Harry Winks is a player that I can foresee attracting the same problems involving emotional overinvestment from fans, as we have seen in the past at Tottenham. Winks has been at Spurs for a long time. This is his 8th season in the first team, but Harry originally began his ‘journey’ at Spurs in 2002.
The problem with these quotes carried by the Daily Mail amongst many, is that I don’t see a pathway for Winks under Mourinho – when he has a full billet of players to choose from. As per Dele Alli, being on the books at Spurs no longer guarantees one anything, which I see as huge positive. José Mourinho is at a huge club, one with a billion pound stadium and earnest pretensions about achieving something, and achieving something soon.
Is Winks the man to play his part in delivering the trophies that the club is crying out for? His performances not only lack fight but the inventive spark that those now rivalling the 24-year-old for his starting place. Tanguy Ndombele, Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, Giovani Lo Celso and even Moussa Sissoko on occasions are all more appealing either defensively or offensively. That’s not opinion, that’s based upon appearances when José had other choices/no other choices.
I wish Harry well, but a change of scenery might just pep his game up and hopefully provide him with a greater sense of identity.
Fully agree with that. The game has evolved a lot in the last decade and most top sides have goals from midfield and other areas these days. I see this being as a result of the high pressing and interchange of players in the final third creating space and chances.
Jose’s teams don’t really do that, they can be lethal on the break but it requires a lot of soaking up pressure and it shackles the attacking midfield players quite a bit.
Agreed, Lo Celso and Tanguy are more than capable of doing more offensively. Son and Kane have been consistently scoring for years, but for me, if we are serious about winning the league, our midfield or full backs need to step up and assist or score regularly. All the top teams rely on goals and assists from full backs or midfield to supplement their attack. We’ll see come Christmas if we are serious contenders.
His main attribute appears to be that he is a ‘metronome’. Any number of players can master the sideways and backwards from the centre circle trick, but this boy should be hitting a lot more clever diagonals from where he plays – plus he couldn’t hit a cows proverbial with a stringed instrument in terms of his shooting boots.
Obvs love the fact he is Spurs through and through, but he’d be better suited to life at West Ham.
I think LoCelso and Tanguy are both potentials goal scorers from midfield. Trouble is, Jose likes his midfield to do so much work off the ball and holding or filling positions that they rarely get the freedom to get in goal scoring positions. Without Kane and Son I’m not sure we’d score any under Jose. Set plays perhaps!
Jose has a very specific way of playing and you either fit it or you don’t.
Of course we don’t need depth in the squad do we… 🤔 😂
Add Lo Celso and Ndombele and we are Old Mrs Hubbard in the goal scoring department. Hojbjerg obviously starts ahead of Harry or Sissoko and he is another who can’t hit a cow’s backside with a banjo. If they were chipping in with assist I might be be happier, but none of them are. We rely on Son and Kane to do the business, which could be worse I suppose, but we need threats from other parts of the pitch.
Levy…
The boy Winks is bang average so if he is pushing for a move then a career at Fulham or Charlton is the best I can see for the lad. If he’s really unlucky then he might go Newcastle for a bit.
Or he knuckles down and accepts he’s lucky to be at Spurs in a Jose squad.
Would be good if Jose gets rid and gets an upgrade, of course.
Winks is a good lad and a decent Premier League player, but he’s always been nearly good enough, like Thud was; and like Thud was, is being entertained well past his sell by date. Maureen’s approach looks unlikely to tolerate such inefficiency; it’s counter productive and a drain on progress. It’s why man ure were great under slur alex, and why they aren’t right now.
We will be in a better position to judge our title credentials after the next half a dozen games against top rivals.
I agree, I don’t think he can expect to start and right now I wouldn’t say you could expect him to start at any other top six club at this moment in time. Personally I think he’s easily good enough to give us some good depth.
Jose has always prefers physical players in midfield, he’s tolerating LoCelso and Tanguy because they’re recent signings and he’s trying to adapt them. We should be wary because no matter where we sit in the table right now, if these changes don’t bare fruit then we are letting some good players go just because they don’t fit José’s approach. We will wait and see how things go.
Jose is doing a good job and we are in the mix so far this season, without question. Still a long way to go.
