My interest in Oliver Skipp’s progression at Norwich is turning into heartbreak when I then look back at Tottenham and see the journeyman Harry Winks still on our books after all these years, adding nothing to proceedings.
The Canaries drew 0-0 against Middlesbrough yesterday and again, Skipp was a player of note. From tenacious defending in the clip above, to this counterattack disrupting tackle below.
In one note of caution though, Ollie lost the ball on a horrendous number of occasions, this was atypical of his usual game, but worth mentioning, less we opt to ignore the warts n’all.
We also were treated to this clever back-heel which is surely an indicator that the boy’s confidence is growing.
Skipp is still in the process of having the rough edges worn away, however, Harry Winks days are surely numbered. Please don’t make the dull mistake that I’m using Skipp to arbitrarily bash Winks, our squad in urgent need of a shake-up, and Winks’ name is is on the list. I’ve seen enough of both players to know which one is the more interesting.
Bale is HG for Europe. So are Hart, Dele, Winks, Kane, Whiteman, Doherty. This is why Harry Winks has some value, but Harry Winksopolis doesn’t. At any rate, should Spurs stay in Europe next season they’ll need more UEFA qualified players, especially if Dele and Doherty are shipped out. So I doubt Winks is going anywhere, unless Levy can somehow extract Kalvin Phillips from Leeds or something similar. As we have seen, Winks is ok for the cups and against the lower table clubs, and he has improved a little of late. Well, at least he doesn’t pass backwards exclusively anymore.
I don’t rate Winks but I think he is worth keeping in the squad as an emergency back up simply because he is home grown (both club and country) for the European competitions. I know Skipp is also in both of these categories but he is at an age where he needn’t take up a place in the A Squad. We need four over 22 players who are from the academy. Kane is obviously one, is Bale also HG from his previous stint at the club? I think we have to keep either Dele or WInks.
Yes you are. You do not need to do all that, Skipp on his own merit warrants all the praises. The problem i have with most of the bashers are, they cannot point me to a player right now on the roster that can help us as a deep lying holding mid, that can go get the ball, allow PEH and Tanguy to be a little more advanced. I will wait.
Time to cash in on Winks while he still has value.
Yes, Skippy is very promising and will surely replace the aforementioned ‘Forty’ Winks (he certainly sends me to sleep!) in the squad next season. There are always flaws to be ironed out and caveats in the development of a young player, so let us hope Skippy can kick on to the next level, as unfortunately Harry Winks failed to do.
Said at the start of the season that the wrong midfielder was being loaned out. It would have been a massive benefit for Winks to have gone to Norwich as he would have been ”made to play hard and fast” but was never going to happen. Falsely elevated to International level, this would have been seen as a huge demotion. So we sent Skipp, a player way in front of Winks, Gedson, and whilst not as powerful as Sissoko, a far better footballer who surely would have improved in the premiership. We cant ever take Hojbjerg off for a breather cos there is no direct replacement, but Skipp would have been that player. Instead we’re retaining the usual dross at Spurs whilst moaning about how bad they are. No one to blame but ourselves.
Great sense of humour though.
It’s a shame that he hasn’t progressed as one always has a soft spot for a homegrown player but his football has gone sideways like his passing. I watched most of the Norwich yesterday but I can’t say that I am completely convinced that he is PL quality.
Hogwash in one headline
Would love to know who conjured up the ‘Winks linked with £40m move to Man City’ rumour during the summer. It could only have been hids mammy.