Tottenham's Winks Says it's Tough for Wembley to Match White Hart Lane Atmosphere
Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Harry Winks has admitted that the atmosphere at Wembley will always find it hard to compete with that at White Hart Lane due to the 'size of the stadium.'
Speaking after Spurs' 1-0 Carabao Cup victory over Barnsley on Tuesday, Winks said: “It’s just the size of the stadium. It’s difficult to really get that same atmosphere that you got at White Hart Lane or if you have a full stadium here."
However, the 21-year-old was careful to steer blame away from the home support, saying: “But the fans are always excellent and they were brilliant in getting us over the line.”
The lack of attendance was clear for all to see on Tuesday night, as only 23,926 fans made the trip to Wembley to watch the third-round tie. This was lower than last year's figure for Spurs' match against Gillingham at the same stage of the competition.
Fortunately for the few fans that did make the trip to northwest London, Spurs were spared of an upset by a second-half Dele Alli winner. The visitors weren't without chances of their own, however, as Chelsea loanee Ike Ugbo fired straight at Michel Vorm from point-blank range.
Winks himself would have seen Tuesday night's tie as a positive occasion. The young midfielder played his first full 90 minutes for five months and, with a busy schedule ahead, Winks will be hoping that he can form an important part of Mauricio Pochettino's plans.
Winks impressed in his breakthrough season last year, making 21 league appearances before suffering an ankle ligament injury against Burnley in April. He's been nicknamed the 'Little Iniesta' by the Lilywhites' faithful.
