Tottenham’s Harry Winks adds control to the chaos
By Ryan Wrenn
Mauricio Pochettino’s reasoning behind his team selections at Tottenham is hard to dispute, but there’s a case to be made that Harry Winks deserves a bigger role.
After a debut season in which Winks earned nearly 1,300 minutes of playing time at Tottenham in all competitions, it seemed only natural that Winks would continue on the route to a regular starting place in the side.
A terrible ankle injury in early April stalled Winks’ ascent however. While the 21-year-old recovered quickly and even showed up weeks early for Spurs’ summer training, he seems to have dropped down Pochettino’s depth chart.
Proof of this comes in the form of Moussa Sissoko. Though Spurs’ once-record signing was rumored to be nearing the exit all summer, he’s stayed on at the club — and already earned four starts in the opening six games.
Mousa Dembélé’s struggles with injury have helped Sissoko get in the side, but it would be unfair to say the Frenchman is undeserving. While he remains relatively unflashy, Sissoko reliable fills a box-to-box role that Pochettino needs in his side.
For Winks, that’s problem. Compared to Winks, Sissoko is much more of a like-for-like switch for Dembélé. It’s clearly not a perfect match, but they two players are cut from the some rough mold.
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Winks is closer to Christian Eriksen in that he is less a dribbler and more a passer. Though he has yet to demonstrate the Dane’s precision and incision in the final third, when in the center of the pitch he is close to Eriksen’s equal in terms of distribution.
This impression was confirmed by Winks’ contribution in the 3-2 win over West Ham on Saturday. After Serge Aurier earned a second yellow, Pochettino was in need of a more horizontal level of control on the pitch to preserve Spurs’ lead.
Sissoko, Eriksen and Dembélé all embody Pochettino’s typical vertical style that looks to stretch opponents out lengthwise via the press and offside trap. At its heart, this is an attacking brand of football — albeit one that relies heavily on a competent base in defense.
With a lead secured though, this style can work against Tottenham. It encourages energetic movement forward and shots at every angle and distance. Though generally effective, the style tends to stretch Spurs apart on the pitch while also indirectly proving to be quite wasteful of possession.
Winks offers a way for Pochettino to slow down, retain the ball and clog up avenues through which the opposition might look to narrow Spurs’ lead. Though West Ham continued to be a threat through the end of stoppage time, without Winks on the field it’s conceivable that Spurs might not have pulled off the win.
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With early leads so crucial to Pochettino’s style, Winks deserves to be on the pitch far more often. He’s an extra element of control, especially when matches need to be shut down. Perhaps that’s a skillset that doesn’t automatically earn him a starting place, but it should at least earn him regular substitute appearances.