Monday 1 August 2016 08:42, UK
Mauricio Pochettino believes Harry Kane was unfairly criticised following England's dismal showing at this summer's Euro 2016 Finals.
The manager of Tottenham accepts that people always look for reasons why a team has performed poorly but he is angry that his 23-year-old striker was the target for so much flak.
He says responsibility must be collective and, speaking following the club's pre-season tour Down Under, the Argentinian told The Sun: "I was very surprised about the criticism because there was no reason for it. No reason at all.
"Always when you are disappointed with the result, you try to find a reason why and the guilty. But for me, Harry Kane was in the same line up as the other players. Some good, some bad.
"It was not just his responsibility. In football, you need to share responsibility. For me, it is the manager first, the coaching staff and then the players. The responsibility is not just down to one player."
And Pochettino could not understand how England coach Roy Hodgson used Kane during the tournament in France.
He added: "I don't want to criticise but Harry is a top scorer. So why would you make him take the free kick or corner if the skill of Harry is to score?
"You need him to stay in the box, not outside. This is my idea."
