Harry Winks - Leicester City

[muppetman]

Bit saddened at the last few pages as I'm a big fan of Winks and it now looks like I'm in a fan club of one!

Winks' strength is to keep the ball moving, which stops the opposition building up a head of steam. Yesterday's game had Sissoko scarpering off at a run and Eriksen hiding so he really had very little to work with. This combined with the obvious instruction to go long and vertical as quickly as possible isn't really helping out my boy.

I don't think anyone thinks Winks is a massive physical specimen who can dominate a midfield by himself but he does often appear to be the only one in there.

I still love him and think if he could play with Ndombele or a fit and able Dier we'd see the best of him but for whatever reason that doesn't appear to be on the cards at the moment.

Come and join my Harry Winks fan club - membership is free!

 

[Glenn&Chris]

Bit saddened at the last few pages as I'm a big fan of Winks and it now looks like I'm in a fan club of one!

Winks' strength is to keep the ball moving, which stops the opposition building up a head of steam. Yesterday's game had Sissoko scarpering off at a run and Eriksen hiding so he really had very little to work with. This combined with the obvious instruction to go long and vertical as quickly as possible isn't really helping out my boy.

I don't think anyone thinks Winks is a massive physical specimen who can dominate a midfield by himself but he does often appear to be the only one in there.

I still love him and think if he could play with Ndombele or a fit and able Dier we'd see the best of him but for whatever reason that doesn't appear to be on the cards at the moment.

Come and join my Harry Winks fan club - membership is free!

Why are you a big fan of winks? What specifically do you think he does well and is good at? If he plays where should he play and who should miss out? Are you saying we should build the team around this great talent we have?

 

[skaz04nik]

He simply isn’t good enough. Can’t defend as he’s not physical enough, cant tackle, he offers zero in attack, can’t pick a meaningful pass as he hasn’t got the ability or the vision, doesn’t score goals and poor at shooting, can’t cross,

Winks is physical enough and he is a good tackler (that's why I think Poch is so stubborn pushing him to DM role) and btw he's not that awful as a dribbler either - see RM game.

From what I've seen his core problems are not with ability but (a) he tends to lose position as DM (b) he doesn't have the vision - that's why he tends to play safe balls. Or do you call it football intelligence?

He is obviously not a starter

Searched the history a bit - looks like he used to be the best in exotic lineups like 352 or 3421 - from what I've seen in each of those he had a DM (often Dier) sitting next to him.
Not sure we will ever play 3 defenders though

 

[Glenn&Chris]

Winks is physical enough and he is a good tackler (that's why I think Poch is so stubborn pushing him to DM role) and btw he's not that awful as a dribbler either - see RM game.

From what I've seen his core problems are not with ability but (a) he tends to lose position as DM (b) he doesn't have the vision - that's why he tends to play safe balls.

He is obviously not a starter

Searched the history a bit - looks like he used to be the best in exotic lineups like 352 or 3421 - from what I've seen in each of those he had a DM (often Dier) sitting next to him.
Not sure we will ever play 3 defenders though

He’s far from physical enough in comparison to the likes of Fabinho, Kante, Rodri, even guendozi is more physical than him, when Poch peaked 3 years ago with wanyama and dembele we had two proper units in midfield now we have a dweeb in comparison. Laughable you think he’s physical enough.

 

[muppetman]

Why are you a big fan of winks? What specifically do you think he does well and is good at? If he plays where should he play and who should miss out? Are you saying we should build the team around this great talent we have?

I like his attitude, his work rate, the fact he clearly gives a shit. I love that he always shows for the ball and never hides, he also gives his all in every single game.

I think he's a very decent passer of the ball and keeps us ticking over when it's going well. I think he's technically sound without perhaps setting the world alight with Pirlo free kicks or Eriksen 40 yard passes to find an unmarked Kane.

I don't think we need to build a team around him but I do think we need to make the best of the talent we have available to us. With that in mind I think he would work better with someone more defensively minded next to him - Dier would probably be best with what we have available to us at the moment - not Sissoko. If that isn't possible then I'd like to see him next to Ndombele as I think Winks' work-rate coupled with Ndombele's telescopic legs might be enough.

I think he'd work best in a 3 man midfield, but at the moment the other two have been Sissoko and one of Dele or Eriksen, now with the talent of the former and the "form" of the last two it seems a bit harsh to pick out Winks as the weak link.

None of this means that I think Winks is the complete footballer or that Real Madrid will be looking at him as Modric's replacement but in a whole host of problems I don't think Winks even makes the shit list at the moment!

