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Harry Winks - Leicester City

coys200

Well-Known Member
May 22, 2017
8,436
17,403
For me Winks is a number 8. He's the link/pivot between the holding midfielder and the attacking midfielders. If we play 2 in the middle he's the one in the Dembele role just ahead of Dier/Wanyama. If we play a 3 he's one of 2 number 8s with one other either side of the holder. In a positional sense he's Dembele, he wont be the last line of defensive midfield and he wont create/score many goals, but he'll orchestrate the midfield.

But here in is part of our problem of the last 3 to 4 years. I think every great team needs a goal scoring/assisting midfielder. It’s obviously a tactical decision but for me the more advanced midfielder needs to offer more than just being a link in a 2. Much like Gerrard Lampard and scholes. They were all that link player but obviously contributed a lot more. We’ve basically had dembele in that role. And yes obviously I understand his role but as said to be a great team I think that player has to offer more. Which is why personally I would have winks as the deeper of a 2. And if your talking about a 3 then the the 2 wider players definitely need to offer more as in de bruyne and silva.
 

mil1lion

This is the place to be
May 7, 2004
42,344
77,596
But here in is part of our problem of the last 3 to 4 years. I think every great team needs a goal scoring/assisting midfielder. It’s obviously a tactical decision but for me the more advanced midfielder needs to offer more than just being a link in a 2. Much like Gerrard Lampard and scholes. They were all that link player but obviously contributed a lot more. We’ve basically had dembele in that role. And yes obviously I understand his role but as said to be a great team I think that player has to offer more. Which is why personally I would have winks as the deeper of a 2. And if your talking about a 3 then the the 2 wider players definitely need to offer more as in de bruyne and silva.
I think he has a bit more appetite to drive forward with the ball than Dembele does. I too would like to see him add more assists and goals but even the likes of Iniesta and Xavi didn't score many. I kind of see him as the motherboard of the team. He may not be the main component but his role is key for those main components to opperate. If he doesn't play well we just turn him off and turn him back on again. Seriously though, I don't think we'll get the best of him from deep. He's not nearly as physical as Dier or Wanyama for that role from a defensive standpoint. His ability to play quick forward passes however make him ideal to transition the ball between defence and attack without slowing the pace down. Eriksen and Alli are our goalscoring attacking midfielders which is why they play further forward.
 

Marty

Audere est farce
Mar 10, 2005
39,885
62,562
Very good today until we lost shape. And even in our bad patch he was one of the better players out there. Had a drive I haven't seen much of from him before and combine that with his passing vision you got an excellent game.

Long may it continue.
 

yusrisafri

Well-Known Member
Jun 27, 2004
6,369
7,548
Didnt touch the ball at all in the 1st 10 minutes, then for the next 30 minutes played very very safe football. In the 2nd half though his quality shone through. At this moment, he should be an automatic starter together with Lloris, Lamela and Kane
 

DJS

A hoonter must hoont
Dec 9, 2006
31,261
21,760
Pep rotates his side because their oil money has bought them a disgusting amount of players so he can.

If we had the size squad he had I’m sure Poch would rotate a bit more too.
 

cliff jones

Well-Known Member
Aug 31, 2012
4,059
6,516
But here in is part of our problem of the last 3 to 4 years. I think every great team needs a goal scoring/assisting midfielder. It’s obviously a tactical decision but for me the more advanced midfielder needs to offer more than just being a link in a 2. Much like Gerrard Lampard and scholes. They were all that link player but obviously contributed a lot more. We’ve basically had dembele in that role. And yes obviously I understand his role but as said to be a great team I think that player has to offer more. Which is why personally I would have winks as the deeper of a 2. And if your talking about a 3 then the the 2 wider players definitely need to offer more as in de bruyne and silva.

Poch is a conservative tactician who plays with 2 sitters, as clear as day.

Winks has that burst of speed to get between the lines but then knocks it sideways to one of the front four- is this a lack of confidence or is he under instructions?
 

Yid121

Well-Known Member
Aug 9, 2008
3,463
3,139
He seems to take a while to get into games (think it's did to lack of confidence - so he will improve on time I hope) but what I like now is his driving runs forward, breaking lines.

In time, he will have more of an end product as he gets into these positions more regularly.

For me, he is a level above an average CM. Needs time but also more minutes on the pitch.

