Tottenham Youngster Deserves Opportunity on Loan

By Ryan Wrenn | Dec 24, 2016

MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - JULY 29: Josh Onomah of Tottenham Hotspur looks on during the 2016 International Champions Cup Australia match between Tottenham Hotspur and Atletico de Madrid at Melbourne Cricket Ground on July 29, 2016 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Tottenham Hotspur FC/Tottenham Hotspur FC via Getty Images ) /

If Tottenham have a lot to gain by selling the likes of Kevin Wimmer and Tom Carroll, they stand to benefit even more from loaning out Josh Onomah.

Mauricio Pochettino has, for the most part, proved reluctant to seek out loan moves for Tottenham’s Academy graduates. It’s clear he would rather have them either train and play for the under-21s or sit on the first team bench than risk them with other team’s systems.

There’s plenty of logic to that. Pochettino demands a lot of his players and needs them to know his methods. Keeping all of Tottenham’s burgeoning talent close at hand makes that development easier.

There are natural limits to this approach of course. Whereas stellar talents like Harry Kane find a way to break though, there are some players who won’t find a way through to the first team quite as easily. With Pochettino dependent on a set XI, it’s harder than ever for promising youngsters to make their case.

Perhaps the most classic recent example of this is Alex Pritchard. The Academy graduate enjoyed a supremely impressive 2014/15 season with Brentford, helping the team only just promoted to the Championship compete for an immediate promotion to the Premier League.

Pritchard returned to Tottenham in the summer in line to be Christian Eriksen’s presumptive understudy and, perhaps eventually, successor. An injury sustained with England’s under-21 team meant he was forced under the knife, keeping him out of contention until January of 2016. Dele Alli’s ascent in the meantime meant that Pritchard had no options upon his return to fitness.

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Josh Onomah’s story isn’t exactly the same. The 19-year-old’s never left Tottenham, having only just earned a spot in matchday squads last season.

Still, Pochettino evidently rates Onomah enough to keep him from regular action in the under-21s in favor of having him available from the bench.

While this speaks to Onomah’s chances in the future, for the time being he’s being denied playing time at a crucial age. If Pochettino can’t find him a regular place in his teams week to week — or even a reasonable expectation to get some starts as Harry Winks has thus far this season — then he owes it to Onomah to find him a club that can.

There are risks here too. Pritchard returned from injury only to be immediately sent on loan to West Brom. On the surface this seemed like a perfect opportunity to get meaningful minutes in the Premier League. In truth, Tony Pulis’ style was so at odds with Pochettino’s — and, it turns out, Pritchard’s — that the young Englishman barely got time on the pitch. He returned to Tottenham in the summer only to be sold to Norwich before the end of the transfer window.

Onomah’s potential can’t be wasted in such a manner. He needs playing time, but it needs to be in the right place. Thankfully, Pochettino’s pressing style has inspired its fair share of imitators, and not only in the Premier League.

At 19 and with no professional experience as yet, Onomah might be better suited for an opportunity in the Championship or a lower league.

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Among the more intriguing possibilities might be Huddersfield Town, currently fourth in the Championship. German-American manager David Wagner advocates a hard gegenpressing style with some unique twists not unlike Pochettino’s.

Though there aren’t any hard rumors of such a move, Onomah could make the switch for the latter half of the season as the Terriers hunt promotion. In doing so he would both get playing time and not be too far from Pochettino’s philosophy. It’s a far better fate than enjoying FA Cup starts and five minute stints as a substitute in the Premier League.

That’s just one example. Onomah could equally thrive in environments like Southampton or Everton. The point, ultimately, is to allow Onomah and other young players like him to get invaluable experience on their way to eventually competing for a spot in Tottenham’s starting XI.