Harry Winks provides solution to Jan Vertonghen’s lack of pace

After Adama Traoré repeatedly left Jan Vertonghen in the dust at Molineux Stadium, should the Belgian’s lack of pace concern Tottenham? 

It was obvious that Vertonghen struggled to keep up with Wolves’ speedy winger. In Vertonghen’s defence, Traoré is a freak of nature, who at full tilt appears close to breaking the current land speed record, which, if you’re wondering, capped off at 1227.985 km/h.

So maybe comparing Vertonghen to a player resembling a cheetah is slightly unfair. But the gulf in pace between the two is so vast it’s worth taking a deeper look at Vertonghen’s achilles heel, and investigate whether it could handicap Spurs in future matches.

The first question is whether Vertonghen’s lack of pace is a big enough problem to jeopardize his place in Spurs’ first team. The answer is unequivocally no.

He is too important to forsake. Immaculate in the air, sturdy as an ox, responsible defensively and blessed with a wicked left food, Vertonghen leads by example and is an integral part of Tottenham’s current setup.

But we can’t skirt the issue at hand. Vertonghen, at 32 years old, is no longer quick enough to keep pace with the world’s speediest, most dynamic wingers. Far from it.

To combat the issue on Sunday, Jose Mourinho had Eric Dier drop back and slide left to support Vertonghen. The pair doubled up on Traore numerous times, trying to stifle the Spaniard. While that strategy had mixed results, it’s nearly impossible to unremittingly expect Dier to be in that position. It pulls him from the centre of the park, where he is needed the most.

Son Heung-Min also dropped back to aid in Vertonghen’s plight. Seldom used, Son is blessed with the pace to at least give players like Tarore something to think about. Again though, it’s not a consistently viable option, as Mourinho needs Son to stay high for potential counter attacks.

The best option for this conundrum revolves around Harry Winks. In matches where the opposition has an incredibly quick right winter, Winks should start on the left side of Dier in central midfield.

The diminutive whippersnapper covers expansive ground in the flash of an eye. He’s also a terrier, extremely adept at tracking back and harassing fleet of foot wingers. He can double up while Dier patrols the middle of the park. If Moussa Sissoko plays in a more advanced role — when Lucas Moura doesn’t play — he can drop back and support Dier while Winks ventures outside to aid Vertonghen.

There are certainly downfalls in having Vertonghen play at left back but the pros more than make up for them. As long as they plan accordingly against speedy wingers his presence is necessary to Spurs top four ambitions.