Ange Postecoglou speaks on Tottenham Hotspur star Oliver Skipp’s lack of minutes
Oliver Skipp is now 23 years old and he has failed to make himself a regular starter at Tottenham Hotspur. Under Ange Postecoglou, he has struggled for minutes.
He has played just 246 minutes across eight games this season, which is less than three full matches. And this was when Rodrigo Bentancur was injured and Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg was completely frozen out from the starting XI.
A major reason behind that has been Pape Matar Sarr and Yves Bissouma’s rise under the former Celtic manager. Bentancur is back and even played for Uruguay during the November international break.
It is unclear if Postecoglou will start to risk the Uruguayan star when we face Aston Villa on Sunday,(26 September). Moreover, it is still undecided if Hojbjerg is to play any sort of role in Postecoglou’s plans until the January transfer window.
What next for Skipp?
James Maddison’s injury against Chelsea also opened up a space in the team’s midfield. Keeping all this in mind, fans have wondered what’s in store for Skipp. According to Ange, he stayed back with Spurs during the November international and trained hard.
According to him, he is ‘waiting’ for his chances. The manager said before the game against the Villans (h/t Football.London):
“Skippy has been working hard at training. He stayed back with us and did a lot of good work last couple of weeks. He’s working hard and waiting for the opportunity.”
It will be interesting to see what the future holds for Skipp. He has come through our academy and only spent one season out on loan during his entire career (Norwich City, 2020-21). At his age, playing time is a must.
Skipp is a decent player but can a club that hold a similar stature to Tottenham afford him more time than we are doing right now? Perhaps not. If he is happy with the situation here, then it’s a good thing.
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We can always use him in cup games and during times when there are injuries. January and February could be a good time for him to get a string of minutes because Pape Matar Sarr and Yves Bissouma will leave for AFCON.
But we have to ensure that by then, he isn’t caught cold-footed and has enough playing time under his belt. He is a great utility player and Ange has to make sure that he finds a way to keep him happy. With the player’s deal expiring in 2027 (Transfermarkt), Tottenham can relax about his future.