Henry Winter

⚽️Football journalist.🎙️The Football Boardroom
📻 Sunday Edition talkSPORT. ✍️ World Soccer.
📕Obsession. Enquiries [email protected]

[Henry Winter @henrywinter]

Switchboard went full Son et Lumiere over our Tuchel culpability debate. Many texts. Shows emotion stirred by England. Many absolving Tuchel of blame for capitulation v Argentina. Many still angry. Roughly 50-50 judging by @talkSPORT switchboard. Wembley will give fuller picture.

[Henry Winter @henrywinter]

@yidal1985 up to the board to get a grip of that, it's clear what the issues are.

[Henry Winter @henrywinter]

Ridiculously premature inquests into Roberto De Zerbi’s management at Tottenham Hotspur. He’s been in charge for only 14 games, rescued Spurs last season, came in, organised, galvanised and kept them up. Should have plenty of credit in the bank.

RDZ’s career does show he gets emotional in times of stress, can fall out with people and must guard against some of his public outbursts about the team (however legitimate). “Fragile” is a heavy word that leaps into headlines. RDZ understandably angry with his players for individual mistakes (Robertson, Van Hecke, Van de Ven, Fernandes) but calling them out in public doesn’t always help.

Plus he bought six of them. Club gave him £350m and he didn’t address the attack properly. Marmoush best in a pair, a shadow striker. RDZ could also be angry with himself for not keeping Richarlison onside. Spurs created enough chances early on against Villa but didn’t finish plus Suzuki one of the signings of the season.

But even discussion of regime change is crazy; managerial churn (eight in five years inc caretakers) would simply set them back, set the sad cycle to continue. He’s a good head coach.

Spurs’ issues run far deeper than RDZ. Do players get comfortable – magnificent stadium, wonderful training ground? Is it because club often too focused on money (concerts etc), rather than glory? The main problem is Spurs play in spurts; they don’t sustain promising moments.

RDZ is having to combat Spurs’ ingrained culture of not being physically or psychologically robust enough. If they go behind, they rarely recover. There aren’t enough fighters. Antonio Conte highlighted that in 2023. Turning Spurs around is a long-term job. RDZ deserves time to attempt it. #THFC

[Henry Winter @henrywinter]

@Strombolli4 but the deep-lying issues remain

[Henry Winter @henrywinter]

@garcoughlan last season he got a lot of praise. decent at Brighton

[Henry Winter @henrywinter]

@mainvane5 not me, having spent a year helping him with his book, and got to know how passionately he cares about the club, and how diligent he is.

[Henry Winter @henrywinter]

@TerryCoburn Probably more than 90%, Terry. He’s living the dream, I am sure, but that dream put at risk every tackle, every game, and he’s had his setbacks. You can admire resilience in all walks of life

[Henry Winter @henrywinter]

You have to admire the resilience and persistence of players like Jay Dasilva, Coventry City’s matchwinner. Quite a journey the 28-year-old left-back's been on. 50 games in League One, 245 Championship, now 5 games in PL. He was a youth star at Chelsea, won FA Youth Cup x3, Uefa Youth League x2 (with Christensen and Loftus-Cheek, Mount and Tomori).

Didn’t make the first-team grade, sent out on loan to Charlton, then loaned and signed for Bristol City, played plenty but also endured stress fracture and shin injuries. Released by Bristol City, joined Coventry on a free. Last season, Dasilva suffered the frustration at Wales losing shootout to Bosnia-Herzegovina and not qualifying for 2026 World Cup. But got promotion, and now a Premier League match-winner 🙌 #PUSB

[Henry Winter @henrywinter]

@KevinGreaves20 Didn’t know that Kevin, thanks

[Henry Winter @henrywinter]

@MichaelDWass He comes across well, and seems committed to playing attacking football "vertical". pen? would have been 3-0? would have calmed things a bit but you toughed it out, big win psychologically

[Henry Winter @henrywinter]

Newcastle United had five academy players on the bench against Hull City. Three 17-year-olds: Kyran Thompson (via West Ham and Arsenal), Michael Mills and Mason Miley. Plus Miodrag Pivas, 21, and Vakhtang Salia, 19. None came on, still to make their first-team debuts.

Reflects the injury issues – nine out - that Matthias Jaissle having to deal with. Inevitably running on fumes by the end but held on for three points against in-form Hull. Shows players’ determination to make amends for Leeds defeat, their belief in each other and in Jaissle. Timely going into international break – when they hope to have a few of the injured returning. #NUFC

[Henry Winter @henrywinter]

Brighton 🙌 Arsenal 👀

[Henry Winter @henrywinter]

@PaulStainer1 I’m a fan of RDZ and Spurs have bought some good players. Now it’s about building a team. Pointless panicking. But centre-forward is an issue.

[Henry Winter @henrywinter]

Bobby Smith, Len Duquemin, Les Allen, Jimmy Greaves, Martin Chivers, Alan Gilzean, Steve Archibald, Mark Falco, Clive Allen, Gary Lineker, Garth Crooks, Teddy Sheringham, Jurgen Klinsmann, Robbie Keane, Les Ferdinand, Jermain Defoe, Dimitar Berbatov, Son Heung-min, Harry Kane. Apologies to those forwards left out and for the wobbly chronology. But the point is that Tottenham Hotspur have had so many fabulous forwards since the war. But now? #THFC

[Henry Winter @henrywinter]

Spurs goals, London buses. You wait ages for one and two come along at once. To no avail. Deserved defeat. International break going to be a period of painful headlines and reflections. De Zerbi is a good manager, he has some good players but needs time to bed in his ideas and build an identity.

[Henry Winter @henrywinter]

Buendia brilliant. Villa rampant. Spurs ragged. Villa a team with a game-plan, a togetherness and a hunger with a leader in John McGinn setting the tone. Spurs bereft of belief, ideas, goal threat and leaders. #TOTAVL

[Henry Winter @henrywinter]

@simongalcock Agreed, Simon. Bloom/Benham masters of their art.

[Henry Winter @henrywinter]

£144.9m. Cost of Brentford’s starting XI against Chelsea. Many reasons for Brentford’s success. Judicious recruitment, obviously. They're so good at finding value in the market place, seeing potential and developing it. Also: calm, strong leadership in the boardroom, dug-out and on the field.

Plus togetherness, fitness, preparation, effective game-plans, pace in transition, set-piece work, scouting of opposition, defensive determination, throwing themselves into blocks etc.

Plus succession planning. Thomas Frank leaves, they know to promote Keith Andrews. Players leave, they know their recruitment targets. They sign good characters as well as good players, including Schuster, Sangare, Anthony, all impressing this season. Plus a culture that helps new signings settle quickly. It helps there is little pressure on them. If needed, players given time and support to develop.

Brentford are a model club in many ways, a family club, community club and such a well-run club. A mix of humility, work ethic, analytics, vision – and fun. Serious professionals who really look they’re enjoying themselves. #bees 🐝

[Henry Winter @henrywinter]

Pretty obvious what Chelsea are missing. Caicedo fit and back in midfield to shield that defence; Joao Pedro back in attack linking with Rogers and Palmer; a Thiago Silva-type experienced leader at centre-back; and more organisation and concentration in defending set-pieces #CFC

[Henry Winter @henrywinter]

@AberdeenFC Great appointment. Experienced and measured, he listens and leads.