I find it weird that you want more young players coming through but constantly slate Winks like that. Would you have spoken about Mason or Townsend like that? Being a Mason or Townsend is really the worst case scenario for Winks' career, if you think of them as poorly as you clearly do about Winks then you're deluding yourself when it comes to your views on Tanganga and Parrott. They're by no means guaranteed to become even Prem-level players at this stage and if they struggle at any point you'll probably be on their backs too. Save the negativity for world class players who are taking their money and playing like ****, not the ones that are doing their best.
If he's got a serious fitness problem, trying to play in midfield is going to make it far, far worse. Currently, his future is at centre half. Whether it's with us? Hmmmm....
I don't recall it being particularly successful....but he's no better (and I think he's noticeably worse) lumbering around the midfield. Tonight, we'd have been better off swapping him with Foyth. At least Foyth can run properly.
Winks has had 100+ games and offered us next to nothing in about 90 of those. He’s not progressed one iota and slows our play down terribly. Mason was so much better than Winks for this club and but for a cruel injury when he scored the winner against Sunderland there’s an argument to say he’d still be part of this squad in some capacity. Skipp, Tanganga and Parrott are what we hope will be our future. If after 50-100 games in the first team they’ve not shown enough then they too can be moved on. This is a ruthless business, no place for sentiment just because a player tries hard or is from the academy. Winks doesn’t make most of the XIs in the Premier League, we’re a top six/ top four club, do the math.
It just further highlights how much work we need to do in the next couple of windows. I think most would agree we wouldn’t want him as a long term CB partner for Dave Sanchez at the moment whilst there’s obvious concerns over his CM future. Add in the need for a new LB, CB, possibly RB (although Jose is somehow making Aurier look ‘OK’) as well as possibly a new GK... it’s a lot to get sorted - and get right!
Positive about Foyth? Had a tough game and got away with his usual glaring error, doing pretty well other than that. Far more mixed about Sessegnon. Controversial!
He’s pretty spot on about Sess. I thought first half he looked lively, second half we were on the back foot a lot more and there were times his naivety showed and I agree about using his body better. On the whole a good performance I’d say from him as we have to appreciate the level of opposition and the fact it’s his first 90 mins in a long while. Foyth makes me laugh (sometimes!). Never known a defender who enjoys dribbling around his own box so much when they should just punt it . If Jose can instil some defensive discipline into his game he can become a very, very good player, whether that be CB or RB, or even DM.
Foyth’s hair is way better. But I can see the comparison. If Luiz was coached into learning how to properly defend and when/ when not to play out with the ball he’d have been a great player. Hopefully we can do that with Foyth over the coming months/ years, potentially he can be very, very good in my opinion.
For me the most worrying thing about Dier is that he is visibly overweight. And has been since August. That he hasn't managed to shed that timber in the space of 4 months despite supposedly being a professional athlete is of grave concern. There are only two plausible explanations and neither of them are good: either he doesn't care, or he does - but his catalogue of injuries prevents him from training with the required intensity to get rid of the flab. I can't remember who called it - might have been Brian or KH - Foyth should be nurtured into a DM. Too risky at CB and not a natural RB. His confidence on the ball, vision and reading of the game are perfect attributes for that position, especially given how ****e the current incumbents are.
I've been saying it for nearly 2 years. I don't think that he'll ever be a top level centre half but he'd be a sensational deep lying midfielder.
Tbh I don’t think anyone envisaged Eriksen becoming as bad as he’s been. And it’s a real shame because he’ll leave the club and have fans only remembering this last season rather than remembering how much good he done in the previous 5/6 years. Been one of the best players we’ve had in a long while but is tarnishing that game by game with these limp performances. Worst thing is, we haven’t yet been able to replace him and that hurts us even more. Gio hasn’t had much of a chance and for as good as Dele has been lately, he doesn’t have that same level of creativity that a prime Eriksen has.
Seriously I didn’t mean that ffs It was a change of system that did Villa...we all know this Anyway, point is He’s shocking