Oliver Skipp - confirmed official

[ealingfox]

Also, 23?!? Where was his paper round, Chernobyl?

[Pliskin]

17 minutes ago, Jimbo said:

Skipp is actually a very good player, will improve our midfield 

 

But........   

 

He isn't exactly the signing we need right now.

If we'd improved in the areas we need to 1st (attacking midfielder and striker) and we had £20million spare then I'd be all for this signing because he most certainly improves us, but this signing is like booking a holiday without booking the flights to get there yet. It's a good deal, but we're banking on there being a couple of additions left that are suitable for us in the areas we need at a price we can afford.

 

I'm happy that we're getting a player like this, just don't know why we are

We do need him though. If you look at that midfield it’s horrendously short of quality. Winks is the only reliable player we have. There’s genuine question marks of Ndidi, Hamza isn’t premier quality, and Soumare just needs to leave. So when you review the CM position we’re actually desperate for a reinforcement. I think that’s been abundantly clear in the pre season with how poor we’ve looked in the centre of the park. We will still be looking for a number 9 and a left back, but we 100% needed another CM, it was a joint priority for me all by side a number 9.

Edited 19 August 2024 by Pliskin

[NAKC20]

Knowing our board he will sign for us today but be loaned back to Spurs for the season and score a hat-trick against us later

[coolhandfox]

39 minutes ago, Stadt said:

They went up as champions (which he obviously had a hand in, not knocking him) which helps but the Winks, Ndidi, Skip midfield is too unadventurous even for the Championship. They're all going to be on big money and I can't seen anybody coming in with a bid we'll entertain. We're boxing ourselves in a bit with our squad building.

I'm not sure Winks stays for another season in the champion,  I think he would move on. 

 

There would only be around  3m amortisation of his fee left, I think with a decent PL season he would have suitors.

 

I think Skipp could become a key part of the side and leadership group of the club, his a good age, we can get 4-7 years out of him. 

 

He 23 and still has scope for improvement, if he was 28 if would be more of an issue for me. 

 

Do I think he's over priced 100%, but I don't think his a decent player. 

 

 

Edited 19 August 2024 by coolhandfox

[Stadt]

5 minutes ago, coolhandfox said:

I'm not sure Winks stays for another season in the champion,  I think he would move on. 

 

There would only be around  3m amortisation of his fee left, I think with a decent PL season he would have suitors.

 

I think Skipp could become a key part of the side and leadership group of the club, his a good age, we can get 4-7 years out of him. 

 

He 23 and still has scope for improvement, if he was 28 if would be more of an issue for me. 

 

Do I think he's over priced 100%, but I don't think his a decent player. 

 

 

If we do down with sub 30 points - which I think there is a decent chance of unfortunately then that becomes less likely. Even if the book value sale is fine, we won't to sell him for a 'proper loss' (what a ridiculous concept). So then will a side be paying c £7m+ for then 29 year old Winks with his injury history? I'm not so sure.

 

I just hate that we're in this position

[Spudulike]

Obviously Skipp needs to go somewhere to give him a chance to add to his gloriously won Aldi Cup medal. 

[DezFox]

2 minutes ago, Spudulike said:

Obviously Skipp needs to go somewhere to give him a chance to add to his gloriously won Aldi Cup medal. 

I guess he would be in a better position of winning a trophy with us. Albeit the championship trophy but still. 

[whoareyaaa]

What’s he like on the ball and passing wise if he is composed then it will be an upgrade for sure

[DezFox]

7 minutes ago, whoareyaaa said:

What’s he like on the ball and passing wise if he is composed then it will be an upgrade for sure

Defo an upgrade. Will be one of our best players. 25 mill just too much given our situation.

[Jimbo]

59 minutes ago, Royston. said:

No he could be injured all season and we stay up so pissing north of 25 million plus wages still makes it a bad signing.

Is that not the same for any signing ever made??

[Jimbo]

51 minutes ago, Pliskin said:

We do need him though. If you look at that midfield it’s horrendously short of quality. Winks is the only reliable player we have. There’s genuine question marks of Ndidi, Hamza isn’t premier quality, and Soumare just needs to leave. So when you review the CM position we’re actually desperate for a reinforcement. I think that’s been abundantly clear in the pre season with how poor we’ve looked in the centre of the park. We will still be looking for a number 9 and a left back, but we 100% needed another CM, it was a joint priority for me all by side a number 9.

I agree we're lacking quality in the middle, but the quality we're lacking is in an attacking sense. We've replaced half of KDH with what Skipp brings, but he doesn't offer that drive forward that KDH had for us. 

[Ian Nacho]

The only way I can see it being £25m is if its paid over about 15 years. 

[Scotch]

13 minutes ago, Jimbo said:

I agree we're lacking quality in the middle, but the quality we're lacking is in an attacking sense. We've replaced half of KDH with what Skipp brings, but he doesn't offer that drive forward that KDH had for us. 

That's assuming that Cooper WANTS his CM to drive forward. I don't think he does. 

 

It looks to me, he wants two sitting CMs and the drive forward comes from the wingers, Striker and seemingly the LB. 

[roblcfc84]

No way this is a full £20m up front. Did someone mention they still owed some for Maddison? 

