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Harry Winks - Leicester City

dtxspurs

Welcome to the Good Life
Dec 28, 2017
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How many games against teams from Macedonia could he play before he scored or got an assist?
 

Alex4487

Well-Known Member
Jul 21, 2011
259
558
woeful yet again cant pass forward cant even keep possession of the ball i think mourinho can see he aint up to it but will wait until ndombele is fully match fit to start him over winks. but the sooner the better i cant take seeing winks get outmuscled and taken on so easily anymore
 
Aug 9, 2008
4,910
8,415
Not to pile on, but Winks is playing himself further and further out of Jose’s best XI. Just frustratingly poor again today. I don’t understand how you can play with the likes of Lo Celso, Eriksen, and N’Dombele and not realize the value in playing a forward pass quickly.

what concerns me though is his bite and drive are gone. Was it ever confirmed he got COVID? A 2017 Winks could really stake a claim for us but he just doesn’t look up to it mentally, physically or otherwise right now. Really hope he’s just in a recovery period, because when you can start describing his play as lazy he’s hit rock bottom.

Very true like Jekll n Hyde, tat last game i saw him have that bite and drive was the game against the Scum were we won 2-1 toby winner. He looked up for it that game and was trying and working his little ass off. However this issue is like a virus with many of our players for the past year.
 

Huddlebone

Well-Known Member
Aug 10, 2012
1,393
2,306
Think about we take Declan ric,e and Winks heading to west ham. it would be a really good move for both players. Levy send them some fun coupons

--------Rice
Lo celco--Ndombele
 

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midge

Well-Known Member
Jul 28, 2011
400
784
Hojbjerg was bought to be the DM but now from the last 4 games Hojbjerg appears to be playing more as a box to box CM and Winks is the DM

Its strange .

Would like to see how Winks will do if he was played higher up the pitch and Hojbjerg sit deep
 

Ben1

Well-Known Member
Jun 22, 2015
2,130
8,411
Hojbjerg was bought to be the DM but now from the last 4 games Hojbjerg appears to be playing more as a box to box CM and Winks is the DM

Its strange .

Would like to see how Winks will do if he was played higher up the pitch and Hojbjerg sit deep
I have doubts about this. Its similar to the situation with Kante under Sarri, in particular. Positionally, yes, Winks is deeper sometimes (like Jorginho), but does that make him the defensive midfielder, I'm not sure. Hojbjerg at Southampton was a pressing mid - in the face, closing down, harassing (like Kante under Sarri). He's defensive, but not in the classical way of perching himself in front of a defence thus far. I certainly wouldn't call it box to box.

Edit: to say PEH was bought to play a certain role also just isn't correct, unless I've missed something Jose said, that was just fan chat and journo speculation.
 
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Rosco1984

Well-Known Member
Aug 31, 2012
1,740
7,048
Think about we take Declan ric,e and Winks heading to west ham. it would be a really good move for both players. Levy send them some fun coupons

--------Rice
Lo celco--Ndombele

Have you seen Declan rice play for England he is every stereotype people throw at winks and dier x10. Winks is having a rough patch and needs I believe to be given more positional freedom to get on the ball and link things with ndombele and lo celso. He wont ever be an Eriksen for assists and goals but he is excellent at linking play and dictating tempo. He always wants to get on the ball and move it quickly but you cant do that when you are playing a position that requires you to hold a rigid deep central position. We need to make this change fast because he isn't playing well as a DM and its also starting to affect his confidence. He should be our back up to lo celso but he is a very good back up. Some of the hate he gets on here is totally out of order he is Tottenham through and through. We should be proud of our youth academy for producing a player that when he has played for England in his actual position as a CM not a DM has far outshone anything fucking wanky Declan rice has produced. If that swap happened we would all be crying Rice is a less tough Dier he's pure shyte but anyone would look good next to noble.
 

Dzejkob

Well-Known Member
Aug 13, 2012
785
3,215
I think people read wrong the Hojbjerg role. IMO he is supposed to be that most defensive midfielder. But Mourinho wants players to press and be aggressive. When Hojbjerg sees opportunity to press, make an aggresive tackle he does that. Problem with Winks is that he doesn't. He always chooses the safe option. So when Hojbjerg tries to be aggresive, Winks doesn't anticipate where to go, where should he be to make the next pressing. Instead he chooses the illusoryly safe option cause he invites opposition to our half. I think that is something Mourinho is struggling to install in some of our players. That risk and aggression. Don't know if the players are just not at the required level or the methods he is using are wrong. With Winks I think he is just not at that required level.
 

Rosco1984

Well-Known Member
Aug 31, 2012
1,740
7,048
I think people read wrong the Hojbjerg role. IMO he is supposed to be that most defensive midfielder. But Mourinho wants players to press and be aggressive. When Hojbjerg sees opportunity to press, make an aggresive tackle he does that. Problem with Winks is that he doesn't. He always chooses the safe option. So when Hojbjerg tries to be aggresive, Winks doesn't anticipate where to go, where should he be to make the next pressing. Instead he chooses the illusoryly safe option cause he invites opposition to our half. I think that is something Mourinho is struggling to install in some of our players. That risk and aggression. Don't know if the players are just not at the required level or the methods he is using are wrong. With Winks I think he is just not at that required level.

