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Player Watch Player Watch: Oliver Skipp

Locotoro

Prince of Zamunda
Sep 2, 2004
9,326
13,915
It wasn't his best performance to date with some of the wayward passing but he kept going and improved when we had more options in front of him.

Putting him beside Dier in front of a back 3 means we need player who will get forward which neither did.

Not understanding all the Dier hate. 2nd game back from injury and we know he struggles in front of a back 3 because he doesn't have the space to drop inside. Both Skipps and Dier improved in 2nd half.
 
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kmk

Well-Known Member
Oct 5, 2014
4,145
27,500
Fans criticising youngsters after a handful of games reminds me of how Frank Lampard was deemed not good enough by these clueless West Ham fans.

 

Primativ

Well-Known Member
Aug 9, 2017
3,229
12,486
Fans criticising youngsters after a handful of games reminds me of how Frank Lampard was deemed not good enough by these clueless West Ham fans.




Not every kid we play from the academy is going to develop into a world class player you know.

I'm not making a judgement one way or the other about his career, but the fact is, he shouldn't be near starting a game for us in CM in a FA Cup game away at a PL side. We are a top 4 club and we are fielding kids who aren't good enough to help us win these types of games.

Skipp was out of his depth. People go on about him today, saying he did fine or whatever. Did he fuck. He showed a massive lack of quality on the ball. He looked like a kid playing with men out there, which he is. Nowhere near ready. He was out of his depth against Tranmere, improved second half but that shows the level of the kid. Tranmere FFS. They made Llorente look like peak Batistuta. I don't blame him, I just wonder what the fuck Poch is playing at.

Does he think these kids are better than they are? Because we are losing games.
 

Locotoro

Prince of Zamunda
Sep 2, 2004
9,326
13,915
Not every kid we play from the academy is going to develop into a world class player you know.

I'm not making a judgement one way or the other about his career, but the fact is, he shouldn't be near starting a game for us in CM in a FA Cup game away at a PL side. We are a top 4 club and we are fielding kids who aren't good enough to help us win these types of games.

Skipp was out of his depth. People go on about him today, saying he did fine or whatever. Did he fuck. He showed a massive lack of quality on the ball. He looked like a kid playing with men out there, which he is. Nowhere near ready. He was out of his depth against Tranmere, improved second half but that shows the level of the kid. Tranmere FFS. They made Llorente look like peak Batistuta. I don't blame him, I just wonder what the fuck Poch is playing at.

Does he think these kids are better than they are? Because we are losing games.
There's a big difference between quality and experience. It's clear to me that Skipps has the quality judging by his previous showings but today he lacked a bit of experience in that early phase and rectifying the problems quickly. That is understandable given he does lack experience. But it doesn't mean he's out of his depth or not ready. It just means we have to be willing to give him that time and protect him in the team (which unfortunately I don't think Poch did with the set up and personnel around him)
 

blackburn

Active Member
Aug 31, 2012
809
1,132
Wasn't great today, the key is how he responds. Does he knuckle down or is his confidence harmed - who knows?

The point is, for all the "throw the kids in" merchants on here is that going to PL clubs is brutal, Skipp has potential and might kick on (fwiw I think he will) but today was the biggest challenge he's faced so far and he knows it.
 

Johnny J

Not the Kiwi you need but the one you deserve
Aug 18, 2012
18,123
47,887
Not every kid we play from the academy is going to develop into a world class player you know.

I'm not making a judgement one way or the other about his career, but the fact is, he shouldn't be near starting a game for us in CM in a FA Cup game away at a PL side. We are a top 4 club and we are fielding kids who aren't good enough to help us win these types of games.

Skipp was out of his depth. People go on about him today, saying he did fine or whatever. Did he fuck. He showed a massive lack of quality on the ball. He looked like a kid playing with men out there, which he is. Nowhere near ready. He was out of his depth against Tranmere, improved second half but that shows the level of the kid. Tranmere FFS. They made Llorente look like peak Batistuta. I don't blame him, I just wonder what the fuck Poch is playing at.

Does he think these kids are better than they are? Because we are losing games.
I do worry about the chances of other academy players coming through, is Skipp is the one deemed most ready, but is nowhere near ready to start in the PL.

