Jamie O’Hara has been left mightily impressed by Antonin Kinsky’s impact at Tottenham and the former Spurs midfielder has now handed a big warning to Guglielmo Vicario.
Antonin Kinsky’s big impact at Spurs
One cannot overstate how important it is in Tottenham‘s system to have a goalkeeper who can make good decisions under pressure and does not treat the ball like a hot potato.
Ange Postecoglou‘s men are often reliant on their goalkeeper to help recycle possession and to get involved in the build-up play, which is not one of Fraser Forster‘s strengths.
In Kinsky, Spurs appear to have found a great fit for their system, with the 21-year-old oozing confidence on the ball – perhaps even too much at times.
Jamie O’Hara predicts Antonin Kinsky vs Guglielmo Vicario
It is not just Kinsky‘s confidence with the ball at his feet that has caught O’Hara’s eye, but also the way the youngster dominates the six-yard box and claims crosses.
Vicario has come under criticism for the way he deals with corners and O’Hara believes that the young Czech goalkeeper could take the number one spot off the Italian if he keeps impressing.
The pundit told Grosvenor Sport: “Antonin Kinsky was absolutely fantastic against Liverpool in the Carabao Cup. To put in that kind of performance on your debut, in front of 60,000 people, under immense pressure from a Liverpool side intent on testing him, was brilliant.
“After just five minutes, his composure was clear for all to see. It’s early days, of course, but there are already clear signs that he could be a brilliant signing for Spurs.
“What stood out was how Kinsky’s presence in goal seemed to calm everyone—not just the fans but the outfield players, too. There was a real confidence in him when the ball went back to him, and that made a big difference. He absolutely deserves to keep his place in the side moving forward, especially with Vicario out injured.
“If he keeps performing like that, there’s no reason he can’t seriously challenge Vicario for the number one shirt. One area where Kinsky really impressed me was with his handling of crosses into the box—something Vicario has struggled with. If Kinsky continues to show that kind of performance, he could make the position his own.”
It is too early to judge Kinsky
More than any other position, the goalkeeping role is about consistency. It is not possible to judge a goalkeeper based on one or two performances as several good showings in a row can be undone by one or two poor mistakes.
What separates great goalkeepers from good ones is their ability to be consistent and minimise mistakes over the course of a whole season.
Kinsky is a fantastic talent, but we are yet to see how he reacts when he does eventually make a big error, and the pressure is turned on. We saw a little taste against Arsenal that he could have some mistakes in him because of the risks he takes with the ball at his feet, but that is part of the way Spurs play.