This is an absolute malicious attempt to push an agenda against a player who's 100% dedicated and Tottenham born and bred, Winks started out under Poch when we pressed like crazy and he is good at it! he is being asked to sit in the hole in front of the defence and protect the ball and that's what he is doing. he is paying the price for being disciplined and playing how the manager asks him too. Effectively everyone slates him for being a team player and following instructions. I am sure he would rather be bombing round the midfield pressing and linking things up like he did against Madrid or when he was putting in lunging tackles against Barca when we needed the draw to get to the next round. Don't forget as well the role he plays for Southgate when England beat Spain and he got rave reviews. He is sacrificing his instincts and his game to do a job for the team. I agree its not the job he should be doing but that's not his choice.
 
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yawa

Well-Known Member
Aug 9, 2005
12,589
9,414
Few years back he'd get the ball and his distribution was spot and you could see him owning the middle of the park and nicely helping with transition from defense to attack. This resulted in some England caps and some good praise in the press and on here. Now i watch the game and he seems to spend half the time passing to the opposition.

I genuinely dont know what has happened to him as a saw him as potential player in the centre of our midfield for 10 years. Did Poch burn him out from his excess training?
 

GutBucket

Well-Known Member
May 26, 2013
6,808
11,492
Can't be the one sitting deepest and playing as DM, he is best in Kovacic role when he is free to run forward with the ball. Problem is we don't have a true DM in the team and we need 2 of them.
 

Japhet

Well-Known Member
Aug 30, 2010
19,232
57,389
IMO he's sacrificed his own preferred game to follow instructions from the manager. He's an 8 being expected to operate as a 6 with a remit to keep things simple and not lose possession first and foremost. His natural footballing ability has been stifled as a result. We desperately needed a conventional DM this window but instead we have Hojbjerg who is a kind of hybrid DM/8 whose defensive duties seem to be to proactively chase the ball and try to win it back. Winks therefore is still stuck in a role he's not cut out for. I feel sorry for him.
 

Goobers

Well-Known Member
Jul 29, 2011
1,948
3,162
Have you seen Declan rice play for England he is every stereotype people throw at winks and dier x10. Winks is having a rough patch and needs I believe to be given more positional freedom to get on the ball and link things with ndombele and lo celso. He wont ever be an Eriksen for assists and goals but he is excellent at linking play and dictating tempo. He always wants to get on the ball and move it quickly but you cant do that when you are playing a position that requires you to hold a rigid deep central position. We need to make this change fast because he isn't playing well as a DM and its also starting to affect his confidence. He should be our back up to lo celso but he is a very good back up. Some of the hate he gets on here is totally out of order he is Tottenham through and through. We should be proud of our youth academy for producing a player that when he has played for England in his actual position as a CM not a DM has far outshone anything fucking wanky Declan rice has produced. If that swap happened we would all be crying Rice is a less tough Dier he's pure shyte but anyone would look good next to noble.

Big agree.
 

Goobers

Well-Known Member
Jul 29, 2011
1,948
3,162
IMO he's sacrificed his own preferred game to follow instructions from the manager. He's an 8 being expected to operate as a 6 with a remit to keep things simple and not lose possession first and foremost. His natural footballing ability has been stifled as a result. We desperately needed a conventional DM this window but instead we have Hojbjerg who is a kind of hybrid DM/8 whose defensive duties seem to be to proactively chase the ball and try to win it back. Winks therefore is still stuck in a role he's not cut out for. I feel sorry for him.

He has been asked to play a deep lying playmaker role to accommodate PEH playing higher up to disrupt the opposition which I don't really understand but then again I have never managed anyone to a CL title. I think Harry is much better served starting higher up and playing more advanced attacking role. I think the single best performance I have seen from him is playing for England against Spain when I thought he conducted play superbly - he even had the Spanish footballing press lauding him.
He is clearly a very very good footballer that is not playing very well at the moment but there is no scenario where I think we are better off without him in the squad.
 

Japhet

Well-Known Member
Aug 30, 2010
19,232
57,389
He has been asked to play a deep lying playmaker role to accommodate PEH playing higher up to disrupt the opposition which I don't really understand but then again I have never managed anyone to a CL title. I think Harry is much better served starting higher up and playing more advanced attacking role. I think the single best performance I have seen from him is playing for England against Spain when I thought he conducted play superbly - he even had the Spanish footballing press lauding him.
He is clearly a very very good footballer that is not playing very well at the moment but there is no scenario where I think we are better off without him in the squad.


Can't say I understand why we didn't buy a pure DM with the players we have. Gio and Tanguy would be awesome either side of a Zakaria type player, but instead we have Hojbjerg chasing around higher up the pitch. Seems wierd when our need was so obvious. Maybe Hojbjerg will drop into the conventional DM role but I've never seen him as a specialist in that role. Winks would certainly fare better with less defensive responsibility.
 

Joely

Well-Known Member
Jan 20, 2011
1,724
4,648
Winks has a problem on his hands when it comes to his place in the team if/when Ndombele gets to full fitness and can maintain it. Last season, Mourinho had to rely on him as for one reason or another he didn't really have any other option. I think he'll appreciate him as a squad player but recognise he isn't someone he can turn to week in week out if the team is going to succeed.

If Ndombele can reach peak fitness, maintain it and approach/attitude is on an upward trajectory, clear Winks is spending most of his time on the bench. There's a chasm of difference between the two in terms of on the ball ability.

I know Winks is currently important to the HG quota but I wouldn't be against moving him on for the right money and bringing in Brooks from Bournemouth. Although I suspect he'd be more of Dele replacement were we to lose him.
 
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