At least Edwards is playing football at a high level, albeit in a weaker league. It'll be shame if we aren't able to get him into the first team squad.
 

chadders

Active Member
Mar 21, 2009
322
191
He's gaining valuable experience at the moment, he wasn't as bad as some of our more senior players today in the same position, albeit Dier and Wanyama just back from injury they were awful at times.
Skipp is making mistakes by losing possession but he's busting a gut trying to get the ball back as soon as he does.
 

southlondonyiddo

My eyes have seen some of the glory..
Nov 8, 2004
12,599
15,012
I thought he did well today. So little experience at this level. Can only improve with games

A million times better than Carroll ever was, or is, even now!
 

DJS

A hoonter must hoont
Dec 9, 2006
31,261
21,760
Wouldn’t play him alongside a purely defensive player like Dier.

Would much rather see him partnered with Winks as reckon would suit him more.
 

Bobbins

SC's 14th Sexiest Male 2008
May 5, 2005
21,548
45,031
The whitewashing in this thread is amazing.

He was awful today and has been bang average in most of his other appearances (did well against Tranmere).

He's physically tiny and whilst tenacious still gets run past and muscled off the ball very easily.

His passing his rarely progressive until it seems Poch tells him at half time, and he's got a poor pass completion rate.

He doesn't seem to have a defined role or style of play - at the moment he's a generic CM who passes sideways most of the time.

Now - before you all neg me into oblivion - the point is that all this is basically fine. He's an actual child. A kid bumped up from the academy and asked to play top-level men's football, and he's understandably not remotely ready. Most kids who do get exposed this early in their careers are physically already grown men (Hudson-Odoi or Rooney for example) which is why they're already a level above their peers in the youth setup.

There's nothing wrong with that, and given his weaknesses, he's done generally ok when he's played in terms of what we should expect.

In time, he might develop into an interesting player who would be capable of challenging for the Spurs first team squad. As it is at the moment, he's a kid who's way out of his depth and with no obvious "wonderkid" properties (physique, pace, skill, technique etc). Once our squad is no longer all in A&E or (God forbid) we actually buy a fucking CM, he'll be miles away from the squad again, and rightly so, giving him time to develop into the player he's capable of becoming.

But please, let's not indulge in this artificially-positive nonsense that he's actually been good beyond one appearance, or is anything other than a complete last resort for Poch. He is not a player we should be relying on at our level and he is not capable of providing anything like what we need from a CM.
 

Primativ

Well-Known Member
Aug 9, 2017
3,229
12,486
Wouldn’t play him alongside a purely defensive player like Dier.

Would much rather see him partnered with Winks as reckon would suit him more.

Winks and Skipp. Lightweight as hell. We’d get bullied to high heaven.
 

Johnny J

Not the Kiwi you need but the one you deserve
Aug 18, 2012
18,123
47,887
Given that I don't think Dier offers much in midfield, I find it a bit depressing that our next academy player to breakthrough is, at present, very similar to Dier. He's very young and inexperienced though, and I hope he gets the chance to develop in the right way.

I do wish Poch had given Onomah and Edwards a chance like Skipp.
 

Gassin's finest

C'est diabolique
May 12, 2010
37,353
87,816
I think he'll be a solid, dependable player in 5 years. Possibly not remarkable or a game changer, but the sort of lad who never puts a foot wrong.
 

nicdic

Official SC Padre
Admin
May 8, 2005
41,857
25,919
Any midfield we had yesterday was going to look poor when we had a forward line like we did. Skipp was not the problem.
 

T-Love92

Well-Known Assembler
Aug 3, 2017
305
806
Any midfield we had yesterday was going to look poor when we had a forward line like we did. Skipp was not the problem.

It's his first season in the first team, imo he did well and showed that he is mentally up to task and just needs to add a bit of strength and experience to become a option at CM. If a 18yo Harry Kane would have played yesterday and failed to score, all those slagging off Skipp would have done it with him also...
 

Spurs 1961

Well-Known Member
Aug 31, 2012
6,665
8,739
Early days for the lad but looks like the midfield players we usually turn out; that is solid dependable and a hard worker. But of course it is so very early in his career and in time he should show what qualities he does have. Nice to see youngsters get a chance therefore to grumble about losing the least important of our games would be a shame
 
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