Striker or playmaker? Harry Kane explains his role at FC Bayern | OneFootball

Harry Kane is much more than just an enforcer in the penalty area at FC Bayern. The top English striker has now explained why he often drops into the game – and what tactical effect this has for Munich

Since his move to Munich, Harry Kane has been repeatedly praised for not only scoring goals, but also for directing, structuring and accelerating Bayern’s play. In an interview with The Times, the 32-year-old explained how he interprets his role – and why he deliberately moves away from the classic nine-man zone

Kane describes how his dropping back is no coincidence, but a targeted tactical tool. „If a team likes to press, I like to pull back, sometimes even into the defensive zone, to see if the centre-back is really prepared to follow me to the end – it costs teams a lot to really commit,“ explained the Englishman. This is precisely the key: Kane forces opponents to make decisions that open up spaces – for himself or for his teammates

Why Kane suddenly appears as a six or an eight

photo: IMAGO

The fact that Kane sometimes appears deep in midfield at FC Bayern is therefore not a sign that he stays away from the game – on the contrary. „That’s why you sometimes see me in the #6 or #8 position on the half turn,“ says Kane. There he can read the game, tie up opponents and prepare the next attack

This behaviour pays off against aggressive pressing teams in particular. Centre-backs are faced with a choice: if they follow Kane, they open up spaces behind them. If they stand still, the striker can turn up the play in front of them. For Bayern, this creates a structural advantage that doesn’t always translate immediately into goals, but almost always into control

In the final third, Kane also sees his role differently to that of a classic penalty area striker. „In the final third, we don’t really play with a classic striker. We almost play with two players in the number 10 position, with wingers who move inside,“ he explains. It is precisely this flexible positional play that ensures opposing centre-backs are under constant pressure

„The central defenders aren’t quite sure whether they should go with me or stay back,“ is how Kane describes the situation from an attacking perspective. For players like Michael Olise or Luis Diaz, this repeatedly creates spaces that Bayern can mercilessly exploit

Adaptation depending on the opponent

However, Kane also emphasizes that not every game works the same way: „Every game is different. In some games, you play with a deep defence, you don’t get much space, you just have to find spaces and movements in the penalty area.“ In such games, Kane moves into the box more often, operates more classically and relies on timing instead of changing positions

According to Kane, however, the big advantage of his approach lies in the moment of the follow-up pass: „If I drop back and play the passes wide, reaching the penalty area or the pocket late definitely gives me more space.“ This is particularly crucial against man-to-man cover: „Sometimes, when you’re almost man-covered by the central defenders as a number 9, it’s difficult to run free.“

His solution: patience, game intelligence and a delayed run. „I try to use my mind and my soccer intelligence to see where the space is and use it.“

Harry Kane embodies exactly the profile that Vincent Kompany is looking for at FC Bayern: a striker who not only guarantees goals, but also makes the entire attacking play smarter, more variable and harder to defend.