Just my opinion.
Winks actually hurts Spurs when he tries to play at the 6 (DM.) He is positionally foul, and does not seem to have the tools to correct it. He marks useless space, and any duties as a buffer are -poof- gone. Defense suddenly vulnerable.
He seems to be able to play at the 8 (CM.) Not greatly, mind you, but when there is no confusion, and he is not trying to play a 2nd 6, he can actually carry and link forward play.
Both Sissoko and GLC are better (even though GLC plays a hybrid 8/10). But Winks can improve to fit there.
Again, imo, absolutely dogs the team when at the 6. He cannot do it.
And before anyone pops off about formation, YES, Jose plays a 6/8/10 midfield triangle in his 4-3-3. 1 poorly played position, and the entire mf is broken.
Sort of agree with this in that he is a good squad player. But what type of player is he? Lallana – Great on the ball, quick feet. Delph – Hard as nails, breaks up play, determined, great left foot. Loftus-Cheek – Creative, good going forward. Drinkwater – Box to Box. Rodwell – Good going forward. I think Winks can be good, as he showed for England against Ireland, but the majority of the time, he passes the ball sideways or backwards, he can also get stuck in, but I don’t see that very often either.
Good ball player, he had an injury about 18 months ago or more. Struggled to get his mojo back since, although probably doesn’t fit in with Jose’s tactics.
We do seem to specialise in midfielders who don’t score – Sissy and Winks in the same starting 11 automatically equals no goals from midfield before you kick a ball in anger
Lallana. Delph. Loftus-Cheek. Drinkwater. Rodwell. Cleverley. All English midfielders who have won titles at Liverpool, City,Chelsea,Leicester & Utd. None of those players were World Class but their contributions enabled their World Class teammates to win titles. Winks is a very good squad player and can more than do his bit this season to help Spurs achieve their objectives in winning a trophy.Later in the season when injuries and suspensions kick in we will be glad we have him,always gives 100 percent and never lacks fight,he has now played 98 PL games in this his fifth season.
Slightly off topic, but when I think of the cavalier Spurs or yesteryear, the players I think of are Hoddle, Waddle and Gascoigne. The closest thing there is to these now is Jack Grealish. How I would love for us to sign him.
Sadly, this can’t really happen now as Villa will ask for £100m or something like that. What’s weird is that the only club that could really afford him would be Man Utd, and even then they might not want to spend that much.
This is the difference in the transfer market compared with the past. The top clubs just cannot buy from the rest as and when they want. So many more conditions need to be right for a player to be able to transfer. It has almost got to the point where unless a player is throwing a tantrum and only has a year left on their contract, they cannot move.
Younger players are even wising up to the moves to the big boys. Look at Jude Bellingham: he turned down Utd because he knew Dortmund would give him a proper first team place – at 17! It definitely looks to be working out well for him given the start he has made there too. Dortmund know what they are doing and his next move will be a huge one.
Recruitment is more competitive now than ever and more important to get right. Most clubs are only a few bad transfers away from oblivion.
He’s certainly no Jack Grealish. How I wish we had bought him a few years ago.
Agreed as James Ward- Prowse is a more attractive proposition!
I don’t think getting his place in the England squad has helped him, it gives a false impression of his capabilities .
How many goals has Winks scored for Spurs?
Only 1 his debut goal against West Ham I can think of.
Oh 2 the one he nodded the winner against Fulham at Craven Cottage.
Similar to Vinny Sideways (Samways), neat and tidy Winks lacks vision to make that incisive killer pass!! Simply put he is solid but not spectacular!
Back on the Meds for you DD.
I think he’s a limited player. Good on the ball, good enough passer but not a risk taker. Not one for a flash of creative brilliance. He doesn’t have the size to command the midfield either, although he does make a few interceptions. He’s not all bad, but I can imagine him at a mid table PL team more than one fighting for the top spots.
He could do a job as a squad player, but he may not be happy with that situation.
My immediate impressions of Winks that he was destined to captain both Spurs and England has seemingly been dashed!!
Winks probably doesn’t have the physical presence that Jose likes. His teams are usually full of brick sh*t houses… 😂