Tottenham Hotspur supervisor Ange Postecoglou had considerations whether or not the Premier League membership would embrace his progressive type of play, however maybe the perfect demonstration of his success is the transformation in goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario.
The departure of Harry Kane to Bayern Munich added to Postecoglou’s intent on radically altering what had gone earlier than and created a way of a membership at a crossroads final summer season. Someplace in the course of this maelstrom was the necessity to determine a brand new membership captain and goalkeeper after Hugo Lloris had said his need to go away following 11 years in north London.
Vicario, 27, has exceeded all expectations to thrive in his debut season in England, a lot in order that he was named Goalkeeper of the 12 months ultimately week’s London Soccer Awards after committing so wholeheartedly to “Angeball” that he believes it may redefine the game.
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“We’ve got to take some dangers taking part in from the again as a result of this is likely one of the conditions we work on day-after-day,” he tells ESPN. “We are able to have lots of options on this. You play with a excessive line so you need to be prepared with some sweeps exterior the field. However I feel this might be the brand new period, the brand new method of soccer. In fact, we observe day-after-day and I actually get pleasure from it.”
Vicario was a shock substitute in a number of methods. Firstly, Spurs had been pursuing Brentford’s David Raya however believed the preliminary £40 million switch price was too excessive for a participant with one yr left on his contract. Arsenal ended up signing Raya on a season-long mortgage for £3m with an choice to signal him completely for an extra £27m.
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Additionally, Vicario had been taking part in top-level soccer for less than a few years after making his Serie A debut in April 2021 for Cagliari earlier than shifting to Empoli three months later the place he performed an extra 31 league video games. Empoli completed 14th in Serie A as Vicario saved solely seven clear sheets, however Postecoglou was sufficiently satisfied to make him his second signing for £17m, after Spurs turned Dejan Kulusevski’s mortgage from Juventus right into a everlasting deal.
Vicario was thought-about calm and clever with the ball at his ft, however Empoli’s defensive type not often allowed him to showcase his passing vary. So what is probably extra shocking is the extent of composure the Italian has proven regardless of solely restricted expertise; he has not made a single error resulting in a purpose this season and solely two errors resulting in a photographs, and has not dropped a single cross.
Maybe most impressively, his “objectives prevented” rating — anticipated objectives from photographs on course measured towards precise objectives conceded — is +6.15, the largest differential within the Premier League. Solely seven goalkeepers have a better determine from that metric in Europe’s high 5 leagues. He has loved some spectacular particular person moments, being nominated for all however one Premier League ‘Save of the Month’ award this season.
“It’s a fully completely different type of soccer from what I needed to do in my previous,” Vicario says. “However I feel it simply turns into about arduous work and attempting to work as a staff as a result of the keeper I do know is the one participant that may catch the ball together with his fingers however you need to work loads with the defence line, with the again 4.”
Lloris was a assist relatively than a hindrance earlier than shifting to LAFC in December 2023. The France captain introduced his intention to go away Spurs final June after making his 447th and closing look for the membership however he did not agree a summer season transfer regardless of curiosity from Lazio, Saudi Arabia and Good, the place he started his profession. Postecoglou allowed Lloris to proceed coaching with the first-team squad despite the fact that he wouldn’t be thought-about for choice within the occasion of something apart from an excessive harm disaster involving Vicario and his No. 2, Fraser Forster. The scenario may have been tense however Vicario insisted it was something however.
“We skilled day-after-day and he was considered one of my teammates so any recommendation, something I may to attempt to take from him, I attempted to do,” Vicario says. “He was very variety with me, attempting to talk with me and assist settle me as quick as I can. He did it and I am very grateful to him.”
However did he really feel any strain in changing such an iconic determine as Lloris? “Stress is a phrase you discover in every single place in soccer,” he replies. “It isn’t about overthinking who was earlier than you. I’ve an enormous respect for what Hugo did and what he did with me additionally once we skilled in these previous few months. He was a large keeper, a large human being in the way in which he behaves with me.
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“So large respect for what he achieved in his profession, he’s a World Cup winner, a captain. So I feel strain is in every single place in soccer so you do not have to overthink and simply focus on what you need to do daily,” Vicario provides.
Vicario has beforehand spoken concerning the affect of Italian goalkeeping legends Gianluigi Buffon and Dino Zoff, each of whom hail from the identical area of Udine the place he was born. However to additional support his adaptation, Vicario studied goalkeepers at present taking part in in England and singled out two people.
“Within the Premier League there are lots of high goalkeepers, I like to look at each goalkeeper in the way in which he behaves, the way in which he saves, his type of goalkeeping,” he says. “[Aston Villa’s] Emi MartÃnez and [Liverpool’s] Alisson are for me the 2 high keepers within the league so if I’ve to say somebody, I say these two guys as a result of they’re doing unbelievable, they play with threat, take dangers taking part in from the again, they’re very courageous to exit and to clear conditions so in fact I look to different keepers.”
Tottenham are in a battle with MartÃnez’s Villa to safe Champions League soccer subsequent season. It’s doable that 5 English groups may qualify relying on difficult calculations regarding UEFA coefficients, which change based mostly on how groups from varied nations carry out in Europe this season. However the working assumption is the normal 4 spots can be found and fourth-placed Villa maintain a five-point lead over Tottenham, who’ve a sport in hand. The groups face one another in a vital conflict at Villa Park on Sunday.
“It will be important for everybody, attempting to go within the Champions League,” says Vicario, who has by no means performed in Europe’s premier competitors. “In fact it’s considered one of our objectives to attempt to obtain. We all know it’s arduous as a result of we have now to face sides each week within the Premier League and it’s robust towards everybody.
“I do not suppose we have now to overthink concerning the finish, simply specializing in attempting to do our greatest sport by sport. Our purpose for the time being is to attempt to win the subsequent sport, for those who work to win the subsequent sport you possibly can possibly suppose on the finish of the season about the place you’re.
“In fact, it is likely one of the greatest competitions on the planet. I watch once I keep residence, it is likely one of the greatest soccer reveals on the planet.”
No matter what occurs, nevertheless, Vicario says he believes the longer term at Spurs is brilliant: “We’re a really younger group, it’s the first season we’re taking part in altogether with the brand new supervisor so we simply have to stay calm and attempt to focus and work arduous day-after-day as a result of I feel we may be one thing particular within the subsequent seasons.”
