HArry Kane has outlined the three-stage plan to integrate new signing Lucas Moura into the Tottenham team and fast-track his arrival in the Premier League.
The Brazilian winger signed on deadline day for £25m from PSG met his new team-mates in the dressing room at the emphatic 2-0 win over Manchester United that puts them right back in the hunt for a top-four spot.
That is phase one of the transition, according to Kane, who now plans to look up his new partner on YouTube to ascertain more deeply what it is that the 25-year-old will bring to the Premier League run-in.
Then the hard work begins in phase three, at the club’s state-of-the-art training ground.
Kane explained: “We just met Lucas in the changing room and playing for a team like PSG, we know what he can do. It’s great to have him here and we’re looking forward to getting to know him and seeing what he can do in training and games. It’s a great addition to the squad.
“I’ll have to get on YouTube and see what he’s like.
“Then the manager is great. We do a lot of tactical work and when you play together for a period of time, you just get used to how one another plays. Obviously it’s a bit tougher for the new lads coming in but there’s no rush. Hopefully Lucas can come and fit right in and when he gets an opportunity take it.
“It’s more competition for places, keeping everyone on their toes. We know what he can bring. He’s done amazing stuff for PSG so we’re excited to get to know him and see what can happen.”
It may just have been coincidence, but Moura’s arrival sparked what Kane described as one of the best five performances he has been part of since the arrival of Mauricio Pochettino.
“It’s definitely up there – I’d say top 5 probably,” Kane said. “We’ve had some good performances, especially at home against the big teams but this one is definitely up there. Throughout the game, they never really looked like threatening us.
“The defence was great – Jan Vertonghen and Davinson Sanchez – and the whole team just played well. We had to because we’ve got tough games coming up. A couple of results went our way this week. We’ve got to do the same on Sunday.”
Personally, both games against Real Madrid this season spring to mind for those other top-five places, perhaps with the 5-3 New Year’s Day win against Chelsea at White Hart Lane in 2015.
Certainly, the other space has to go to the 4-1 win at Wembley earlier this season against Sunday’s opponents, Liverpool.
“We’ve got to put in the same performance as we did against United,” Kane said. “Liverpool are a very strong team, especially at home, attacking. They’ve got some fast players and last year at Andfield we didn’t cope with that very well and we were poor throughout the whole team.
“We can take confidence from the United game – this is the performance we need to play against the big teams home and away. We played well against Liverpool at home obviously and so we have to go there full of confidence.”
(Express)
