Richard Keys fires ‘calm down’ warning at Tottenham ace Guglielmo Vicario despite 100% stat in Villa defeat
Richard Keys has suggested that Tottenham shot-stopper Guglielmo Vicario needs to “calm down” after his antics during Spurs’ 2-1 home defeat against Aston Villa on Sunday (26 November).
Ange Postecoglou’s side fell to a third consecutive Premier League defeat against Unai Emery’s high-flying Villans at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
The Aussie is clearly struggling to cope with the injuries and suspensions piling up all around him in north London, as Rodrigo Bentancur became the latest addition to a long list of absentees after he was forced off against Villa, just one month after the 27-year-old had returned from a long-term injury.
Once again Spurs surrendered a lead and left empty-handed as Pau Torres and Ollie Watkins cancelled out Giovani Lo Celso’s 22nd-minute opener.
What will have frustrated supporters and Postecoglou most was the timing of Torres’ equaliser, with the Spanish central defender heading in past Vicario from a free-kick on the stroke of half-time.
It completely changed the mood of the game and according to Keys, who currently works as a presenter on beINSPORTS, Vicario’s erratic approach did not help his side.
Writing via his personal blog (27 November), Keys suggested that the Tottenham goalkeeper did not show enough composure in a crucial moment of the match.
“What was the keeper doing bouncing around in his area trying to get them on the front foot deep in first-half stoppage time?
“Calm down man. Keep the ball. Get in one-up. Manage the game. Do all of the things you didn’t do v Chelsea.”
Keys is not wrong. Vicario does take a very erratic approach to the game and certainly showcases a lot of energy within his penalty area, and sometimes even outside it.
What Keys is wrong about is the suggestion that this erratic nature has anything to do with Spurs’ slump in recent weeks. If anything, Vicario has been keeping the club in games with his recent performances, and his erratic nature has been a big part of him doing that.
Since his arrival in the Premier League, the Italy international has been one of the best goalkeepers in the division, especially when it comes to charging out of the penalty area and dealing with danger, actions which are often referred to in the modern game as ‘sweeping’.
As per fbref, the 27-year-old is in the top two per cent of his positional peers in England’s top flight this season when it comes to the number of defensive actions he has made outside of the penalty area (3.00 per 90).
While he wasn’t at his best against Villa, making one error that led to a shot and preventing -0.51 goals (Sofascore), the Italian was still effective in sweeping up behind his defence.
He made two run-outs, with both of those being successful, while he won his one ground duel and his one aerial duel. This key feature of Vicario’s game was also on display in the defeat against Chelsea.
Throughout that game he was once again successful with all 100 per cent of his run-outs, making six on that occasion, as he prevented the scoreline from getting any worse than 4-1 and kept his team, who were reduced to nine men, in the contest for as long as he possibly could.
If Vicario was to “calm down” as Keys has suggested, you could end up taking that element of the goalkeeper’s game away, which would be to both his and Spurs’ detriment as it is something he is clearly so good at.
In other Tottenham news, an injury expert has ruled that one player could be ruled out of first-team training until mid-December.