Both good players and they seem like a match as a duo. I don’t want to overhype it but I’m hopeful.
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So....how soon will some oil club tempt Levy with cash?
Hands off, he's ours!!!!!!So....how soon will some oil club tempt Levy with cash?
No buy out clause, 2023 i believe his contract was until but there is a pretty good chance his agent will be looking to renegotiate that soon.
I said this at the time and got told..but they don't play. I said but they do when if we have illness or injury...they said your being negative. I swear to god stupid don't cover these people. They deserve the mess the club is in!
He did break his foot. I think that was in the title winning match however so it didn't impact them. I recall the players outside the ground with the fans all chanting "We want you to stay" to Oli.
Found it!
Ali gold said Skipp got an infection during his recovery
I feel sorry for the lad if he has to come back and start carrying Winks and PEH again. He'll end up getting injured again.
Him and Bentancur must be the starting midfield as soon as they're fit.
Him and Bentancur must be the starting midfield as soon as they're fit.
Can't explain the transition from groin to thigh (if that's what has been reported), but muscle damage can become infected even without an open wound apparently...
From The National Center for Biotechnology Information (in the US):
"Muscular infections may occur in muscles that have been compromised or injured by trauma, especially by blunt trauma, determining what is called “pyogenic myositis” or “pyo-myositis”....."
So a bad knock could in theory become infected apparently.
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It's only one midfielder that's the problem anyway. Take Winks out and a) we're a better side and b)whoever he would play along side looks better.
He's that much of a problem for us.
I think Kulu would make a great ACM type player tbh. Don't dispute that he may never player there, but reckon he would be putting through balls here there and everywhere if he did
I hate this thread right now
For Tottenham sake I want this boy fit
And for his own sake. Was coming into fine form
Wtf is going on ? A pull a tear a nerve problem
Why do our players seem to suffer abstract undiagnosable maladies
Rant over … just want him playing
For Tottenham sake I want this boy fit
And for his own sake. Was coming into fine form
Wtf is going on ? A pull a tear a nerve problem
Why do our players seem to suffer abstract undiagnosable maladies
Rant over … just want him playing
We actually were right in the mix for a top 4 spot up until December when Skipp was a surefire starter. He really helped control the midfield for us like no other player could. Then the injury hit and we haven’t been the same since. He’s kind of like this teams Dembele in a different way.
I'm sorry but you're being ridiculous and this sort of nonsense has to stop.
He is going to need a couple weeks to get up to speed after giving birth.
A chiropractor should be able to move it back into position. Our medical team probably haven’t thought of that
If we had 5-6 midfielders he liked and trusted I bet you would see a 3 man midfield used quite a lot. It makes more sense to use a 2 and have a spare on the bench, our squad depth is thread bare.
By Charlie Eccleshare and Maram AlBaharna Mar 18, 2022
Among many frustrations for Spurs this season, Oliver Skipp’s unavailability since the start of February has been one of the most acute.
Head coach Antonio Conte has referenced his irritation frequently, even suggesting a couple of weeks ago that the club’s medical department should publicly explain the situation. On Tuesday when asked about Skipp’s recovery, Conte said it was a question he couldn’t answer. “Skipp’s situation is the first time this situation with a player happened in my management,” he said.
Before we get on to addressing why Skipp has been such a big miss, it’s worth clarifying the situation with the injury. Initially, Skipp was out with a groin problem that wasn’t thought to be serious. On February 8, Conte said: “The medical department said to me two weeks but I hope to have him available in one week or 10 days maximum.”
This didn’t happen in reality and an injection, through no one’s fault, unfortunately led to Skipp picking up an infection in the pelvic area. It’s since proven to be very troublesome as this is a very sensitive part of the body that is not easy to rest or treat. Skipp has been in a lot of pain and taking antibiotics. The pubic symphysis is the joint affected and all Skipp can do is rest the central stabilising ligament in the pelvis where the problem is and wait for the pain to subside. Patience is very much the order of the day.
Skipp is of course extremely frustrated by the luckless turn of events, as Conte alluded to on Tuesday. With the situation being a product of misfortune there’s no anger, just frustration all round at such an exciting player being laid low when he had established himself as a pivotal part of Conte’s team. There is no timeframe on his return, and while we’re not at the point of fearing Skipp will miss the rest of this season, we simply don’t know what is or isn’t realistic at this point.
What we do know is how much of a difference Skipp makes to Spurs, which is why talks are progressing on a significant new contract for the youngster. When he has started this season, they have won 10 of their 14 Premier League matches — picking up 2.2 points per game at a win rate of 71 per cent.
