Arsenal: Some Things Harry Kane Must Remember About Thierry Henry

Arsenal legend Thierry Henry and Tottenham upstart Harry Kane have something in common, but let’s not be carried away with this match.

Harry Kane did something pretty special in his 100th appearance, scoring his 58th and 59th goals in his Tottenham career. In the process of doing this he drew even with the mark that Thierry Henry set for Arsenal in his first 100 matches.

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Naturally, from a Spuds point of view, the go-to thought here is that Kane is therefore, somehow, inexplicably, Thierry Henry’s equal.

Or, at the very least, that he could one day be Henry’s equal.

I’m not trying to be a hater but, uh, nope. I’m speaking from as unbiased a standpoint as I humanly can. The main thing that Kane needs to remember is that when Henry came over from Monaco, he was a winger that Wenger had to shape into a striker.

That cut into his initial success quite a bit. But not to make excuses for him, he still did what Kane, a lifelong striker, was able to do.

A secondary thing that Kane needs to remember is that Henry’s first 100 appearances came across a span where he was at his worst (as compared to other seasons). He Had made the move, was transitioning and playing in a brand news system.

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But the part of this to remember is that after those first 100 appearances, Henry never scored under 30 goals in a season ever again. That is one hell of a pace to keep up with for someone like Kane, who, despite being a good finisher, doesn’t boast any particular strength that would hint at longevity. He isn’t a physical threat and he isn’t a speed merchant. He  is just sort of a solid all around striker.

Henry was a mastermind. He created for himself, he worked with those around him and he made ordinary moves incredibly special.

Again, credit where it is due with Kane, but he isn’t like that. He does a lot of things well but nothing great. That isn’t to say that he can’t stake out a solid stat line and become a Spurs great but when you talk Thierry Henry, you’re invoking the name of the greatest striker to ever touch a pitch in England.

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The good news is, I have yet to see a Spuds’ fan draw this connection yet. Granted, I haven’t been looking, but still, let’s nip this little argument in the bud.