of the victory and the sight of a rejuvenated Kane in full cry made it a very satisfactory night for Southgate and, in the wider context, Conte.
All that remains is to finish the job on Monday with a point against San Marino, a side who have not won a competitive game in 29 years of trying.
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