Arriving in January, having been in pre-season mode, Victor Torp has made a positive early impression at Coventry City at a time where he is looking to build fitness levels and with Mark Robins still figuring out the best way to use him in the current set-up. The Danish midfielder would probably be a regular starter already, had it not been for an injury picked up in February that saw him out for a few weeks, with an excellent debut goal in the FA Cup, along with some important contributions to goals in the league providing a tantalising glimpse of what Torp might be capable of. That injury aside, there have been other teething issues with Torp, even if the overall feeling is that he is clearly someone who can star for the club over time.
A midfielder with excellent close control that provides him the ability to take the ball in tight areas and glide away from opponents, along with impressive passing and ball-striking talents, Victor Torp has the ability to provide the drive and guile in central midfield that the team has missed since the departure of Gustavo Hamer. Where Torp has struggled in his first few games has been when he’s been put under pressure close to his own goal, where his tendency to take extra touches to draw opponents towards him has seen him caught out on a couple of occasions. Moreover, it is apparent that Torp is quite simply someone who it is optimal to keep as close to the opposing penalty area as possible as he has the ability to unlock defences or score from distance. The reason why Torp isn’t currently a nailed-on starter is that Mark Robins wants his central midfield two to able to split defensive and attacking responsibilities equally and the Dane’s skill-set isn’t quite suited to the former side of those duties.
As was probably expected upon his arrival in January, it is probably going to be next season when Victor Torp can really get going in a Coventry City shirt. Pre-season will allow Torp to be able to match his team-mates’ fitness levels, provide him time to improve his skill-set in his own half of the pitch, along with allowing Mark Robins to tailor his tactics in order to accommodate Torp. Of course, there is still time for Torp to make some decisive contributions to the current season but either he is going to have to demonstrate elements to his game that he is yet to or the set-up will have to be tweaked slightly for him to make an impact.
Sideways Sammy 