Spurs loan watch: First significant minutes for Tottenham loanee

Dane Scarlett got his first start for Oxford United, having joined on loan from Tottenham earlier this month. 

Oxford were away to Coventry City, in the second round of the Carabao Cup. The game was a rematch of the second league game of the season, where Oxford conceded a crushing injury-time goal, not long after Scarlett had been introduced to the action.

This time, as touched on above - Scarlett was given a chance from the off. Coventry turned out victors against Oxford for a second time, this time in much less dramatic fashion, with the only goal of the game coming with 57 minutes on the clock.

Despite the result, it was encouraging to see Scarlett get a start. It’s early days, but he had only played eight minutes in the first loss at Coventry and was an unused sub in their defeat away to Blackburn Rovers at the weekend. 

First significant minutes for Dane Scarlett

Scarlett had one shot, 2/4 dribbles, won 3 ground duels, drew one foul, and made a clearance and interception in 83 minutes on the pitch. An unremarkable game, but solid enough considering it was his first start, and the minutes in the legs will have done him plenty of good. 

Oxford and Scarlett host Preston North End on Saturday, in their final game before the September international break. On the return of club football after that break, Scarlett’s Oxford will play Ashley Phillips’ Stoke City. Kick-off for the Preston game is 15:00 BST, 10:00 ET.

Ideally, Scarlett will be called up to one of the England age groups and get some further minutes under his belt, to try and help him get up to speed intensity-wise and make himself available to play consistent minutes under Des Buckingham at Oxford.

It’s a shame there are no more Carabao Cup games that can be used as an opportunity to fast track Scarlett’s match sharpness, but it does mean that Oxford can now have full focus on the task at hand: survival.