Harry Kane scored 36 goals in the Bundesliga during his first season with Bayern Munich. But is this his limit, or will new coach Vincent Kompany find a way to take this striker to new heights?
Kane’s first Bundesliga season may not have gone exactly as planned when Bayern Munich lost the championship for the first time in over a decade to Bayer Leverkusen.
However, on a personal level, Kane could not have done better in his first season in Germany. Scoring a total of 36 goals and providing 8 assists for Bayern Munich, Kane led the top scorer list for most of the season.
Currently, Bayern Munich is starting a new chapter under Kompany’s management. The Belgian coach joined Bayern Munich this summer and has made several changes with the arrival of Hiroki Ito, Michael Olise, and Joao Palhinha. Kompany plans to implement a possession-based style at Bayern Munich, which will benefit some of the current players at Allianz Arena.
But what about Bayern Munich’s top scorer? Will he progress under Kompany’s guidance, and how?
Under Thomas Tuchel, Kane was deployed as a number 9 in a 4-2-3-1 system, with surrounding players moving fluidly to allow him to fully utilize his abilities when in possession.
Kane is not like most modern number 9s, as he combines tactical vision with effective finishing. The striker tends to move away from the opponent’s penalty area, dragging central defenders deeper with him.
Kane often plays like a midfielder, demanding the ball to his feet, then either dribbling, passing, or linking up with teammates to penetrate the opponent’s final third.
At the beginning of last season, Leroy Sane benefited from Kane’s passing abilities as the duo combined to score some impressive goals in the first few weeks. Slowly but surely, Kane developed great synergy with the rest of Bayern Munich’s attack, especially with Thomas Muller.
Kane’s understanding with his Bayern Munich teammates could further improve as he enters his second season. The addition of Olise on the right wing will provide balance and a presence similar to Arjen Robben with the Frenchman’s ability to create or score with his left foot.
Last season under Tuchel, Bayern Munich was the team with the highest average possession in the league, around 59%. However, their best attacks often came from transitions from defense to counter-attack. Speedy players like Musiala, Sane, and Alphonso Davies were particularly dangerous when Bayern Munich countered.
Under the new coach Kompany, things might be different. Bayern Munich will still look to control the ball but will also use it as a means to create opportunities and cause problems for opposing defenses. This could be advantageous for a player like Kane, who enjoys having the ball at his feet.
At Burnley, Kompany employed various systems, but most notably the 4-4-2 and some variations of the 4-3-3 or 4-2-3-1 formations. The key was the cooperation within the system among central defenders, central midfielders, and strikers.
This number could significantly increase this season with the creativity that players like Musiala and Olise bring. Additionally, central defender Ito also has excellent ball-playing ability from the back. This will be beneficial in helping Kane make runs behind the opponent’s defense. He will receive direct passes from deep, then use his ball control to connect with the surrounding teammates.
Kompany’s tactics may not have yielded the desired results in the Premier League. But in the Bundesliga, with Bayern Munich’s top-class squad, the outcome could be entirely different.
The Belgian coach’s immediate priority is to find the best attacking players to play alongside Kane, possibly Sane, Musiala, or someone else. To maximize Kane’s potential also means surrounding him with players who are willing to move and receive the ball.
This summer at EURO 2024, Gareth Southgate’s England team reached the final, but Kane himself will surely be disappointed not only with the result but also with his personal performance throughout the tournament.
Kompany must learn from Southgate’s failure to make the most of Kane. He will also need to make adjustments to the attacking lineup to achieve maximum performance rather than being inconsistent as under Tuchel.
Building a system focused on ball control while still creating numerous attacking opportunities will be a challenge. And that challenge will be easier to address with the world-class players Kompany has at his disposal. The Belgian coach’s success at Bayern Munich will be closely tied to his ability to maximize the potential of his players, with Kane being the most crucial factor.
After resting and recharging following a long EURO campaign, Kane will undoubtedly be eager to start the new season. His goal is not only to continue scoring regularly but also to help Bayern Munich return to the pinnacle of glory. And Kompany’s task is to support this striker to break the curse of missing out on titles.