Ryan Wintle is going to Cardiff, just like Perry Ng did
Another victory for South Wales. I write about Wintle's strengths, weaknesses and tactical fit at Cardiff.
Though Crewe fans and management alike have been resigned to losing him on a free transfer for a while, it is a shame that Ryan Wintle is leaving Crewe Alexandra without much fanfare. Cardiff are lucky to get him, just as they were in January with Perry Ng. I hear Ng has taken to South Wales very well, and fingers crossed Wintle fits right in.
Somehow still only 24, Wintle has racked up a huge 160 appearances for Crewe since his debut in 2016, and I would guesstimate he had a good game in 150 of them. Supremely fit, composed on the ball, and a smart reader of the game, Wintle is the ideal ‘deep lying playmaker’. This strangely is both a strength and a weakness, which I will expand upon later.
Wintle leaves Crewe Alexandra as one their key players in the last decade, and another success story for their youth development. While he isn’t technically an academy graduate, he’s been in the first team since the age of 18 and will forever be associated with playing ‘the Crewe way’.
In this article, I’ll discuss Ryan Wintle’s strengths, weaknesses, and his tactical fit at Cardiff. The data is from Whoscored, FBRef, and Wyscout.
What Wintle Wins At
Ryan Wintle is proof that the best ability is availability. He has fantastic natural fitness and stamina. His injury record has been phenomenal since he broke his leg in 2016. This was clearest when he played every minute of Crewe’s League Two 2019/20 promotion campaign, despite playing in a tiring central midfield position.
The 2019/20 season was his best. He won both the Player’s Player of the Year, and the Club’s Player of the Year awards that season, which shows the value of this contribution. His teammates clearly rate him very highly, especially considering the multiple talents that Crewe team boasted.
Wintle biggest strength is his ability on the ball. He is a tidy passer, and had the highest pass completion % among Crewe players in 2020/21 (83.6%). Far from just keeping the ball though, Wintle is adventurous and varied with how he gives his teammates the ball. He is willing to vary the length and difficulty of his passes and plays with superb tempo. Only right back Perry Ng (5.6) played more successful long passes per game than Wintle (5.2), while Wintle was Crewe’s most accurate long passer. He is excellent at switching play and spotting the right pass.
It’s therefore unsurprising that Wintle led all midfielders in League Two in 19/20 with around 11 progressive passes per 90 minutes, and his ball progression numbers have been consistently excellent both before and after that season. His diagonal passes to Crewe’s precocious left winger Charlie Kirk have been the most consistent way that Crewe have unlocked defences over the past two seasons.
Wintle’s strengths in possession haven’t just helped Crewe’s attacking players. He is the perfect ‘out ball’ for anyone, particularly centre-backs who gets in trouble in possession. He always asks for the ball. He isn’t a particularly quick or adventurous dribbler, but he can manoeuvre out of tight spots with aplomb. He is never flustered under pressure. His numbers for receiving passes under pressure show this.
On the rare occasions when he is unfit or is playing as a makeshift centre back, Crewe’s possession play loses its structure. He is the ideal ‘comfort blanket’ for an uncomfortable defender on the ball, and his reliability is most clearly shown when he isn’t there. I worry how Crewe look without him next year, particularly in possession.
Defensively, Wintle will also be missed. He was third among all League One players for ‘second balls won’ in the 2020/21 season, clearly displaying how well he reads the game, and mops up loose balls in midfield areas. More of an interceptor than a tackler, Wintle relies on his brain rather than his physicality to win the ball back for his side. Crewe have never been a pressing team, but when asked to win the ball higher up the pitch, Wintle does this skillfully.
Where he can improve
Wintle can still progress as a ball winner and a physical presence. He can look to ex-Alex man Ashley Westwood as a model for where his career could go with a couple more years of development. He will never be a Roy Keane style mauler, but he could do with a bit more nibble in his game.
Wintle is unlikely to ever put up big assist or goalscoring numbers. He can shoot well from outside of the box but does it too often. Wintle had the most shots from outside the box in the Crewe Alexandra team (26) in the 2020/21 season and not a single one went in. His decision making can be generally patchy in the final third and he plays best when play is ahead of him. Still, he is composed and confident, and has scored some valuable goals in his time at The Alex. It’s just better when he is a late surprise addition to an attack, rather than a focal point camping out in the opposition third.
As briefly mentioned earlier, Wintle has been used at centre back on occasion, but is probably too physically slight to do this regularly. He is fine in the air rather than great, with average height and leap. Generally, he ticks the boxes physically, but his only outstanding trait is his stamina. He has decent acceleration and functional strength but is far from being a physical player.
His fit at Cardiff
Wintle is the archetype deep lying playmaker, which is my only hesitancy with how he fits into other teams like Cardiff’s. He has been mostly used at the base of a midfield 3, playing in a 433. He thrives in a high possession team where he can dictate the tempo of his team’s possession, and by extension the game itself.
Since Mick McCarthy joined Cardiff, they have broadly favoured either a 3412 or a 343 formation. While Wintle has played in a midfield 2, he has played the vast majority of his football sat deeper. It will be interesting to see how he fits in this shape. I assume he will join as a rotation option (at least initially) in central midfield.
Even if his minutes could be limited, his passing from deep should catch the eye from day one. His ability to pick longer passes and take risks in possession are likely to have been a key factor in Cardiff’s scouting. He has a strong on-field relationship with Perry Ng from their several years at Crewe (including a spell as captain and vice captain), which should stand him in good stead. He seems like a calm character and smart enough to bide his time as he finds his spot in the Cardiff squad.
Overall, Cardiff have made a very smart, low risk signing. Wintle joins for free, without any compensation. He has proven his worth at League One level, with a solid rather than spectacular campaign in 2020/21. He should fit in well as a Championship level midfielder, and I have very few doubts that he will succeed. He is the definition of a ‘low floor’ player. He may not win Man of the Match very often, but he churns out 6 or 7 out of 10 performances throughout the season. His fitness and technical ability give him a rock-solid basis to fit in, in the second tier.
Good luck Ryan and good luck Cardiff! Between Perry Ng and Ryan Wintle, you are quickly becoming our Championship out-post. If Wintle plays half as well for you as he has for the Railwaymen, you’ve picked up a cracking bargain.