 

[Gassin's finest]

I like his attitude, his work rate, the fact he clearly gives a shit. I love that he always shows for the ball and never hides, he also gives his all in every single game.

I think he's a very decent passer of the ball and keeps us ticking over when it's going well. I think he's technically sound without perhaps setting the world alight with Pirlo free kicks or Eriksen 40 yard passes to find an unmarked Kane.

I don't think we need to build a team around him but I do think we need to make the best of the talent we have available to us. With that in mind I think he would work better with someone more defensively minded next to him - Dier would probably be best with what we have available to us at the moment - not Sissoko. If that isn't possible then I'd like to see him next to Ndombele as I think Winks' work-rate coupled with Ndombele's telescopic legs might be enough.

I think he'd work best in a 3 man midfield, but at the moment the other two have been Sissoko and one of Dele or Eriksen, now with the talent of the former and the "form" of the last two it seems a bit harsh to pick out Winks as the weak link.

None of this means that I think Winks is the complete footballer or that Real Madrid will be looking at him as Modric's replacement but in a whole host of problems I don't think Winks even makes the shit list at the moment!

 

[For the love of Spurs]

I like his attitude, his work rate, the fact he clearly gives a shit. I love that he always shows for the ball and never hides, he also gives his all in every single game.

I think he's a very decent passer of the ball and keeps us ticking over when it's going well. I think he's technically sound without perhaps setting the world alight with Pirlo free kicks or Eriksen 40 yard passes to find an unmarked Kane.

I don't think we need to build a team around him but I do think we need to make the best of the talent we have available to us. With that in mind I think he would work better with someone more defensively minded next to him - Dier would probably be best with what we have available to us at the moment - not Sissoko. If that isn't possible then I'd like to see him next to Ndombele as I think Winks' work-rate coupled with Ndombele's telescopic legs might be enough.

I think he'd work best in a 3 man midfield, but at the moment the other two have been Sissoko and one of Dele or Eriksen, now with the talent of the former and the "form" of the last two it seems a bit harsh to pick out Winks as the weak link.

None of this means that I think Winks is the complete footballer or that Real Madrid will be looking at him as Modric's replacement but in a whole host of problems I don't think Winks even makes the shit list at the moment!

great post.

 

[double0]

There is a middle ground with Winks . He is not as bad as people make out , probably not as great too. Personally I think he's a good player and will get better.

It amazes me how quickly people turn on you...especially on social media ( have short memories)

 

[Shadydan]

I like his attitude, his work rate, the fact he clearly gives a shit. I love that he always shows for the ball and never hides, he also gives his all in every single game.

I think he's a very decent passer of the ball and keeps us ticking over when it's going well. I think he's technically sound without perhaps setting the world alight with Pirlo free kicks or Eriksen 40 yard passes to find an unmarked Kane.

I don't think we need to build a team around him but I do think we need to make the best of the talent we have available to us. With that in mind I think he would work better with someone more defensively minded next to him - Dier would probably be best with what we have available to us at the moment - not Sissoko. If that isn't possible then I'd like to see him next to Ndombele as I think Winks' work-rate coupled with Ndombele's telescopic legs might be enough.

I think he'd work best in a 3 man midfield, but at the moment the other two have been Sissoko and one of Dele or Eriksen, now with the talent of the former and the "form" of the last two it seems a bit harsh to pick out Winks as the weak link.

None of this means that I think Winks is the complete footballer or that Real Madrid will be looking at him as Modric's replacement but in a whole host of problems I don't think Winks even makes the shit list at the moment!

Excellent, very balanced post.

 

[TheRevolution]

I think he would be better for us with a dm, maybe in a midfield 3. He's quite similar to Henderson at Liverpool in that he can offer quite a bit of tenacity and workmanship.

 

[Danny1]

For me, my midfield 3 would be a DM, GLC and Ndombele, with Winks or Sissoko the next in line to come in for one of those players. A good squad player to have but ultimately not a starter for me.

 

[Primativ]

Have a look at McTominay for United. That is what you call a young CM from the academy coming through and making an impact.

He takes games by the scruff of the neck, he’s strong in the tackle, shows aggression, has a goal threat and is much more progressive in his passing.

Sure, they play slightly different roles or whatever, but come on, tell me one thing Winks does better than McTominay for example. 5 yard passes sideways to the CBs? Oh please.

You look at McTominay and you just think, there’s a future star there. A kid with a lot of potential. Winks is what? Older than Ndombele and just rank average.

