Tottenham Hotspur are still chasing an automatic Champions League qualification spot, but Guglielmo Vicario admits it will take a massive effort to secure a top-eight finish in Europe’s elite competition.
Tottenham Hotspur have Guglielmo Vicario to thank for the point they earned against AS Monaco in matchday three of the UEFA Champions League.
Spurs were outplayed by the French outfit, who could very well have walked away with all three points had it not been for Vicario’s eight crucial saves in the tie.
That result leaves Tottenham with hope of securing a place in the automatic qualification spot. They are just one point off eighth, but with upcoming fixtures against Paris Saint-Germain and Borussia Dortmund, Thomas Frank’s men will have to dig deep to stay in contention.
Guglielmo Vicario on Tottenham’s Champions League fight
Speaking about Tottenham’s chances of making it through to the automatic qualification spot, Vicario was candid in his assessment.
The Italian admitted it would require an enormous push to achieve such a feat, but he insisted the players are prepared to give everything for it.
“It would be the best option, of course and we will try,” Vicario insisted, as quoted by The Independent. “Eight out of 36 is not even the 25 per cent of teams. So, it is a big effort to do it. We will try, but the important thing is to be there, to stay there and to fight for this Champions League.”
Asked if Spurs had struggled to adapt to Europe’s elite competition after his remarkable display at Stade Louis II, Vicario dismissed that notion and provided a more measured perspective.
“It depends always how you see things. I do not see it this way,” he explained. “In the Champions League we play two away games. It is always tough to get points and we manage to get two, so seeing it from this perspective, it is a good amount of points.
“Of course, we manage to win against Villarreal. I think we played a good game and won 1-0 so it was enough. Now we have five more to play and we will try our best to get the maximum points.”
Vicario reflects on Spurs’ struggles and his own form
Vicario has come under criticism from Spurs supporters in recent weeks, but the Italian goalkeeper quickly became a hero in Monaco. He acknowledged his performance but refused to make any excuses for the team’s display.
Even though Vicario produced his best, with three outstanding saves to deny Folarin Balogun and a superb point-blank stop to thwart a Thilo Kehrer header, he admitted it was still a “bad game” from Tottenham overall.
Cristian Romero’s absence meant Tottenham were without ten players, but Vicario was not interested in excuses before Sunday’s trip to Everton.
“It was my day in terms of saves and helping the team,” Vicario reflected. “We are a group and everyone is aware of what he has to bring onto the pitch. It is not only down to me, down to Cuti, down to Micky (van de Ven). It is the responsibility of everyone and what we train for. Probably, of course is a bad day, a bad game, and we will review it because I think it is a big learning for us.”
After a fine start under Frank, with notable performances against PSG and Manchester City in August, Spurs have struggled for creativity in recent weeks, winning only once in five matches.
Vicario admitted: “There are periods in the season you know and it is not always easy. We play every week three games and the level we want always to be as high as you can, but sometimes we cannot hit the best. We know what could be our level and today it was of course not top. We will work on it, assess it and we go again on Sunday.”