In football, there are a lot of things that happen once and never again.
Blackburn winning the Premier League, for example. Or John Terry celebrating in full kit after not featuring in the Champions League final. Or Francis Jeffers playing at international level.
You know what else happened once? Harry Kane taking corners for England. He did it against Russia at Euro 2016, but by the time the next game rolled around he was back in the box for set pieces.
But the way fans reacted to England corners during the World Cup qualifier against Slovakia, you’d have thought the Tottenham striker was on corner kick duty throughout Roy Hodgson’s four-year tenure.
Alladyce is already better than hodgeson cos Harry Kane isn't on corner
— Brad (@BradMogan) September 4, 2016
No Kane for corner duty.. pic.twitter.com/5K63h1Ixgf
— Huddy United (@HuddyUnited) September 4, 2016
There seems to have been a mistake… We just had a corner and Harry Kane didn't take it? Bizarre #SLOENG
— Jack Bridgeman âš¡ (@bridgeman_jack) September 4, 2016
https://twitter.com/_iAmFemi/status/772466269668929537
Kane no longer on corner duty – pleased with the Big Sam era so far! #england #SVKENG
— Family Tradewell 🦒 (@TradewellFamily) September 4, 2016
https://twitter.com/Tmhrpr/status/772465864574664704
You know what, we’re willing to go full-circle on this. Why isn’t Kane on corner duty? Why is England’s record scorer Wayne Rooney out there taking set-pieces instead of getting into the box as one of the main attacking threats?
Celebrating Harry Kane not taking corners is like celebrating George Clooney not playing Batman or cheering a Beatles song on the grounds that Ringo Starr didn’t write it.
We’re starting to think it might become one of those things that never goes away. We’ll see a Wayne Rooney-managed England at the 2034 World Cup, labouring to a 1-1 draw with Qatar, and someone will inevitably pipe up with that old chestnut ‘Well, it could be worse. At least we don’t have Harry Kane on corners.’
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