Without him starting, Tottenham have won just five of their other 14 Premier League matches (losing seven), picking up 1.2 points per game and posting a win ratio of 36 per cent.
As the below graphic shows, Spurs’ expected goals (xG) per game has also dropped off sharply since Skipp stopped being available. Their expected goals against (xGA) has crept up meanwhile.
It’s a small sample size but however much stock you put on these numbers and the degree of causation of Skipp’s absence, there is no one at the club doubting his importance, hence the new contract talks.
There’s a reason Conte has been pushing his medical team so hard to get the player back, and why he has singled him out for praise on numerous occasions. Conte can be pretty measured when offered the chance to eulogise about his players, but Skipp is a player he likes a lot. “We need Skipp to be available. We’re talking about a good and important player for Tottenham,” he said last month. He added on Tuesday: “For sure we need him.”
After the home defeat to Wolves last month, which made it three Premier League losses in a row (Skipp missed the second two and came on with Spurs 2-0 down in the other), former Tottenham midfielder Jermaine Jenas argued on Match of the Day 2 that with each game Skipp missed, his importance to the team was becoming more apparent. His value had “gone through the roof,” Jenas said.
Spurs have stabilised since, and Rodrigo Bentancur settling so quickly has made a big difference in their ability to cope without Skipp, who it’s easy to forget is only 21 and experiencing his first season as a Premier League regular. Bentancur was excellent on Wednesday night in the win at Brighton and looks to have been a very shrewd signing. But there’s a lot of excitement internally at Spurs at the prospect of a Bentancur-Skipp axis, which it is hoped will provide the sort of creativity and control the team have been lacking from midfield for some time.
They should also complement each other well given the different roles they play, which is shown in the data.
Notably, in this instance, by the relevant passing networks that visualise the average locations of players in possession and how they moved the ball collectively as a team. The more players combine while passing, the higher their connection and the thicker the line. The size of each player’s nodes are how involved they were in possession: the bigger the node, the higher the involvement.
As the passing networks below show, Bentancur (No 30) is happier sitting as a deep-lying playmaker (though as his assist for Harry Kane against Brighton showed he is also capable of driving forward with the ball) compared with the more advanced Skipp (No 29). The latter bridges the gap between the midfield and forward line by offering himself as an option in the build-up to then combine further forward with Spurs attackers, whereas Bentancur plays the role of the midfield anchor deeper in his own half.
Without both Skipp and Bentancur, Spurs’ midfield becomes far too deep and compressed. Their absences however aren’t just felt in midfield, as their forward line struggles to see much of the ball without either of the progressive passers, leading them to be isolated in a disjointed possession structure. No 8 is Harry Winks below; No 5 is Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg.
Looking at where the Spurs’ midfielders receive the ball using the graphic below, none of Skipp’s colleagues are as comfortable in advanced areas, which does mean they lose something in the final third when Skipp is absent. Skipp offers balance going forward that no other midfielder can replicate given his involvement in both ends of the pitch, receiving the ball at a higher volume in the opposition half — especially the half-spaces. Less tangible but just as important is how much Spurs miss Skipp’s energy and indefatigability when he’s not there (Skipp was a promising 1,500-metre runner in his youth).
Skipp’s creativity is perhaps an underrated part of his game, but it’s obvious when you watch him that he’s someone who played much of his academy career as a No 8. And his ability to make things happen in the final third is partly why Conte was willing to get rid of all three of Dele Alli, Tanguy Ndombele and Giovani Lo Celso in January.
After taking the Spurs job in November, Conte quickly set about changing Skipp’s role in the team — moving him further forward than where he had been playing under Nuno Espirito Santo.
The next graphic demonstrates the extent of the change. Whereas Skipp’s average position on the pitch saw him barely seeing the ball in the opposition half under Nuno, that changed to a more advanced role combining with forwards and creating chances under Conte. This is shown by the significant +6.7 increase in touches per 90 in the central area just outside of the penalty box.
And it’s striking to see the difference in the passing maps from a game under Conte compared to one under Nuno:
The game against Brentford in December represented above is perhaps the best example of what Skipp offers going forward and why he’s been such a miss.
Skipp created two chances in the game (he hadn’t created a single chance in the Premier League under Nuno) and was deservedly named man of the match by Spurs legend Glenn Hoddle, who said on Amazon Prime Video’s broadcast: “It was the best game that I have seen him play for Tottenham. He is growing as a player.”
