Manager urges fans to get behind Tottenham loanee amid criticism

Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Josh Onomah needs to the support of the Aston Villa fans if he is to finish the season strongly, according to temporary manager Steve Bruce.

The Spurs youth-team graduate is spending the 2017-18 campaign on loan at the Championship side and has been in and out of the Birmingham-based outfit’s starting XI.

With Jack Grealish on the sidelines through injury currently, there is an impetus on Tottenham’s Onomah to play a role in Villa’s continuing hopes of achieving promotion back to the Premier League this season.

However, inconsistency in the Spurs man’s game has seen a section of the Villans support criticise the attacking midfielder.

Bruce has stated that the Tottenham man needs a positive outlook from the fans and that he is pleased with the loanee’s contributions this season.

“He is still only a young lad. To the supporters I say, get behind him. He has played 26 times for us, which is remarkable for a 20-year-old kid,” the Birmingham Mail quote him as saying.

“He is only a boy, still learning his trade. Let’s not forget some of the really great performances he had for us. I hope they realise we need them to encourage him and get behind him. He needs their support. Let’s not forget it.”

From a Tottenham perspective, it will be interesting to see how the rest of the season pans out for Onomah and what the future holds for the talented youngster.

Highly rated at Spurs by Mauricio Pochettino, the midfielder will hope his experience in the Championship has improved him as a player before he returns to North London in the summer.

However, given the amount of quality in the current Tottenham squad, Onomah has his work cut out to be in Pochettino’s first-team thinking next season.