[Sly]

30 minutes ago, whoareyaaa said:

What’s he like on the ball and passing wise if he is composed then it will be an upgrade for sure

He’s a massive upgrade on Choudhury and Ndidi. 

[DJ Barry Hammond]

1 minute ago, Scotch said:

That's assuming that Cooper WANTS his CM to drive forward. I don't think he does. 

 

It looks to me, he wants two sitting CMs and the drive forward comes from the wingers, Striker and seemingly the LB. 

True, I think bring in a striker or two and we might look good in a bog standard 4-4-2.

 

Most teams defend in that shape, so why not attack that way too? 

[Jimbo]

19 minutes ago, DJ Barry Hammond said:

True, I think bring in a striker or two and we might look good in a bog standard 4-4-2.

 

Most teams defend in that shape, so why not attack that way too? 

Because you can be too narrow when transitioning back to defence.

 

Although Enzo's style was ridiculously boring, when attacking (in theory) you have 6 going forward, 1 midfielder sitting back and your back 3 wide enough  to cover the pitch. While not perfect, it's better than attacking in a 442.

You either have 4 going forward or you have inverted wingers and have the over lap from the full backs to have the 6. 2 central midfielders and 2 defenders are very susceptible to the counter attack in the modern game of wide forwards 

[Fox 4 Life]

The more I think about this, if we can get a decent striker in I think this is a great signing. Cooper likes 2 DMs, can play Skipp and Wilf here and allow Winks to get forward a bit more, he has a decent strike on him and his passing is good. Use a mix of Mav, Fatawu and Buonanotte on the wings or rotating in the 10 but it is so key that we have a finisher up top as the current 3 will not be enough to keep us up.

[DJ Barry Hammond]

5 minutes ago, Jimbo said:

Because you can be too narrow when transitioning back to defence.

 

Although Enzo's style was ridiculously boring, when attacking (in theory) you have 6 going forward, 1 midfielder sitting back and your back 3 wide enough  to cover the pitch. While not perfect, it's better than attacking in a 442.

You either have 4 going forward or you have inverted wingers and have the over lap from the full backs to have the 6. 2 central midfielders and 2 defenders are very susceptible to the counter attack in the modern game of wide forwards 

There are various ways you can transition a 4-4-2 attacking base into the favoured W-M attacking structure that provides suitable rest defence.

 

It really isn’t that different from a 4-2-3-1, the positions and player rotations can be very similar.

[Spudulike]

Have we ever had a signing on the pitch? Used to be a thing in the olden days. 

[Wymsey]

Could he possibly play later?

[FoxinNotts]

Just now, Wymsey said:

Could he possibly play later?

today? absolutely no chance

 

unless the deal was complete last Friday before 12pm

[Pliskin]

1 hour ago, Stadt said:

If we do down with sub 30 points - which I think there is a decent chance of unfortunately then that becomes less likely. Even if the book value sale is fine, we won't to sell him for a 'proper loss' (what a ridiculous concept). So then will a side be paying c £7m+ for then 29 year old Winks with his injury history? I'm not so sure.

 

I just hate that we're in this position

Sub 30 points? Are you suggesting you think it’s possible we get deducted 30 points????

[Pliskin]

1 hour ago, Jimbo said:

I agree we're lacking quality in the middle, but the quality we're lacking is in an attacking sense. We've replaced half of KDH with what Skipp brings, but he doesn't offer that drive forward that KDH had for us. 

I think we’ve got to just forget the KDH money for a second. This isn’t a replacement in any way, this is an addition to what is a worrying midfield! Skipp is viewed as a CDM, which is true, but my mate said he’s pretty quick, over the ground. He’s undoubtedly been purchased to ass much needed energy to the CM, it simply isn’t good enough otherwise, we can’t play a midfield three with the profiles we currently have, but I think Skipp can play that position. He is actually pretty nippy, I think he’s capable of those Kante like bursts from midfield to help progress through the middle of the park. 
 

We’re clearly still looking to prioritise a mother AM and a number 9, imagine if we lost one of Winks and Ndidi……. I can’t imagine what we would do? 
 

I think long term this is a good signing, nothing sexy about him, he’s an industrial player. Imagine the Mr. Reliable we need. 

[Jimbo]

13 minutes ago, DJ Barry Hammond said:

There are various ways you can transition a 4-4-2 attacking base into the favoured W-M attacking structure that provides suitable rest defence.

 

It really isn’t that different from a 4-2-3-1, the positions and player rotations can be very similar.

It's completely different from a 4231. 4231 changed quickly to a 3151 when in attack, back to a 3241 in transition and back to a 4231 in defence. 

 

The only time a 442 has worked supremely well in the last 10 years was us with Kante in the middle and 2 central defenders that would head bricks if they were crossed into the box.

 

I'm a 442 your fullbacks are going to be often caught up the pitch. If, for example we play a 442 with Skipp and Winks, then they're going to have to cover our wide, which leaves you horrendously exposed in the middle. If they stay central then you're exposed out wide.

 

Didn't see much of Tottenham last year, but with Solanke signing on, if we play a 442 tonight and expect the full backs to overlap coming forward then the likes of Son, Johnson, Kulusevski, Werner are going to have a field day running free down the wings, Madison roaming free in the middle and Solanke is on for a debut hat trick