Time for Tottenham to Find Troy Parrott a New Loan Away From Millwall

While young Tottenham Hotspur player Oliver Skipp has been having a wonderful loan experience at Norwich, even younger Troy Parrott has had a much different experience at Millwall. Given the lack of recent playing time and Millwall’s lack of interest in developing attacking talent, Tottenham Hotspur need to find a new loan for Troy Parrott.

Tottenham and Troy Parrott

Troy Parrott spent last season on the fringes of the first team at Tottenham Hotspur. Parrott made his senior debut in the Carabao Cup playing 66 minutes in a game Spurs eventually lost to Colchester United on penalties. His Premier League debut came a few months later in much different circumstances at the end of a 5-0 drubbing of Burnley for five minutes in December.

However, Parrott only made one more appearance in the Premier League for all of one minute against Wolves. Add on to that playing just over 20 minutes in the FA Cup loss to Norwich and Parrott had limited opportunities despite the slew of injuries at N17. Troy finished the season with just 11 matches for the club in all competitions – including youth – and only had 651 minutes.

A loan to the Championship seemed perfect for Troy and Tottenham

In the summer there were big decisions to be made about both Oliver Skipp and Troy Parrott. Ultimately, José Mourinho, Daniel Levy, and company decided to send them both out on loan. Spurs knew Norwich would compete at the top, which was great for Skipp and that Millwall should be midtable and give Troy a chance.

Things have worked out wonderfully for Skipp who is regularly playing all 90 in the deep midfield for top of table Norwich. Troy Parrott on the other hand has yet to play a full 90 for a struggling MIllwall side. Currently, MIllwall sit just 8 points above relegation and all three teams in the drop zone have a game in hand and two of them have two games.

While having a relatively stout defense, giving up only 25 goals in 26 league games this season, the offense has struggled with only 22 goals in those same 26 matches. Now with the team seemingly on a course for a relegation battle, the little time Troy Parrott had been getting seems to be disappearing.

Parrott has started losing the few minutes he was getting

While Parrott did get an hour in the fifth round FA Cup loss to Bristol City, Troy has been an unused substitute for the last three games in the Championship. With a relegation battle brewing, the little bit of youth development going on at Millwall in the attack is likely gone.

We know Troy Parrott missed the first 12 league matches with an injury, what most Spurs fans likely did not know was during that time those minutes to Connor Mahoney, the next youngest player in the Millwall attack. Mahoney, 23, played in the first 11 matches and hasn’t been in the squad since Parrott returned from injury and is still not playing now.

Given Millwall already seem reluctant to even work to groom too many young players, the odds of Parrott getting more time moving forward seems less and less likely. The fact that the two youngest players cannot even be in the squad together is quite telling. Even more it is quite peculiar given, the experienced players Millwall has are struggling too.

Minus Parrott the average age of the seven attackers with the most minutes at Millwall is 26.9 years old. Further, again absent Parrott, those same seven players have an average experience of 131 games in the Championship. Matt Smith, at 31 is both the oldest and has the most matches at 246, while 28-year-old Jiri Skalak has the least at 72.

By comparison, Troy Parrott is 18-years-old and has all of 11 appearances in the Championship to his name. Despite all that experience that bunch is only averaging 2.4 goals per person and while Parrott has yet to score, clearly no one really is. 28-year-old Jon Dodi Bodavarsson – who Parrott most often has subbed with recently – has 974 minutes in 24 appearances, but only 1 goal and 1 assist.

Only Smith and 26-old-year Jed Wallace have more than three goals for Millwall. Of course Smith has 57 in his 246 Championship matches and Wallace has played 2300+ minutes this season for his six goals. Bottom line, no one, experienced or not is succeeding yet the Lions seem to be hunkering down for more of the same experienced players. If Millwall were regularly playing both Mahoney and Parrott it would be different, but not neither are receiving minutes.

Where Does Tottenham Send Troy Parrott Next?

If Parrott is not going to be facing the prospect of getting some consistent minutes and even a couple 90s, it is time to recall the young man and send him out on a new loan. Maybe another Championship side could be an option.

For example teams like Bristol City, Barnsley, and Middlesbrough are all high enough above the fray to not be in a relegation battle and could use an injection of offense. However, the more realistic option may be a loan to a League One club. Tottenham currently have several players out at League One clubs and Troy could join one of them.

Whatever is to happen, Tottenham need to work to find Troy some consistent minutes somewhere and fast. Because 25 matches for 1443 minutes over two seasons is not enough for the man to develop. A lot is expected of Parrott, however, for him to have any chance he simply needs to play and play regularly for 90 and it does not seem Millwall is that place and January is coming to a swift end.