I see people listing tenacity and workmanship as his key attributes ? how much lower do you need to go with the bar there. May as well bring a Michael Brown out of retirement ?

 

[fishhhandaricecake]

For me, my midfield 3 would be a DM, GLC and Ndombele, with Winks or Sissoko the next in line to come in for one of those players. A good squad player to have but ultimately not a starter for me.

This

 

[fishhhandaricecake]

Have a look at McTominay for United. That is what you call a young CM from the academy coming through and making an impact.

He takes games by the scruff of the neck, he’s strong in the tackle, shows aggression, has a goal threat and is much more progressive in his passing.

Sure, they play slightly different roles or whatever, but come on, tell me one thing Winks does better than McTominay for example. 5 yard passes sideways to the CBs? Oh please.

You look at McTominay and you just think, there’s a future star there. A kid with a lot of potential. Winks is what? Older than Ndombele and just rank average.

I see people listing tenacity and workmanship as his key attributes ? how much lower do you need to go with the bar there. May as well bring a Michael Brown out of retirement ?

Very harsh on winks a player who only 2 seasons ago bossed Real Madrid home and away in a midfield on his own

 

[ljinko888]

Have a look at McTominay for United. That is what you call a young CM from the academy coming through and making an impact.

He takes games by the scruff of the neck, he’s strong in the tackle, shows aggression, has a goal threat and is much more progressive in his passing.

Sure, they play slightly different roles or whatever, but come on, tell me one thing Winks does better than McTominay for example. 5 yard passes sideways to the CBs? Oh please.

You look at McTominay and you just think, there’s a future star there. A kid with a lot of potential. Winks is what? Older than Ndombele and just rank average.

I see people listing tenacity and workmanship as his key attributes ? how much lower do you need to go with the bar there. May as well bring a Michael Brown out of retirement ?

McTominay and Winks are age-mates. You're making it sound like McTominay is a newly found teenager. Jesus wept. By the end of this year both them and Ndombele will be 23 years old.

If you want to compare Winks and McTominay here's some facts and context. Winks has played nearly double the amount of games (112 vs 60) and of those games nearly double the amount of starts (71 vs 40). For a side that has finished in the Top 4 each season he has been in the squad. For a side that has reached the Champions League Final. He was trusted to play in big European matches and big Premier League matches two years before McTominay started to impress. And bare in mind those numbers would be higher if injury didn't end his season early in 2017-18 and forced him to miss the World Cup.

McTominay has only became a starter for United at the back end of last season. This season he has started all ten league matches and in these ten matches he has played more minutes in the Premier League than the whole of 2017-18 and 2018-19. And it's fair to say United's record since he came into the side hasn't been that good. Two wins in the last twelve games of last season, something like fifteen games in a row which they failed to score more than one goal, six months without an away win. He may have individually played well and fair play but if you're going to liken our shit run in 2019 down largely to Winks you can't pick out fucking McTominay as a force to be reckoned with. A soon to be 23 year old, who has played only sixty club games, of which only the recent ones have been memorable, is better than a guy who has started and starred against the likes of Real Madrid and Borussia Dortmund? Bollocks.

Short memories and recency bias.

WINKS

Watch "WINKS" on Streamable.

streamable.com

After Winks' performance vs Real Madrid from The Guardian https://www.theguardian.com/footbal...pur-real-madrid-champions-league-english-core

Winks in particular was brilliantly assertive in that first half. The purring over his best moments has tended to centre on his “calmness”, the ability to appear unfazed by being asked to pass and receive a football, a level of praise for a basic elite skill that tells you all you need to know about recent English midfields.

Here he was up against a midfield powerhouse, arguably the top three in the world in their roles: Casemiro, king of suffocation; Toni Kroos, a wonderful passer; and Luka Modric a footballer who looks like he was born on the half‑turn, able to twist and turn and pause and do pretty much anything he wants with the ball.

In the back row of the press seats Spanish radio called the game with its usual pitch of enthusiasm, spitting out the names. Winks. Kane. Winks. There were a lot of Winkses. And there is so much to like about a player who makes the game feel this calm and orderly. Best of all Winks will often just stop and watch, reading where the ball might go next. Every team need a player like this. Given the current level of competition it seems self-evident Winks should get another chance to start in central midfield for England.
ahead of time.

