Harry Winks: players meant to be competing for places but lack of game-time is 'tough'

[mawspurs]

Harry Winks has suggested he is not being given a fair crack at a first-team place for Tottenham and admitted he is finding his lack of minutes "tough".

Source: Sky Sports

 

[Dougal]

So is watching them.

 

[TheTanguy]

Try to get more minutes elsewhere, it ain't gonna happen at Spurs.

 

[Thenewcat]

Harry Winks has suggested he is not being given a fair crack at a first-team place for Tottenham and admitted he is finding his lack of minutes "tough".

Source: Sky Sports

I was ready to pile in when I saw the headline but to be fair nowhere in the article does he say anything that suggests he isn’t getting a fair crack at a first team place. He says the opposite by stating the reserves didn’t take their chance. Journalists really are awful

 

[FloridaSpur]

How many seasons has he had to prove his worth?

I do believe in rewarding loyalty, but when you simply are not good enough then it's time to move on, and Winks has regressed season on season.

 

[thebenjamin]

I was ready to pile in when you saw the headline but to be fair nowhere in the article does he say anything that suggests he isn’t getting a fair crack at a first team place. He says the opposite by staying the reserves didn’t take their chance. Journalists really are awful

the Mirror's headline is even worse:

Harry Winks' scathing attack on teammates​

Literally not an attack on anyone other than himself.

Winks' scathing attack on teammates and opens up on Tottenham exit talks

Harry Winks has gone from England regular to only managing to get a game for Tottenham in the beleaguered Conference League and honestly reckons his time at Spurs is almost up

www.mirror.co.uk

 

[Gareth88]

I think he would do great at a lower level club, like Watford

 

[davidmatzdorf]

How many seasons has he had to prove his worth?

The confounding factor in Winks' case is that he was really excellent at 21. He looked every bit the controlling midfielder who would play for Spurs and England for years and was drawing comparisons with Iniesta. He outplayed Real Madrid's midfielders and his passing was precise and progressive - nothing like the hesitant, unambitious Winks of the present.

Then he got a severe ankle injury which continued (continues?) to cause him pain and his confidence simply never came back. He's become less and less effective in every season since the injury. There's no sign of that promising player anymore. He must be increasingly depressed, as his exciting career slowly fizzles out.

 

[karennina]

the Mirror's headline is even worse:

Harry Winks' scathing attack on teammates​

Literally not an attack on anyone other than himself.

Winks' scathing attack on teammates and opens up on Tottenham exit talks

Harry Winks has gone from England regular to only managing to get a game for Tottenham in the beleaguered Conference League and honestly reckons his time at Spurs is almost up

www.mirror.co.uk

It is reassuring to see journos are this verminously dishonest about stuff which matters less than politics. Just industry pressures for clicks, not a specific corruption of the political argument itself.

 

[dontcallme]

I've no doubt some will pile in based on the headline but his comments are fair and self-critical.

 

[Russ1201]

I was ready to pile in when you saw the headline but to be fair nowhere in the article does he say anything that suggests he isn’t getting a fair crack at a first team place. He says the opposite by staying the reserves didn’t take their chance. Journalists really are awful

I'm not Winks biggest fan, but what Winks is saying is true atleast he knows he needs to do better. Skysports shit stirring again, never seem to say anything bad or cause dressing room unrest at Man Utd or Liverpool, can't stand Skysporrs.

 

[parj]

The confounding factor in Winks' case is that he was really excellent at 21. He looked every bit the controlling midfielder who would play for Spurs and England for years and was drawing comparisons with Iniesta. He outplayed Real Madrid's midfielders and his passing was precise and progressive - nothing like the hesitant, unambitious Winks of the present.

Then he got a severe ankle injury which continued (continues?) to cause him pain and his confidence simply never came back. He's become less and less effective in every season since the injury. There's no sign of that promising player anymore. He must be increasingly depressed, as his exciting career slowly fizzles out.

Absolutely this. I think between him and Alli injuries have really hampered them physically and mentally.

 

[UncleBuck]

Absolutely this. I think between him and Alli injuries have really hampered them physically and mentally.

Which comes back to overplaying players during the two transfer windows where we didn’t bring in any new bodies.
I didn’t think it was too much of a problem back then but in hindsight it’s probably the biggest mistake the club has made since ENIC took over.

 

[slartibartfast]

Which comes back to overplaying players during the two transfer windows where we didn’t bring in any new bodies.
I didn’t think it was too much of a problem back then but in hindsight it’s probably the biggest mistake the club has made since ENIC took over.

Agree with this. It was the beginning of the end. Such an arrogant, stupid decision.
Another first for Spurs but one we should be embarrassed about. Christ knows what the players really thought of that but I've a good idea.
We had one of the best strikers in Europe who publicly said he'll stay as long as we match his ambition and we pulled that fuckin stunt. And then went one better by doing it again in January! Unforgivable managememt. And here we are desperately trying to claw it back.
Liverpool took years to get back but once they did they invested heavily to make sure they stay there. We did the opposite. Incredibly bad business decision. Sorry I'm raging off topic but it beggars belief that anyone could be so fucking stupid.

 

[SpursTillIDie1882]

If you play shit every opportunity you get, then of course your not gonna get game time or atleast it will be limited. Play better, you'll get more opportunity and by merit you'll get that chance, however if you continue to play poor, keep making mistakes your not get the chance on merit and unfortunatley its been happening for more than a couple of seasons now for him.

 

[Japhet]

Agree with this. It was the beginning of the end. Such an arrogant, stupid decision.
Another first for Spurs but one we should be embarrassed about. Christ knows what the players really thought of that but I've a good idea.
We had one of the best strikers in Europe who publicly said he'll stay as long as we match his ambition and we pulled that fuckin stunt. And then went one better by doing it again in January! Unforgivable managememt. And here we are desperately trying to claw it back.
Liverpool took years to get back but once they did they invested heavily to make sure they stay there. We did the opposite. Incredibly bad business decision. Sorry I'm raging off topic but it beggars belief that anyone could be so fucking stupid.

Poch was as much to blame for that as anybody. He turned down good players (Tielemans springs to mind) and only wanted ones who were nailed on for bigger clubs so we had no chance.

 

[FloridaSpur]

The confounding factor in Winks' case is that he was really excellent at 21. He looked every bit the controlling midfielder who would play for Spurs and England for years and was drawing comparisons with Iniesta. He outplayed Real Madrid's midfielders and his passing was precise and progressive - nothing like the hesitant, unambitious Winks of the present.

Then he got a severe ankle injury which continued (continues?) to cause him pain and his confidence simply never came back. He's become less and less effective in every season since the injury. There's no sign of that promising player anymore. He must be increasingly depressed, as his exciting career slowly fizzles out.

I never thought that he would be "top draw" but over the seasons i am trying to think of a player in our midfield that i would put behind him in the pecking order?

Likeable, and loyal no doubt, but certainly not a starter for a team wanting to improve, i look at Pierre and see a gifted DM with the skill to split a defence (ref Harry's goal) in two as well as go box to box.

I see neither ability in Winks.

 

[parj]

Poch was as much to blame for that as anybody. He turned down good players (Tielemans springs to mind) and only wanted ones who were nailed on for bigger clubs so we had no chance.

But at that point in time, with limited spending, was Tielemans a priority given the injury struggles with Dier, Winks and Dembele? We needed a more defensive or box to box midfielder to cover Dembele.