Conte was similarly effusive in his praise afterwards and said that “he could become a top midfielder”.
Skipp backed the performance up with another outstanding one against Norwich three days later that included a stunning tackle and pass in one movement. He was similarly impressive during the 3-2 win at Leicester in January, in what was his last start for the club.
There was a sense he was getting better and better with each week, and had he stayed fit he would surely have had a shot of making Gareth Southgate’s England squad that was announced on Thursday.
The next stage of his evolution was, and is, to take his already impressive distribution to another level. “The part that he has to improve is with the ball, but in one month I have seen a lot of improvement about Skippy,” Conte said in December. “He’s a player who wants to improve.
“I think that I can improve him a lot in possession and technically. We’re talking about an important prospect and I’m very happy for him, but now he has to continue in this way.”
In the immediate term, Skipp needs to just be patient and hope this misfortune will soon be behind him. Spurs meanwhile have to hope that Bentancur, Hojbjerg and Winks can compensate for his absence.
How keenly they feel his absence shows how far Skipp has come this season. And why this injury has been a source of such frustration.
Among many frustrations for Spurs this season, Oliver Skipp’s unavailability since the start of February has been one of the most acute.
Head coach Antonio Conte has referenced his irritation frequently, even suggesting a couple of weeks ago that the club’s medical department should publicly explain the situation. On Tuesday when asked about Skipp’s recovery, Conte said it was a question he couldn’t answer. “Skipp’s situation is the first time this situation with a player happened in my management,” he said.
Before we get on to addressing why Skipp has been such a big miss, it’s worth clarifying the situation with the injury. Initially, Skipp was out with a groin problem that wasn’t thought to be serious. On February 8, Conte said: “The medical department said to me two weeks but I hope to have him available in one week or 10 days maximum.”
This didn’t happen in reality and an injection, through no one’s fault, unfortunately led to Skipp picking up an infection in the pelvic area. It’s since proven to be very troublesome as this is a very sensitive part of the body that is not easy to rest or treat. Skipp has been in a lot of pain and taking antibiotics. The pubic symphysis is the joint affected and all Skipp can do is rest the central stabilising ligament in the pelvis where the problem is and wait for the pain to subside. Patience is very much the order of the day.
Skipp is of course extremely frustrated by the luckless turn of events, as Conte alluded to on Tuesday. With the situation being a product of misfortune there’s no anger, just frustration all round at such an exciting player being laid low when he had established himself as a pivotal part of Conte’s team. There is no timeframe on his return, and while we’re not at the point of fearing Skipp will miss the rest of this season, we simply don’t know what is or isn’t realistic at this point.
What we do know is how much of a difference Skipp makes to Spurs, which is why talks are progressing on a significant new contract for the youngster. When he has started this season, they have won 10 of their 14 Premier League matches — picking up 2.2 points per game at a win rate of 71 per cent.
Without him starting, Tottenham have won just five of their other 14 Premier League matches (losing seven), picking up 1.2 points per game and posting a win ratio of 36 per cent.
As the below graphic shows, Spurs’ expected goals (xG) per game has also dropped off sharply since Skipp stopped being available. Their expected goals against (xGA) has crept up meanwhile.
It’s a small sample size but however much stock you put on these numbers and the degree of causation of Skipp’s absence, there is no one at the club doubting his importance, hence the new contract talks.
There’s a reason Conte has been pushing his medical team so hard to get the player back, and why he has singled him out for praise on numerous occasions. Conte can be pretty measured when offered the chance to eulogise about his players, but Skipp is a player he likes a lot. “We need Skipp to be available. We’re talking about a good and important player for Tottenham,” he said last month. He added on Tuesday: “For sure we need him.”
After the home defeat to Wolves last month, which made it three Premier League losses in a row (Skipp missed the second two and came on with Spurs 2-0 down in the other), former Tottenham midfielder Jermaine Jenas argued on Match of the Day 2 that with each game Skipp missed, his importance to the team was becoming more apparent. His value had “gone through the roof,” Jenas said.
Spurs have stabilised since, and Rodrigo Bentancur settling so quickly has made a big difference in their ability to cope without Skipp, who it’s easy to forget is only 21 and experiencing his first season as a Premier League regular. Bentancur was excellent on Wednesday night in the win at Brighton and looks to have been a very shrewd signing. But there’s a lot of excitement internally at Spurs at the prospect of a Bentancur-Skipp axis, which it is hoped will provide the sort of creativity and control the team have been lacking from midfield for some time.
