Tottenham's Ewing Theory: Are Spurs Better Without Harry Kane?

The day Tottenham Hotspur sold Harry Kane to Bayern Munich in a deal worth nearly 100 million pounds was viewed as the beginning of the end of Tottenham's time in the elite. Gone was their top goalscorer, club legend, star player, the man who was Spurs. How do you replace 30 goals from one of the best strikers in Europe? Pundits and fans alike believed there was no way for Spurs to compete with the big teams anymore, especially with teams like Newcastle, Aston Villa, and Brighton challenging for European spots. 

Then came Ange Postecoglou and his "never back down" attitude. He brought exciting, attacking football. He restructured a leadership group that was floundering. He was given players he knew would fit his system perfectly. The players have taken to the Australian's tactics brilliantly. They all sing his praises, calling him a father figure and for bringing the fun back to training and gamedays.

Tottenham is currently 1st in the Premier League after 8 games. They are unbeaten, ahead of rivals Arsenal, and beat Manchester United and Liverpool on their way to the top. If it can be sustained, Tottenham may be challenging for their first Premier League title. There are a lot of varying factors that will contribute to that, but Spurs have been able to find wins in situations where they looked outmatched or exhausted. And they're doing it without Harry Kane's goalscoring skills. 

In 2001, former ESPN writer and founder of The Ringer, Bill Simmons, wrote an op-ed about the Ewing Theory. The theory was centered around legendary New York Knicks center Patrick Ewing. Ewing had long been the focal point of the Knicks in the 1990s, going to the NBA Finals in 1994 and 1999, but failing to take home any silverware during his time in New York City. Ewing departed the Knicks in 2000 after being traded in rather unceremonious fashion. However, Dave Cirilli - the man who created this idea - noted how the Knicks' play was better following an Achilles injury to Ewing during a series against the Indiana Pacers. 

The Ewing Theory suggests two points: "1) A star athlete receives an inordinate amount of media attention and fan interest, and yet his teams never win anything substantial with him (other than maybe some early-round playoff series), and 2) That same athlete leaves his team (either by injury, trade, graduation, free agency or retirement) -- and both the media and fans immediately write off the team for the following season." 

Is that what's happening with Tottenham Hotspur? 

It's difficult to compare two different sports with two very different kinds of skill and competition. The NBA only has one trophy to compete for. European football has multiple competitions during the nine-month season, opening the door for other trophies besides a league title.

But it is hard to ignore the similarities between what happened to the Knicks and what's happening to Tottenham. Harry Kane left in a bit of a negative fashion, refusing to re-sign with Spurs, not really believing in the new manager or the direction Spurs were projected to go. How different it is now. 

Of course, I'm not the first to blog or write about this. Dan Kilpatrick at The Evening Standard wrote about this in August, right as Tottenham were finding form with their new-look squad. Now in October, it seems like we are seeing it on display. 

There is one moment in Tottenham's modern history that backs up the idea the team played better without Kane. During the 2019 Champions League campaign, Kane went down with an ankle injury in the Round of 16, prior to the quarterfinal meeting against Manchester City. It forced then-coach Mauricio Pochettino to give more goalscoring responsibilities to Son and Lucas Moura, using backup striker Fernando Llorente for his hold-up play (though he would score some clutch goals during this run). It worked, with Spurs beating Man City on away goals and coming back against Ajax in the semifinals to also win on away goals. 

But when Tottenham got to the final, Kane started despite being unfit, and Lucas Moura, hero at Amsterdam, was benched. It went horrendously for Spurs. It was one of the "Spuriest" losses in a final, and Spurs never fully recovered from it. The past four seasons were proof of that. 

In a vacuum, that 2019 UCL run was based on team unity and leadership. Spurs had a pretty inspired group then, but it was clear that the group of players was coming to the end of their cycle. It was one last effort to prove they were a legit team, but came up short again. After that run, Pochettino was sacked, many of the players he brought in left, but Kane remained. The coaches that followed were not team-builders. 

Kane's individual performances for Tottenham under Jose Mourinho and Antonio Conte suggested they had shifted tactics to accommodate the striker so much they neglected the other parts of the team. Mourinho basically said every player except Kane was rubbish during his time as Spurs boss. Conte said it would not work out well if they dropped Kane, simply because he did not believe in other players. They blamed Tottenham for problems that were slightly justified but clearly did not sit well. 

Spurs became too much of the Kane show. The media was always jumping on him for staying with Spurs during the periods of drift under Mourinho and Conte. They suggested he was too comfortable at Tottenham chasing records, not caring about winning trophies. We'll never truly know why Kane wanted out so badly in 2021 and then in 2023, but it's not outside of the reasonable doubt window to think the media and online pressure got to him. At 30, with no trophies, not even international honors, missing that penalty against France in the 2022 World Cup quarterfinal, and playing under negative-minded managers with floundering tactics...it definitely affected his joy at Tottenham. 

Sure, you could say Tottenham never properly backed Mourinho or Conte, or that their players are too weak mentally to work with winning coaches. But it gets rather interesting when you look at Kane's stats across those last four seasons.  

When he moved to Bayern, that all changed. The criticism subsided, with many saying it was over for Tottenham, that they could not rely on Son or Richarlison, and it would take a miracle to finish even 4th place. 

Yet...here we are, with Tottenham playing some of the best football in England. Son has stepped big time, and he has been boosted by the arrival of James Maddison, the club's new No. 10. Contributions are coming from all over the pitch: Dejan Kulusevski has two goals, Maddison has scored two along with his 5 assists, Cristian Romero has two already including a "golazo" at Burnley, new defender Micky van de Ven scored his first goal while down a man at Luton Town, Pape Matar Sarr scored the opening goal against Manchester United, even Emerson Royal scored at Brentford. This is no longer a one-man show at White Hart Lane; it's a true team effort. 

There is also something to say about team leadership without Kane. Postecoglou made it clear he was doing a hard reset of the club culture. That included appointing new captains. Tottenham fans lamented that last season's perceived leadership group of Kane, Eric Dier, Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, and Oliver Skipp was not mentally strong enough nor realized their shortcomings as players (though that was mostly angst toward Dier and Skipp). Thus, Son, Romero, and Maddison were made the new captains, with their infectious and positive leadership creating a joyful training ground and playing experience. It's about the group, not one player. 

That isn't to say Kane wasn't a good teammate. He and Son hold the record for most goal involvements from a duo in the Premier League era. Somehow, Spurs was all about Kane, and Kane's success was tied directly to Spurs' success. That pressure can be immense for any player. 

It seemed like the joy was fading during Kane's final years at Tottenham. Perhaps that was a lack of belief from the England striker. Maybe it's a product of working with managers who always felt like being at Spurs was a step down in their career, and how he was their "guy." Maybe it was constant media and internet pressure pointed toward Kane.

Postecoglou has shifted that attitude. He recognizes the hole Kane left, and no single player can fill it. Eleven players who want to run through walls for their gaffer might help. That is certainly one of the reasons Tottenham have been so strong in the post-Kane days. They play together, united as one. Every goal scored, the whole team rushes over. It has been aided by the late victories against Sheffield United and Liverpool, exemplifying the belief Spurs can beat anyone. 

It's too early to say whether the Ewing Theory is truly applicable to Tottenham's post-Kane era. They have lost a Carabao Cup match to Fulham, albeit on penalties. The FA Cup will be a true test of the Postecoglou Revolution. However, it is notable Spurs are playing their best football in a long time without England's No.9, with South Korea's No.7 in his place and Leicester's former midfielder wearing the 10 shirt.