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Player Watch Player Watch: Oliver Skipp

Locotoro

Prince of Zamunda
Sep 2, 2004
9,326
13,915
It's funny how when you ask fans they say Winks is good but not great. But when you ask players (like the comments from England internationals) who have played with him and they say how good he really is.

Reminds me of Carrick when he was with us. We only saw how good he was when we didn't have him.
 

southlondonyiddo

My eyes have seen some of the glory..
Nov 8, 2004
12,599
15,012
It's funny how when you ask fans they say Winks is good but not great. But when you ask players (like the comments from England internationals) who have played with him and they say how good he really is.

Reminds me of Carrick when he was with us. We only saw how good he was when we didn't have him.

Yeah but what did Carrick do? (they all cried!!)
 

nicdic

Official SC Padre
Admin
May 8, 2005
41,857
25,919
Skipp is still developing & may grow physically quite a bit before he's 21.

My issue with Skipp from yesterday though is that there was too much sideways & backwards passing, especially in the 1st half & if he wants to develop into a Prem player he needs to improve on this. He looks to like a DM, but he has to be able to start moves as well & yesterday he took the safe option way too much.
Against Tranmere Skipp was credited for his progressive passing, laying on two really nice assists with forward passes between the lines. No surprises that he was less able to do that with Llorente and N'Koudou as options ahead of him instead of Son and Kane.

It's a cheap attack of him to criticise his forward passing yesterday when there were literally no options being given ahead of him.
 

longtimespur

Well-Known Member
Sep 10, 2014
5,830
9,949
Against Tranmere Skipp was credited for his progressive passing, laying on two really nice assists with forward passes between the lines. No surprises that he was less able to do that with Llorente and N'Koudou as options ahead of him instead of Son and Kane.

It's a cheap attack of him to criticise his forward passing yesterday when there were literally no options being given ahead of him.
He set up Llorente's second goal (I think) with a precision pass into his feet on the edge of the penalty area.
 

Hakkz

Svensk hetsporre
Jul 6, 2012
8,196
17,270
It's funny how when you ask fans they say Winks is good but not great. But when you ask players (like the comments from England internationals) who have played with him and they say how good he really is.

Reminds me of Carrick when he was with us. We only saw how good he was when we didn't have him.

Even the commentators talk about how much Winks has progressed this season...
 

DJS

A hoonter must hoont
Dec 9, 2006
31,261
21,760
It's funny how when you ask fans they say Winks is good but not great. But when you ask players (like the comments from England internationals) who have played with him and they say how good he really is.

Reminds me of Carrick when he was with us. We only saw how good he was when we didn't have him.

Yep, when Winks went into England Team he instantly improved the passing ability in the side and is being raved about by Southgate.

He'll get better too, not sure what some fans expect sometimes.

As will Skipp, when he doesn't have a defensive midfield / centre back hybrid-type player next to him and some better options in front of him.
 

kungfugrip

Well-Known Member
Apr 8, 2005
1,613
1,523
Ideally I always like to see a young player brought into a strong team in good form. Hard to judge him after a handful of appearences. He might turn into a club legend, he might be a Ryan Mason who does a great job for a season or two before moving on, or he might be a Rohan Ricketts who plays a few games and then disappears forever without trace.

Let's hope he's around for a long time, but it's too early for us fans and even Poch to know if he's good enough yet.
 

kungfugrip

Well-Known Member
Apr 8, 2005
1,613
1,523
funny isnt it Modric and Parker were awesome as a midfield 2, so why not in a couple of years cant Skipp and winks be?

Has anyone else noticed that Skipp does that 360 degree turn thing that Parker used to do?? It's uncanny!
 

mark87

Well-Known Member
Nov 29, 2004
36,031
114,058
People mock the 360 turn but it works, Parker, dembele and winks all did/do it and it does get them away from their man.
 

Luka Van der Bale

Well-Known Member
Jan 29, 2011
6,041
13,611
You are doing it again. Comparing every kid to Kane? When will you learn? Kane is a freak of nature. A once in a 50 year talent. Will go down as our greatest ever goalscorer most probably.

I am not writing off Skipp, just trying to help you realise that the answer does not sit within these kids, if we want to improve as a side and win more football matches, especially right now.

Skipp is not tough tackling. He may be at under 18 level but in senior football he will get properly bossed. He is nowhere near ready, sorry!
Sorry mate but you're being ridiculous. You seem to be looking for something in Skipp that no-one in their right minds should be looking for - of course he isn't ready to be starting games for us, he's 18! No-one has argued otherwise, yet you seem to be snapping at anyone saying he shows good promise, and using the fact he's not ready yet as a counter argument.
 

Spurslove

Well-Known Member
Jul 6, 2012
6,627
9,281
I for one like, appreciate and fully understand the manner in which young Ollie is being introduced to first team football. It has to be a slow process while he grows physically, develops mentally and learns about the game at this level. I think the Spurs backroom boys are doing it absolutely 100% right. By the time this lad turns 21, we are going to have a first class defensive midfielder, maybe international standard on our hands and nobody is going to be able to bully him off the ball. Heaven knows, it's hard enough now, and he already has an eye for a killer pass! Cut the lad some slack peeps!

