Ange Postecoglou will be delighted with Tottenham Hotspur's start to the 2023/24 Premier League campaign, but he will know of the rocky road still to traverse ahead of what could be a momentous crescendo to a new chapter.
Few foresaw the London club's sensational seasonal rise after such a challenging and unsuccessful 2022/23 campaign – a year that saw the dismissal of Antonio Conte, which was the fourth in as many years at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
But despite the sale of star striker Harry Kane, Tottenham are poised for a fruitful year, having soared into a two-point, table-topping lead in the Premier League after ten matches.
Multiple exciting additions have bolstered Postecoglou's vision, though Kane wasn't the only man to make way, with Harry Winks ending a career-long affiliation with Spurs and joining relegated Leicester City in a £10m deal.
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The 5 foot 10 midfielder spent the 2022/23 season out on loan in the Serie A with Sampdoria as Tottenham toiled, receiving praise from journalist Matt Barlow for one "terrific" performance against Inter Milan, starting 19 matches in the league altogether.
It wasn't enough to salvage his Lilywhites career, however, and Leicester presented Winks with an enticing package to spearhead a return to the Premier League from the centre.
Harry Winks' style of play
Perhaps Postecoglou could have found a use for Winks, and perhaps chairman Daniel Levy should have held off on the sale, especially when considering the player's innate passing prowess; simple but effective, he could have been a sturdy metronomic presence to add depth to an aspiring team.
As per FBref, Winks ranks among the top 1% of midfielders across divisions similar to the Championship for pass completion and passes attempted, the top 24% for progressive passes and the top 23% for progressive carries per 90.
He is, undoubtedly, one of the second tier's superlative ball-playing specialists, and his infusion with Enzo Maresca's system at the King Power Stadium has been absolutely magnificent.
Harry Winks' season at Leicester in numbers
His delightful curling strike against beleaguered Queens Park Rangers last weekend rubber-stamped his stature as the division's leading midfielder this season, though not without merit.
Having started 14 league matches this term, Winks, aged 27, has completed a mega 95% of his passes, made 5.4 ball recoveries per game and succeeded with 67% of his attempted dribbles, as per Sofascore.
In short, it's quite clear that Winks is capable of operating at a level above Leicester's present position, though the Foxes are on an unstoppable charge back to the big time and the former Spurs ace will continue to star at the centre upon their likely promotion.
The ten-cap England international's technical ability would have been perfect for Tottenham's new system, with Postecoglou implementing a swift-flowing style of play with an emphasis on domination through crisp, composed passing football.
Yves Bissouma, Pape Sarr and James Maddison have formed a commendable triumvirate in the centre of the park and it's clear at this point that the Tottenham gaffer likes to stick to the same starting team, or thereabouts, to maintain cohesion and intensity.
But nonetheless, Winks would have been a valuable option, offering a distinctive set of skills perfect for the new style, and perhaps if the new manager had had more time to work with him, the confluence in styles would have merged sweetly.
Instead, he was indeed sold, with Oliver Skipp still preferred to offer an industrious alternative in the middle.
How Oliver Skipp compares to Harry Winks
Skipp is still only 23 and has been a solid back-up option over the past few years, though there is a question mark hanging over the decision to let Winks leave – a question mark given credence following the Leicester man's displays this season.
Much like Winks, the £40k-per-week midfielder is a composed distributor and ranks among the top 18% of midfielders across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for pass completion and the top 27% for tackles per 90.
And while he may be four years younger, Skipp doesn't look like he's going to be making the improvements to align with Tottenham's rising collective quality.
As per Sofascore, the 23-year-old completed 87% of his passes across 23 Premier League matches last year – worse than Winks this season.
What the media have said about Oliver Skipp
Despite the numbers above, talkSPORT pundit Perry Groves was left criticising his lack of positivity, claiming that, alongside Pierre Emile Hojbjerg, Spurs have a "double appendix" that "don't do anything."
It's probably justified, then, that Hojbjerg has only started once in the top flight this season – harsh, but the table speaks for itself and it's hardly a good argument to build against Postecoglou, who is thriving at the helm.
In less scathing tones, reporter Alex Crook remarked thatSkipp is "not good enough" for Spursif they want to reach their zenith, though having started just one Premier League match this year the Australian manager seemingly echoes this sentiment.
Tottenham were believed to have been open to cashing in on their academy graduate in the summer, though nothing ultimately materialised and whether this was down to a lack of interest will remain unknown to the masses.
Winks' sale might have meant that there was a reluctance in thinning the crop too much, though one can't help but wonder that the wrong man was let go, especially considering that Skipp is valued at £24m by Football Transfers' valuation model.
Skipp is a decent squad option and has done a job off the bench for Tottenham this season, though it doesn't look like he will be cementing a prominent role under Postecoglou any time soon.
To be fair, the same could probably be said for Winks, and given Postecoglou's reluctance to change his free-flowing starting line-up unless left with no choice, the 27-year-old would likely be left disgruntled.
But that doesn't mean that he would not have thrived when called upon, and given Spurs' need for a central midfielder it might have been prudent to hold onto the assured passer.
Alas, he is now at the centre of a tremendous campaign with Leicester, with a date with promotion looking increasingly likely; to say that Spurs may rue his sale might be a bit of a stretch, but Winks would undoubtedly play a part and given the unlikely title charge, squad depth really is imperative when reaching the business end.