After his performance in a 4-1 win vs Liverpool by the official Premier League site https://www.premierleague.com/news/511755

With every 90 minutes Harry Winks gets under his belt, he looks an increasingly accomplished footballer.
Displaying maturity, determination, nimble feet and a terrific football brain, it is clear the Spurs academy graduate has a huge role to play this season.
Physically, he offers a different skill set to his main rivals in the side, and that is important.
Victor Wanyama, Eric Dier and Mousa Dembele are all tall, muscular midfielders. But up against smaller opponents they can look cumbersome on the turn, or when reacting to sharp one-twos.
Winks, who has a much lower centre of gravity and good pace over shorter distances, handles those situations better.
Without the ball the 21-year-old is a real terrier in the Mauricio Pochettino mould.
Buzzing around the middle third, his high-tempo pressing consistently forces mistakes.
During the recent 4-1 victory over Liverpool he closed down fabulously well, reclaiming possession 16 times.
Tellingly, most of those turnovers occurred inside Liverpool’s half, just as his manager would have wanted.

After his performance in a win at Dortmund in 2017 from BBC https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/42055903

There was little to choose between Harry Winks, who controlled midfield, and Son Heung-min but the latter takes man-of-the-match for troubling the Dortmund defence throughout and scoring a stunning winner

Stats of his performance vs PSV in a must win game



Stats of his performance vs Man City in the 1st leg of the QF

 

[jamesc0le]

i don't think he should be 1st choice cm. but i do think he should be the first name on the team sheet and captain.we should perhaps begin to forget about him as a player with a certain skillset suited to one position and begin to develop him as a utility player covering any midfield position or fullback area. he certainly has the tenacity, skillset and tackling ability to be able to develop in this way. our own james milner.

 

[mill]

Have a look at McTominay for United. That is what you call a young CM from the academy coming through and making an impact.

He takes games by the scruff of the neck, he’s strong in the tackle, shows aggression, has a goal threat and is much more progressive in his passing.

Sure, they play slightly different roles or whatever, but come on, tell me one thing Winks does better than McTominay for example. 5 yard passes sideways to the CBs? Oh please.

You look at McTominay and you just think, there’s a future star there. A kid with a lot of potential. Winks is what? Older than Ndombele and just rank average.

I see people listing tenacity and workmanship as his key attributes ? how much lower do you need to go with the bar there. May as well bring a Michael Brown out of retirement ?

You’re desperation to slag off winks is very strange. You’re so desperate to slate him at every opportunity it massively dilutes any decent point you may make about him because you’re so clearly biased against him. You’re just like bc was with Kyle Walker so against him and too myopic to see anything good.

This post doesn’t mean I think winks is the best player in the world and certainly no do. I think he’s a squad player moving forward. But you’re posts on him hold no value. You’re the equivalent of lawro’s Liverpool predictions, so predictable and not to be taken seriously.

He’s the Marino to your Finkel/Einhorn

 

[stevenqoz]

I think we have even more turmoil coming. Truly believe that Winks is the only deep pivot player we have and unfortunately, if this site is indicative, Pochs belief in him will leave a lot of Spurs fans unhappy. Coaches can change their minds but while taking ongoing advice, Poch has a mental ranking of all our players and for him Winks is a starter. Circumstance has not yet allowed it but he probably also ranks Foyth and Sessegnon as first choice full backs. When he builds his match fitness NDombele will be the same.

 

[double0]

Have a look at McTominay for United. That is what you call a young CM from the academy coming through and making an impact.

He takes games by the scruff of the neck, he’s strong in the tackle, shows aggression, has a goal threat and is much more progressive in his passing.

Sure, they play slightly different roles or whatever, but come on, tell me one thing Winks does better than McTominay for example. 5 yard passes sideways to the CBs? Oh please.

You look at McTominay and you just think, there’s a future star there. A kid with a lot of potential. Winks is what? Older than Ndombele and just rank average.

I see people listing tenacity and workmanship as his key attributes ? how much lower do you need to go with the bar there. May as well bring a Michael Brown out of retirement ?

You’re desperation to slag off winks is very strange. You’re so desperate to slate him at every opportunity it massively dilutes any decent point you may make about him because you’re so clearly biased against him. You’re just like bc was with Kyle Walker so against him and too myopic to see anything good.

This post doesn’t mean I think winks is the best player in the world and certainly no do. I think he’s a squad player moving forward. But you’re posts on him hold no value. You’re the equivalent of lawro’s Liverpool predictions, so predictable and not to be taken seriously.

He’s the Marino to your Finkel/Einhorn

I really do wonder if you’re a Spurs . You seem very content slagging off the majority of our players the manager the club.

 

[mill]

I really do wonder if you’re a Spurs . You seem very content slagging off the majority of our players the manager the club.

Me?