They should also complement each other well given the different roles they play, which is shown in the data.
Notably, in this instance, by the relevant passing networks that visualise the average locations of players in possession and how they moved the ball collectively as a team. The more players combine while passing, the higher their connection and the thicker the line. The size of each player’s nodes are how involved they were in possession: the bigger the node, the higher the involvement.
As the passing networks below show, Bentancur (No 30) is happier sitting as a deep-lying playmaker (though as his assist for Harry Kane against Brighton showed he is also capable of driving forward with the ball) compared with the more advanced Skipp (No 29). The latter bridges the gap between the midfield and forward line by offering himself as an option in the build-up to then combine further forward with Spurs attackers, whereas Bentancur plays the role of the midfield anchor deeper in his own half.
Without both Skipp and Bentancur, Spurs’ midfield becomes far too deep and compressed. Their absences however aren’t just felt in midfield, as their forward line struggles to see much of the ball without either of the progressive passers, leading them to be isolated in a disjointed possession structure. No 8 is Harry Winks below; No 5 is Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg.
Looking at where the Spurs’ midfielders receive the ball using the graphic below, none of Skipp’s colleagues are as comfortable in advanced areas, which does mean they lose something in the final third when Skipp is absent. Skipp offers balance going forward that no other midfielder can replicate given his involvement in both ends of the pitch, receiving the ball at a higher volume in the opposition half — especially the half-spaces. Less tangible but just as important is how much Spurs miss Skipp’s energy and indefatigability when he’s not there (Skipp was a promising 1,500-metre runner in his youth).
Skipp’s creativity is perhaps an underrated part of his game, but it’s obvious when you watch him that he’s someone who played much of his academy career as a No 8. And his ability to make things happen in the final third is partly why Conte was willing to get rid of all three of Dele Alli, Tanguy Ndombele and Giovani Lo Celso in January.
After taking the Spurs job in November, Conte quickly set about changing Skipp’s role in the team — moving him further forward than where he had been playing under Nuno Espirito Santo.
The next graphic demonstrates the extent of the change. Whereas Skipp’s average position on the pitch saw him barely seeing the ball in the opposition half under Nuno, that changed to a more advanced role combining with forwards and creating chances under Conte. This is shown by the significant +6.7 increase in touches per 90 in the central area just outside of the penalty box.
And it’s striking to see the difference in the passing maps from a game under Conte compared to one under Nuno:
The game against Brentford in December represented above is perhaps the best example of what Skipp offers going forward and why he’s been such a miss.
Skipp created two chances in the game (he hadn’t created a single chance in the Premier League under Nuno) and was deservedly named man of the match by Spurs legend Glenn Hoddle, who said on Amazon Prime Video’s broadcast: “It was the best game that I have seen him play for Tottenham. He is growing as a player.”
Conte was similarly effusive in his praise afterwards and said that “he could become a top midfielder”.
Skipp backed the performance up with another outstanding one against Norwich three days later that included a stunning tackle and pass in one movement. He was similarly impressive during the 3-2 win at Leicester in January, in what was his last start for the club.
There was a sense he was getting better and better with each week, and had he stayed fit he would surely have had a shot of making Gareth Southgate’s England squad that was announced on Thursday.
The next stage of his evolution was, and is, to take his already impressive distribution to another level. “The part that he has to improve is with the ball, but in one month I have seen a lot of improvement about Skippy,” Conte said in December. “He’s a player who wants to improve.
“I think that I can improve him a lot in possession and technically. We’re talking about an important prospect and I’m very happy for him, but now he has to continue in this way.”
In the immediate term, Skipp needs to just be patient and hope this misfortune will soon be behind him. Spurs meanwhile have to hope that Bentancur, Hojbjerg and Winks can compensate for his absence.
How keenly they feel his absence shows how far Skipp has come this season. And why this injury has been a source of such frustration.
Winks is usually blind-sided.
Skipp and PEH are on very similar level. It is true - as it was expressed in West Ham game as well - PEH has some craft and ability to pass the ball forward. He gives some good "hockey assists" and can flick the ball cleverly.
But at the same time he has no place in team when we play against stronger teams like ManU, ManC, Chelscum, Scum. His defensive awareness lets him down and in tight spaces he stumbles and loses the ball. His press-resistance and quickness of making a decision around half-way are not really up to level we need.
If we look at the season between start and when Skipp got injured, it seems quite clear that Skipp was more consistent in his performances compared to PEH.