Rose Plays Winks Into Trouble

Winks being blamed when the mistake was the ball to him

The run in the UEFA Champions League last season, in my view, papered over the mentality cracks we have.

When it comes to the big occasion, we find a way to get defeated. It happened in the final, it happened against Chelsea in the semi-final of the League Cup, it has happened before in semi-finals.

Yes, we have had good results, such as Manchester City and Ajax but Christian Eriksen made a mistake against City that would have cost us the tie were it not for VAR. Why was he making that mistake at that time?

This game highlighted it more than ever for me.

If you are 100% focussed and committed you give it your all, subconsciously you release only positive thoughts and you gain that extra edge of performance, of effort, of determination, you find a  way to achieve what you want to achieve under extreme adversity.

Times that by eleven and you have a formidable side who can punch above their weight, which we ave been doing for a few years now, but when some are no longer 100% focussed and committed, then the supreme effort disappears.

You don't need to give it everything, your subconscious starts to keep you away from pain, which in footballing respects could be seen as making a mistake, so you take less chances, you pass the buck more.

For the last four goals we were going through the motions, we were not working as a team and individuals had stopped playing.

I could rip apart the goals and look at what went wrong but it would take too long and this article would go on and on. Instead, I'll talk about one, which I exclaimed as soon as the pass was made that we were in danger and sure enough they scored.

It was the fourth goal and I thought the ball to Winks from Danny Rose was a mistake, Winks had no options basically and was thus played into trouble.

Figs 1 and 2 show Winks passing to Rose and the situation when Rose receives the ball. There are 8 Spurs players in the picture, plus a goalkeeper leaving 2 outfield players out of picture.

My question to you is, if Winks gets the ball back, what options does he have?

If the ball is played in front of him he can't pass behind him, so a pass to him gives him the option of the only other player in the picture, who you can see is already being closed down in anticipation.

This is what I'm talking about when I talk and proactive and reactive players. The Bayern Munich player starting to close down the man in front of him. The guy to his left is starting to close the space and there are two of them closing Rose down as well.

Winks can not pass to Lloris, that is cut off and that leaves him the two players upfield off his wrong foot and we don't exactly know where they are. His passing lanes appear to be cut off so if Rose plays the ball back to Winks he is playing him into serious danger with Winks will have to try and wriggle to get out of.

Rose hasn't assessed the situation very well but commentators and clueless Sunday morning footballer journalists only look at the guy with the ball, so immediately call a mistake by Winks, no mention of what a poor ball it was from Rose because they can't read a game.

Take a look at the situation as Winks receives the ball back in Fig 3 below. He has no passing options at all. All his passing options are behind him, he has to somehow turn and play the ball that way, even a left-footed lob upfield is likely just to career off the Bayern Munich player in front of him and head towards the Spurs goal.

Bayern Munich goal Fig 3

I could talk about missing Trippier at right-back or what I told you all in the summer, that Christian Eriksen had been told he will not be an automatic first choice for the big games if he didn't sign a new contract, something he had and has refused to do.

Playing against Colchester and being left out of the starting lineup shows you that news was spot on despite the Twitter abuse from lowlife.

From 4-1 down, certain players turned off, like Serge Aurier and went through the motions.

Our target this season is reaching Champions League football and developing our new recruits to our way hopefully bringing an opportunity to win the FA Cup.

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