Harry Kane would be criticised less if he wasn't English, claims Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino

Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino believes that Harry Kane would receive far less criticism if he played in Italy or Spain.

Kane, who failed to score in a five games for club and country earlier in the campaign, now has 10 goals for the season with the three of them coming in the last two matches including two in the 2-1 Champions League victory over PSV Eindhoven on Tuesday.

And given that he is a goalscorer of proven elite pedigree, Pochettino admits he was surprised by the reaction of many to Kane’s lean spell earlier in the season.

“In England you have a lot of very good things here but there are things you need to improve with your own players,” said Pochettino. “Kane is English and sometimes you push him to the sky and paradise and then you put him on the outside.

“Now after six years here I understand a little bit. It is true. If Harry Kane is Italian and playing for the Italian side he will be a bit more protected because the Italian people are more protective of their players. It is difficult to push but when they are there they try to keep up there.

“It's similar to Spain. Here it is more up and down. You score you are the best. If you didn't score no ... you are criticised. It's an observation. That is the problem.”

Pochettino could not be happier with his star player and has backed him to get even better, adding to the 166 goals he has scored already for Tottenham at the age of 25.

“I know him very well,” said the Argentine. “He is a killer, an assassin, a killer. Always in practice in everything he wants to kill the keeper, everything.

“He wants to score, he is so determined to score goals. That is why sometimes when he doesn’t score he is so obsessed with scoring, that sometimes it is against him because sometimes you need more freedom, not to be obsessed.

“But he is going to learn because I think he is now starting to be really mature because he is still young. I am not surprised because he is so determined and in training you need to stop him training because he always wants to train, to improve and it is amazing.”

Pochettino also repeated his comparison of Kane with Gabriel Batistuta, his former Argentina international teammate, believing that in addition to goals both possess the same resilience.

“I compared him because his mentality is similar to Batistuta,” he said. “Then of course maybe Harry Kane is going to improve on his stats. But for me Harry Kane can be or is, depending on the people around him, of a similar mentality to Batistuta.

“I know Batistuta very well. He was my teammate. And I know Harry Kane. They are of a similar mind and focus and determination.”

Kane, who will be among the Tottenham contingent on England duty next week, is set to lead the line again at Crystal Palace on Saturday.

Pochettino is also looking forward to watching the Argentina Superclasico between Boca Juniors and River Plate after the Selhurst Park match.

“It means a lot,” he said. “I told the media in Argentina there will be massive consequences after the game. It's a strange situation because firstly it's a two-legged final. It's not one leg in a neutral stadium. They going to play Saturday, at 8pm in England – you see, I know very well – at Boca Juniors. And then after at River Plate. But not with away fans. What happens if Boca win the title at River Plate? It's impossible to celebrate. It will be a disaster. It will be tough.”