Bradley: We can keep Kane quiet
Don't let Spurs striker out of your sight, Swansea boss tells players
| TOTTENHAM | SWANSEA |
Swansea manager Bob Bradley has challenged his defenders to find the focus to keep Tottenham striker Harry Kane quiet at White Hart Lane tonight.
Kane has had his season disrupted by a seven-week lay-off with an ankle problem, but the England star has been boosted ahead of Swansea's Premier League visit by signing a new Spurs deal which will run until 2022.
That could spell bad news for a Swansea side who have been vulnerable at the back all season and whose defensive frailties were again exposed in the astonishing 5-4 victory over Crystal Palace last weekend.
"Harry Kane is a terrific finisher and you need real concentration right through the match against him," Bradley said.
"You give him a chance and he has a solid record of hitting the target and scoring different kinds of goals.
"He is a striker where everybody must concentrate for every moment because the slightest lapse is when he pounces.
"So it is mainly a test of awareness and concentration."
Tottenham are hoping that Kane can continue his hot scoring streak and help them get their season firing again.
They go into the Swansea game having lost their last two matches, firstly at Monaco in the Champions League, a result that meant they cannot qualify for the next stage, and then at London rivals Chelsea in the Premier League.
That ended Tottenham's unbeaten start to the league campaign, an achievement which had been all the more impressive since Kane was sidelined by an ankle injury in September.
But, with four goals in the four games since he returned to fitness, there is no doubting that Kane will be the man to watch at White Hart Lane once again.
"The form of the last couple of months hasn't been where we want it to be because we've set such high standards," the 23-year-old said.
"But it isn't the time to panic or be worried. The performance against Chelsea was very good, even though we didn't win, which was disappointing.
"We're in a good place. We're not far off the top and we've a very long way to go this season."
Tottenham boss Mauricio Pochettino is confident Spurs can get back to the form that saw them defeat then-leaders Manchester City in early October.
"Against Chelsea, we lost, but we recovered the feeling that we can play well," Pochettino said.
"This week has been perfect because we could spend time together and train hard. We held a lot of meetings and the answer from the players was fantastic.
"We need to deliver Saturday and do a great job to try and get the three points."
Meanwhile, Tottenham defender Jan Vertonghen has signed a new contract that is set to keep him at the north London side until 2019, it was announced yesterday. - Wire Services
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