Micah Richards says one Tottenham star is not aggressive enough on the pitch

Tottenham Hotspur continue to struggle with defensive set-pieces, and Micah Richards has laid the blame at the door of Guglielmo Vicario, saying the Spurs keeper needs to inject some aggression into his game in order to improve in this area.

Guglielmo Vicario has certainly had a positive impact on the fortunes of Tottenham this season, and were it not for the new number-one keeper in North London, it’s likely the Lilywhites would be far worse off when it comes to the results they’ve achieved.

However, a growing trend throughout the season has seen Ange Postecoglou‘s side leak plenty of goals from set-pieces, leading some to criticise Vicario’s command of his area in these situations.

We saw it again at the weekend, with Arsenal scoring from a corner in the North London derby on Sunday afternoon.

Does Vicario need to be more aggressive?

So, just how much is poor defending and Vicario’s apparent weakness costing Spurs? According to Micah Richards, it’s a real problem that has to be fixed immediately if Tottenham and Vicario are to fulfil their potential.

Richards told The Rest is Football: “Vicario has been outstanding [this season], but he needs to be aggressive. If someone is standing in front of you, push him out of the way, I don’t understand why he is so nice.

“Like the old-school goalkeepers back in the day, Peter Schmeichel comes to mind, even David James with his frame and his size, if someone is in your space, move him out of the way. If [your opponent] can’t see the ball, he can’t get a head on it.”

Spurs Web Opinion

It’s definitely an issue, but it’s one the whole team needs to take responsibility for. I don’t understand why the players aren’t protecting Vicario more and stepping up to move any opponent out of his way, for a start.

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