Harry Kane not only stands for goals at FC Bayern, but also for commitment, running and defensive presence. However, it is precisely this versatility that has now triggered a debate. Dietmar Hamann has publicly criticized the role of the English superstar – and thus raised a fundamental question that also concerns Vincent Kompany
In his column for Sky, the former international made a clear statement about the Bayern striker’s current style of play. „I don’t know whether Kompany is happy that Harry Kane is no longer just a striker,“ wrote Hamann, indirectly questioning the tactical approach. Although it is „worthy of all honour“ that Kane sacrifices himself for the team, he is critical of this from a coaching perspective
For Hamann, the core problem is obvious. „As a coach, I want my attacker to be where he is effective and scores goals,“ he explained. The fact that Kane regularly wins balls in his own penalty area is „not a long-term situation“. The consequences of this are noticeable. „At the moment, he rarely gets into finishing situations, and it was the same before Christmas,“ Hamann continued. His criticism is not so much directed at Kane himself, but rather at the way his role is interpreted
Kompany deliberately relies on freedom
Vincent Kompany naturally sees things differently. For the Bayern coach, the freedom of movement of his star striker is not a problem, but part of the concept. „All of our players have a lot of freedom in their position. Harry is allowed to move freely, in the box and behind it,“ explained the Belgian ahead of the Bundesliga clash against RB Leipzig
Kompany emphasized that it was not a rigid tactical construct, but rather adaptations to the respective course of the game. Particularly noteworthy: The Bayern coach explicitly emphasized Kane’s playful qualities. „He sometimes has passes like Toni Kroos and Kevin De Bruyne in there,“ said Kompany – a comparison that shows how much he appreciates Kane’s overall package
At the same time, however, he made it clear that his presence in the penalty area remains crucial. „In the end, he always has to be in the penalty area. If he’s not there, someone else has to take over the position,“ said Kompany. His system is less about fixed positions and more about collective responsibility. Every attacking player interprets his role differently, explained the coach – Kane included
Kane debate without explosive force?
The fact is: Kane remains the focal point of Bayern’s game, even if his role is broader than that of a classic center forward. While Hamann warns against diluting the core task, Kompany deliberately focuses on flexibility and trust. As long as the results are right – and Bayern are playing a historic season – the discussion is likely to remain one thing above all: a theoretical one
In the end, success will be the deciding factor, and that is currently clearly in favor of Vincent Kompany and his approach.