Mark Langdon: Harry Kane, injury time and why I am a massive hypocrite

Harry Kane to Bayern Munich. Moises Caicedo to Liverpool then Chelsea. Ross Barkley to Luton - it really is all happening this week so what better time to talk about time and specifically stoppage time?

I was one of those who was banging the drum for more injury time and I am almost certain in the past I have written that football should adopt a stop-clock procedure with a 60-minute match replacing the current format. 

So on that basis I should have been doing cartwheels - if I could do cartwheels which I almost certainly can't - with last week's opening round of EFL fixtures. All bar two of the matches went over 100 minutes as referees quite correctly added on time for different stoppages.

And yet I hated it. I don't want my football bets to still be in-play after 5pm on a Saturday and can you imagine the mind-numbing boredom to come of sitting through 13 minutes of stoppage time when a heavy Premier League home favourite is 4-0 up? 

Something needed to be done. League Two matches were averaging only 48 minutes for the ball in play, but a better solution is surely to just punish those wasting time, earlier than currently happens when required, and if a goalkeeper gets sent-off, so be it.

Instead, my entire football routine - whether that is watching a game on TV, checking results on apps or going to a game - has been ripped up. That feels more important than getting the exact amount of injury time correct.

A hypocrite? Guilty as charged and if you needed further evidence of that just reach for my hot Kane takes.

Selling a 30-year-old in the last year of their contract for £100m when there is little sign of him renewing makes sense. If Tottenham had turned it down they would have effectively taken Kane on a one-year loan deal and still have had to eventually replace him, just without £100m in the coffers. Spurs have done the sensible thing. 

However, the fan in me is disgusted that the club sold their greatest ever goalscorer and I'll be demanding Daniel Levy's head on my next visit to the Enic Bowl, bemoaning the Beyonce concerts and NFL matches which are now more important to Levy. 

It will be strange not relying on Kane's 30 goals a season, but you can understand why he wants out, swapping a team not in the Champions League for the competition's second-favourites. He's too good to finish his career without trophies so it's with a heavy heart I wish him well and as they say, all good things must come to an end. 

I just wish football matches came to an end earlier. 

Mark Langdon's Premier League predictions

West Ham's pre-season has been really unsettled with Declan Rice departing, rumours of management friction between the various people involved in transfers and Lucas Paqueta potentially being sold to Manchester City. They might be fine once their recruitment is finished, but backing hosts Bournemouth as outsiders in the draw-no-bet market on Saturday makes plenty of appeal.

Ben Chilwell has picked up cards in four of his last 11 matches and odds of 9-2 that he is cautioned when Chelsea host Liverpool on Sunday are worth a second look given he will be facing Mohamed Salah .

Brentford scored in all bar two of their home games last season and gung-ho Ange Postecoglou will get Tottenham on the front foot even without Kane, so back both teams to score when the teams meet on Sunday.

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