Tottenham analysis: Josh Onomah needs to play better at Aston Villa
Josh Onomah must improve to make it at Tottenham
Tottenham fans have gotten excited after watching highlights of Josh Onomah scoring out on loan at Aston Villa. Unfortunately, the rest of his performance for the Villains hasn’t been nearly as encouraging. If the English midfielder wants to cut it at Spurs, he’ll need to play better as his loan progresses.
For what it’s worth, Onomah believe his time in the Championship has been hugely beneficial. He credits his loan for massively improving his play for the England U21 side.
The Spurs midfielder did score an amazing volley to give his national side the lead in their 3-1 victory over Scotland this week.
Unfortunately, the statistics don’t tell such a glowing tale. Onomah has been a decent enough player for Aston Villa, but he hasn’t really stood out. He’s going to need to become one of the Championship club’s better players this season if he really wants to return to Tottenham and make an impact.
On the plus side, Onomah has found the back of the net twice in just five starts. That sort of goal scoring ratio will certainly catch Pochettino’s eye. The trouble is that the rest of his game hasn’t been up to par. He’s only managed a Whoscored.com player rating average of 6.56 over his ten loan appearances. For the purposes of comparison, that is the 15th highest rating for the Championship squad this season.
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It’s hard not to contrast Onomah’s average Championship play with Harry Winks’ Premier League strides over the past several weeks. Even more poignant is the fact that Winks is likely starting for England’s senior squad today. Onomah is not in the frame for that sort of honour despite only being one year younger than his Tottenham teammate.
For all his success, Winks is still only a bench player for Pochettino. That fact illustrates just how hard it’s going to be for Onomah to return to North London and find meaningful playing time. If Onomah can’t stand out in the Championship, how can he be expected to make a real impact at Tottenham next season?
The truth is that’s not a reasonable expectation based on how Onomah is playing now. Spurs have to hope that he finds his footing at Villa and really kicks on as the season progresses. That certainly isn’t out of the question. In particular, his offensive contributions have been encouraging for the Villains. If he can round out his game by contributing in other manners, his performance level will inevitably rise.
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Josh Onomah still may have a future at Tottenham, but it’s not as bright as it seemed just a few seasons ago. He’ll need to take his loan play from adequate to exceptional if he wants to force his way into Mauricio Pochettino’s squad next season.