England’s March window ended on a flat note at Wembley, where the absence of Harry Kane was felt far more than expected. A 1-1 draw with Uruguay had already raised questions, but the 1-0 defeat to Japan sharpened them. Kaoru Mitoma’s decisive goal exposed a lack of cutting edge, and it left head coach Thomas Tuchel addressing a familiar concern. England, for all their depth, still look incomplete without their captain leading the line.
Thomas Tuchel defends reliance on Harry Kane
Tuchel did not shy away from the debate. Instead, he leaned into it, placing Kane alongside the game’s most influential figures. “Well, why would Argentina not rely on Messi or Portugal not rely on Cristiano Ronaldo? This is totally normal. Key figures left camp for us, and we saw that a bit. We lacked a punch.”The point was clear. Elite teams are often shaped around elite individuals. Without Kane, England’s attack lacked structure and conviction. Their only goal across two games came from a set piece finished by a defender, a detail that underlines the issue more than any statistic.Tuchel expanded on that thought later. “In the absence of Harry Kane, we don’t have the same threat. Bayern Munich, in the absence of Harry Kane, don’t have the same threat. For top teams and top nations, it’s normal to rely on top players. We can win without Harry, but it’s easier to win with him, of course.”It is hard to argue against the numbers. Kane’s record for England speaks for itself, and his current form at Bayern Munich only strengthens that case. His presence offers clarity. Without him, England look like a team searching for answers in real time.
Argentina and Portugal show a different model– They win without Messi and Ronaldo
Still, Tuchel’s comparison invites a closer look. Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo remain central figures, yet their teams have found ways to cope without them.Argentina, under Lionel Scaloni, have managed strong results even when Messi is unavailable. Wins in competitive fixtures and commanding performances against top opposition suggest a system that extends beyond one player. Portugal, guided by Roberto Martínez, have shown similar balance, collecting results without Ronaldo while maintaining attacking cohesion.That contrast places England in an uncomfortable position. The talent pool is deep, but the dependency is real. Kane’s influence is not just about goals. It is about presence, rhythm, and belief in the final third.For Tuchel, the challenge is not to remove that reliance completely. It is to build enough around it so that one absence does not unravel the whole approach. Right now, England are not there yet, and Wembley offered a reminder that progress still has layers to go.