.
 

C0YS

Just another member
Jul 9, 2007
12,780
13,817
You are doing it again. Comparing every kid to Kane? When will you learn? Kane is a freak of nature. A once in a 50 year talent. Will go down as our greatest ever goalscorer most probably.

I am not writing off Skipp, just trying to help you realise that the answer does not sit within these kids, if we want to improve as a side and win more football matches, especially right now.

Skipp is not tough tackling. He may be at under 18 level but in senior football he will get properly bossed. He is nowhere near ready, sorry!
He's done pretty well when called upon I think.

In any case at Skipp's age Kane was an impact sub at Leyton Orient, and not particularly strong or mobile. Kane was a very good talent but not anywhere near the level Skipp currently is at that age.

What happened to Kane later is what defined him and his response to confrontation. When Kane was loaned out to Leyton Orient he wasn't even the most highly rated Tottenham loanie at the club. Tom Carroll was!

It's highly unlikely that any spurs youth player will ever match Kane in my lifetime, but Skipp is at a level he should, with the right effort, become a solid PL player and has a very high chance of making it at Spurs. Kane at 18 was closer to following a trajectory that would lead to him becoming a solid championship or low PL level player.

The comparison is useful because it shows just how talented Skipp is. He is by far the youngest player Poch has given so much responsibility to.

He is a real top talent and while isn't ready to start he doesn't look out of place at all.

People forget that Skipp's main role is fundamentally a quiet and non visible role. Same as Dier, or where Winks has been playing in the last few months. These are risk adverse roles by there very nature. Taking the ball under pressure and laying it off into space is a major part of that role. Namely, they should be making lots of sideways passes, it's basically in their job description.
 

Cornpattbuck

Well-Known Member
Jul 23, 2013
6,873
15,942
Pretty sure I've said it before, like I did with Winks, but Skipp WILL be a class act. A lot of football intelligence, ability, application and work rate. They will both be ace.
 

coys200

Well-Known Member
May 22, 2017
8,436
17,403
Harsh to judge him yesterday as was asked to play on the left of a diamond. A position I’m not sure I’ve even seen him play at youth level. More wanted to make a point about how much pochettino must rate him. Imo pochettino had 3 other options yesterday 343 with Alderweireld, 4231 with moura or start wanyama. But he chose to start Skipp over these other options. It’s probably the most faith pochettino has shown in any young player since he’s been at the club. Even took winks till 21 before he was starting PL games.
 

VancouverSpur

Well-Known Member
Aug 26, 2010
1,380
4,081
Harsh to judge him yesterday as was asked to play on the left of a diamond. A position I’m not sure I’ve even seen him play at youth level. More wanted to make a point about how much pochettino must rate him. Imo pochettino had 3 other options yesterday 343 with Alderweireld, 4231 with moura or start wanyama. But he chose to start Skipp over these other options. It’s probably the most faith pochettino has shown in any young player since he’s been at the club. Even took winks till 21 before he was starting PL games.
Agree that yesterday was a strange one for Skipp due to the position he was being played in. At times it was a little frustrating watching him as he was rarely on for a pass and this was no doubt down to unfamiliar positional play. Massive learning experience for him which can only help.

Often with new players we are waiting for that "a-ha" moment that shows us what they really can do. I have seen it with Skipp at the lower levels so can only hope he continues to progress and stay in and around the match day squads.
 

stevespurs

Well-Known Member
Jan 31, 2005
986
1,411
A good game here or a bad game there, is going to happen at 18. I’m excited that we have an 18yo starting for Spurs. I like that Poch hardly mentions him, no Messi camparisons.

If he keeps getting game time, sooner or later we will see his development.
 

MightyModric

Well-Known Member
May 29, 2011
1,147
3,201
I think you have to remember that he is only 18 - a young kid (I'm saying this as a fucking 23 year old) with a tremendous amount to learn in the game

Yeah they'll be games where he struggles and does fuck all but that's all part and parcel of playing these young players
 

HobbitSpur

The Voice of Reason
Jun 28, 2013
1,785
3,818
I do not think that some of us respect enough the power of players coming through the academy. They have a natural will to succeed with THFC more than a player we being in from outside.

MUFC were extremely lucky that they had the opportunity to bring in the "class of 92" in one season (they have not done it since and we will probably never see that kind of impact injection again anywhere in the PL). 6 players who grew up together and turned them into the team they were/are.

Players like Kane, Winks and Skipp will help to create a unity in a squad that breeds success.

The foundations that we are laying now will pay enormous dividends in the future. Especially with the youngsters of today choosing us as they see the potential advantage for them by staying or choosing a club that promotes youth.

We are in a very good place.
 
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