Spurs fans were full of praise for the intensity shown by young midfielder Oliver Skipp in their 3-1 loss to Bayern Munich on Wednesday evening.
The 19-year-old, who is a product of the youth academy at Spurs, was introduced by Jose Mourinho as a second-half substitute at the Allianz Arena. Straight away he showed a lot of willingness and desire to pressure Bayern’s midfielders Thiago and Philippe Coutinho; who beforehand had been given a ridiculous amount of time on the ball.
The England u’21 international has struggled for game time so far this season, with just 41 minutes of senior football to his name, but his cameo against Bayern on Wednesday certainly impressed fans. Skipp has been linked with a loan move away in January, but his efforts against the Bundesliga champions may have been enough to convince Mourinho he is worthy of a place in his squad.
Should Oliver Skipp get more regular game time for Spurs?
Yes
No
Reaction from Spurs fans to Skipp’s performance in the Champions League clash with Bayern can be seen in the tweets below.
FWIW I regularly get people tweeting me saying that Skipp will never be good enough, etc. Then tonight he comes on & has a few lively minutes, there are people saying he’s better than Dier. Neither of those things are true (yet) but Skipp will be great if we develop him properly.
— Chris Miller (@WindyCOYS) December 11, 2019
Skipp is 100% a better footballer right now than Eric Dier. What (if anything) does Doer offer? Genuine question because aside from give the ball away and get turned inside out I’m struggling to see what he does. Utter waste of squad place
— Gage Feely (@GageFeely) December 11, 2019
I think Skipp has potential for sure as you’re right if we develop him properly. For me Dier, way way off it.
— Cory Clark (@coryscoys) December 11, 2019
Entirely agree. I watched a bit of Skipp underage and he was very good. Needs time to develop and minutes on the pitch.
— Just Jason (@fadetoblack777) December 11, 2019
Skipp will be better than Winks when he’s the age Winks is now. Going to be top midfielder it’s easy to see (I like Winks btw). OS does the simple things well and seems to take on instructions. Dier not so much. If it wasn’t for his stature he wouldn’t be near the team.
— TMDsport (@tmdsport) December 12, 2019
Don’t get the people who think Skipp is rubbish. Could be the real deal, time will tell tho’.
— Jill Lewis (@jilllewis33) December 11, 2019
His ability to tackle and close down, will impress Jose. I cant see Sissoko and Dier both starting on Sunday. If Winks and NDombele are not fit I think he might get a start.
— Mitul (@m13tul) December 11, 2019
These Spurs fans were clearly impressed with Skipp’s cameo against Bayern Munich and are still hopeful that he can fulfill his potential at the club.
What do we think?
Spurs have so many options in midfield and you feel that perhaps Skipp does need a loan move away to ensure that his development isn’t stifled, because his appearance against Bayern shows that he is a talented player. It will be interesting to see if Mourinho rewards his effort and energy with a start against Wolves on Sunday.