Sideways Sammy

It has never been a question of ability with Victor Torp but in being able to harness it in the hustle and bustle of Championship football. This season has been a great leap forward from the Dane, going from someone capable of great moments to a more consistent threat and presence on the pitch. An excellent spell of form at the start of the season – marked by a freakish spate of long-range goals – has shown what the best version of Victor Torp is capable of. Nonetheless, there remains a sense that Torp could be doing more.

Victor Torp’s strongest talent is his unerring ability to strike a ball. That is most apparent in his long-range shooting and accuracy with dead balls but also in his ability to pull off the difficult passes few other in the team are incapable of. His key area of improvement over the past year has been in increasing his physical capacity to cover ground off-the-ball and compete in challenges, which has been crucial in playing the demanding role of covering the area of the pitch between the deep-lying Matt Grimes and the attack. However, there is still a sense that Torp can go missing at times, either the result of him still lacking a physical presence to his game or the role being asked of him simply being too demanding.

While there has been a tail-off in the goalscoring from Victor Torp in recent months, that was because what he produced at the start of the season was completely aberrant by almost any statistical measure. Instead, Torp’s ability to pick telling passes and his set-piece deliveries are what he should be judged on and he is continuing to produce the goods. There is still room for improvement in what he produces off-the-ball, especially if the Coventry City were to get over the line this season and made a step up to a higher level.