Needs to stamp his authority on the game more but that doesn't come by sitting on the bench

Think more lamela than Kane/Alli in terms of progression, he is a fantastic squad CM, and in time could be a much needed starter
 

BehindEnemyLines

Twisting a Melon with the Rev. Black Grape
Apr 13, 2006
4,574
13,161
I see damian Lewis having a whinge on hitc about Winks winding up the Spanners....... I'm not going to link as I hate the thought of any income from us trading his shite.
All he did was grin at them.... A bit too precious if that really upsets them that much!
 

stevenqoz

Well-Known Member
Apr 10, 2006
2,776
553
One of the great assets young Winks possesses is his sense of space and time.. Not only can he turn on a sixpense but has the awareness to surge into space as it opens up. Just an opinion but players in the modern era are educated to play in a variety of formations/shapes often being asked to change within a game. That is the new normal. Personally coach in the U18 rep age group and my players are coached to expect change and often take on a variety of roles within the same game depending on the need
 

kungfugrip

Well-Known Member
Apr 8, 2005
1,613
1,523
But here in is part of our problem of the last 3 to 4 years. I think every great team needs a goal scoring/assisting midfielder. It’s obviously a tactical decision but for me the more advanced midfielder needs to offer more than just being a link in a 2. Much like Gerrard Lampard and scholes. They were all that link player but obviously contributed a lot more. We’ve basically had dembele in that role. And yes obviously I understand his role but as said to be a great team I think that player has to offer more. Which is why personally I would have winks as the deeper of a 2. And if your talking about a 3 then the the 2 wider players definitely need to offer more as in de bruyne and silva.

I know this is the harry Winks thread, but since you were talking of needing a goal scoring/assisting midfielder like Gerrard, Lampard or Scholes.....I did a bit of number crunching at lunchtime and found that over their full, completed Premier League seasons only, here are the goal and assist averages for those guys.....and wanted to remind everyone we already have an incredible goal scoring/assisting midfielder:

Gerrard average: 7 goals per year, 6 assists per year
Lampard average: 9 goals per year, 5 assists per year
Scholes: 5 goals per year, 3 assists per year

ERIKSEN: 9 goals per year, 10 assists per year

He really is underrated by so many and I really can't figure out why. Obviously this is only based on Eriksen's 5 full seasons with us compared with the longer careers of the others, but it makes good reading!
 

Legacy

SC Supporter
Mar 29, 2007
2,878
6,280
I know this is the harry Winks thread, but since you were talking of needing a goal scoring/assisting midfielder like Gerrard, Lampard or Scholes.....I did a bit of number crunching at lunchtime and found that over their full, completed Premier League seasons only, here are the goal and assist averages for those guys.....and wanted to remind everyone we already have an incredible goal scoring/assisting midfielder:

Gerrard average: 7 goals per year, 6 assists per year
Lampard average: 9 goals per year, 5 assists per year
Scholes: 5 goals per year, 3 assists per year

ERIKSEN: 9 goals per year, 10 assists per year

He really is underrated by so many and I really can't figure out why. Obviously this is only based on Eriksen's 5 full seasons with us compared with the longer careers of the others, but it makes good reading!
Dele Alli average: 12.33 goals, 9.66 assists per year.
 

bomberH

Well-Known Member
Jun 4, 2005
28,455
168,221
Just read back over the last few pages and until the last page, I can’t believe the amount of negativity towards Winks. I’m flummoxed!

Despite what the ‘ex pro’s think, we can all see who has ability and who struggles. Winks for me, is very blatantly in a different class to players like Carroll and Mason (though I did like Mason). I said after a few games when he first came into the team that he’d be a starter at the WC. I genuinely believe that would’ve been the case if it wasn’t for his injuries.

Forget comparisons to the greatest midfielders ever, if he just carries on and continues improving the way he’s been going then he’ll be one of the best in England sooner rather than later. He’s also learning to cope with the pain in his foot during and after each game, so this period in his career is all quite new for him.

He is very good at what he does and makes the team tick along nicely. He’s calm, has good control, good vision, can play a nice pass or a quick pass, can run with the ball and can be tenacious too. He needs to work on things like his decision making when he’s further up the field and if he can do that, then there’s no reason why he can’t be an amazing midfielder for us and England.
 
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