MATT BARLOW: Harry Winks has been cast as Sampdoria’s unlikely saviour in their relegation fight
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As Tottenham descended on the San Siro and Antonio Conte lamented that the midfield injury crisis ruined his return to work, one of their own was orchestrating an unlikely result against Inter Milan less than a hundred miles to the south.
Harry Winks looked calm and collected, perfectly at home at the heart of this Sampdoria team fighting hard for survival as they combined to thwart Inter to a goalless draw in Genoa on Monday, leaving Conte’s former club behind. from Serie A leaders Napoli by 15 points.
Winks played the full 90 minutes, his fifth appearance since returning from surgery last fall to repair a lingering ankle problem. Deployed deep, central, on the tip of their center halves, he passed and prompted in the first half, digging deeper to fight for clean sheets in the second.
He was hugely influential, and has already been cast in the role of an unlikely savior, the savvy passing master who could still pull Dejan Stankovic’s loose collective of talented players together as a team in the most difficult of circumstances.
There is a strong British thread to Sampdoria’s history, including greats like Trevor Francis, Graeme Souness and David Platt.
Harry Winks has become the last British player to play for Sampdoria
David Platt’s two years as a Sampdoria player were marked before the opening whistle against Inter Milan
Platt took to the pitch before kick-off, greeted by the Gradinata Sud ultras inside the Luigi Ferraris Stadium after an impressive giant-screen projection of the goals he scored during two years at the club, where he won the Coppa. Italian under the orders of Sven Goran Eriksson, on his trips between Juventus and Arsenal in the mid-90s.
Liam Brady, who celebrates his 67th birthday on Monday, is another fondly remembered in these places with a North London connection.
Winks, bottom of the line, returned to form in January, by which time Samp were entrenched in the relegation zone and struggling financially. Marco Giampaolo, the manager in charge when he went on loan for the season, was sacked in October, but Stankovic, a former Inter midfielder and Serbian international, is no less interested in the 27-year-old from Tottenham.
Early performances have been encouraging and Winks has been affectionately nicknamed the ‘washing machine’ by the local Italian media.
Clean and tidy, cleaning up in midfield and recycling possession, evoking memories of those early England outings and a memorable night for Tottenham in the Champions League against Real Madrid more than five years ago that drew comparisons to the masters of the Barcelona, Xavi and Andres Iniesta.
Last night against Inter, Winks assumed his role in front of the central defenders, flicking the ball from time to time, but mostly firing small, angled passes, always on the move, available for return.
In the Premier League, current tactical fashions dictate that larger, more physical and combative midfielders fill this role. In Serie A, there is still a creative element to the server role, honed at the time by Andrea Pirlo.
The pace is less intense, not as relentless as it can be in England’s top flight. Italian soccer should adapt to Winks as he picks up speed. He can read the rhythms of a game. His touch is sure. You can cover the gaps and protect. See spaces and choose the correct pass most of the time.
Winks is trying to rebuild after a long-term ankle injury at the relegation-threatened side
The midfielder had played a vital role in previous Champions League campaigns for Tottenham.
The area that he was expected to patrol alone was sometimes too large in the first half. It was impossible to hold their ground against Inter’s lavish array of attacking options. Romalu Lukaku’s call to start alongside Lautaro Martinez for the first time in a Serie A match since the World Cup seemed like a show of force.
However, Sampdoria are spirited and improving and Winks worked hard to recover and was in the right place to make some big clearances.
Intervening in an interception, he led his team to an encouraging break, perhaps their most positive turnaround of the first half.
Inter were not in form at the back but Sampdoria were wary in front of goal and went out of their way to return the ball to Winks, who was not in the best condition to score from his corner position and his shot was closed.
Still, his peers clearly trust him. They want him on the ball. He is responsible for the set pieces and his execution was excellent. He has established himself as what European managers like Conte often call a reference point, a reliable presence in the team around which others can revolve.
Confidence and focus look strong as you lead and cajole. She got tired and faded like an attacking influence. Most of his energy in the second half was devoted to defensive duties, chasing midfield running backs into channels, and he’s still building up stamina after a long time out.
Winks Sampdoria’s first performances have been encouraging after their return from injury
Inter advanced within five minutes of added time. Hakan Calhanoglu, Francesco Acerbi and Edin Dzeko came close, but Sampdoria held on, deeply content with what they hope will one day prove to be a valuable point in the survival total.
Boss Stakovic and his staff stopped to hug Winks as they advanced to the final whistle. “The boy has suffered a lot, but he has never lacked the desire to prove his worth,” the Serb said, when the 27-year-old returned last month, and fans rose to their feet to applaud the players at the final.
Winks was one of the last to leave the field, absorbing the sights and sounds once more. Above all else, it must be an incredible relief to be back. Learn to believe in his body and explore his talents in the birthplace of Christopher Columbus on the Ligurian coast, as Spurs repair their depleted midfield for the round of 16 match against AC Milan in the Ligurian League. Champions.