Gary Neville moots ‘big problem’ for Tottenham with Oliver Skipp not the answer to midfield crisis
Ange Postecoglou will have a tough time naming his Tottenham starting lineups during January as he is left with yet another selection headache.
Yves Bissouma and Pape Matar Sarr will both be unavailable after the New Year due to their commitments at the Africa Cup of Nations, which is set to take place between 13 January and 11 February, while James Maddison and Rodrigo Bentancur both remain sidelined with injuries.
That leaves just Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, Oliver Skipp and Giovani Lo Celso as the only out-and-out midfielders available for selection by the Australian, which won’t inspire much confidence from Spurs’ supporters.
Lo Celso has found some form in recent months, but the injury he picked up ahead of the 2-0 win at Nottingham Forest on Friday 15 December acted as a reminder to those associated with the club that he is not someone who can be relied upon to feature and perform consistently.
That leaves just Hojbjerg and Skipp, both players whom the club would be wise to replace during January, particularly the latter. Having come through the club’s academy, 23-year-old Skipp has never been able to kick on and lock down a consistent starting position in the Tottenham team, and his most recent performance indicates it might be time to upgrade him during January.
Speaking after Spurs’ win at The City Ground, Gary Neville suggested live on Sky Sports (15 December) that Skipp and Hojbjerg are not the answer to Tottenham’s midfield problems, with the club set for a tough spell without Sarr and Bissouma.
“I think the way in which Ange Postecoglou asks this team to play, Skipp is a good technical player, Hojberg is physical, but they both lack the other side of the game. Skipp can’t get around the pitch and Hojberg technically isn’t good,” he said.
“But this guy (Sarr) alongside Bissouma as well, they are just perfect for the way this team wants to play. They don’t win when he doesn’t play.
“They have the energy and the technical ability with the ball, they connect the back to front, they are brave and I have to say the most important thing for Spurs is that he has got to keep these players fit, but they do lose those two in January – that’s a big problem.”
It is hard to disagree with Neville. After Brennan Johnson received a nasty cut to the face just past the half-hour mark against Forest, Skipp replaced the Wales international for the remaining hour of the contest, and his performance left much to be desired.
As per Sofascore, while he did complete 87 per cent of his passes with one of those being key, he struggled elsewhere, winning just a third of his ground duels (two out of six) and losing the only aerial duel he contested.
He managed just one clearance and one tackle, while he was dribbled past on two occasions and failed to complete any successful dribbles. Meanwhile, Sarr’s performance alongside him highlighted the difference in quality between the two players.
The Senegal international completed two successful dribbles, 90 per cent of his passes and was not dribbled past once. In addition, he won 50 per cent of his ground duels (four out of eight), three in the air, and made five clearances and one tackle.
Skipp is not a bad player by any means, but he is not up to the standard Postecoglou requires, and a replacement for the out-of-favour midfielder therefore makes sense in January.
In other Tottenham news, one in-form youth prospect has proven he is one to watch and perhaps a future solution in midfield for Postecoglou.