A large part of Tottenham’s success this season is down to goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario, whose distribution and shot stopping has enabled Postecoglou to play ‘AngeBall’, a brave and high-intensity style of football.
When Spurs signed the relatively unknown Guglielmo Vicario from Empoli for just over 17 million euros, doubts over his ability and experience were cast over him immediately.
Spurs have now reached the midpoint of this Premier League season, and the 27-year-old has a strong case for being Tottenham Hotspur’s best player this season.
Last season, Spurs conceded an astoundingly high 63 goals in the Premier League with Hugo Lloris between the sticks. The time for change in net was undoubtedly needed in the summer, so Spurs began to search for a goalkeeper.
It is no secret that David Raya (Football.London) was at the top of that list, but the labelled price tag of the Spaniard was far beyond what Spurs were willing to pay, so the club decided to approach an unknown gem from Empoli in Serie A. Guglielmo Vicario signed for Spurs and instantly displayed his qualities.
The major revelation of the signing of Vicario is that he offers effortless composure and distribution. The Italian averages 29.4 passes per game with an 80% accuracy. In comparison, Hugo Lloris last season averaged 18.1 passes per game with a 74% accuracy, which is quite the contrast.
It has allowed Ange Postecoglou’s free-flowing unpredictable play style to blossom nicely. Vicario’s daring and risky play with his feet, albeit in a composed nature has had a role in the beginning of plenty of Spurs goals.
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With the aggressive press that many opponents employ in the modern game, the ability to hit teams on the break is greater. This season, it has allowed for plenty of rapid counterattacks which have birthed a host of slick Spurs goals so far this season.
Guglielmo Vicario is a star on and off the pitch
The personality of Vicario has assisted the rest of the squad in terms of inserting the belief of playing exciting football. Despite his lack of experience, he is extremely talented when it comes to commanding and motivating and appears extremely vocal. The impact of having an assuring goalkeeper must not be underestimated.
Postecoglou will be pleased at the lack of mistakes considering the age of the defence and goalkeeper. While errors have not been completely absent, Vicario has managed to claim five clean sheets in the first 20 Premier League games.
The standout performance aside from the result this season was against Chelsea. Although Spurs went on to concede three goals late on in the second half, Guglielmo Vicario single-handedly denied at least three guaranteed goals.
Vicario displayed Manuel Neuer-inspired sweeper-keeper abilities with the ridiculously high line which was insisted by Postecoglou’s nine men while denying almost certain goals from Nicolas Jackson on multiple occasions.
According to SofaScore, Vicario has prevented 4.28 goals so far this campaign, whereas Lloris had prevented -4.62 goals in the entire previous season. While Lloris had been a fantastic captain and servant to the club, the team has upgraded tremendously in the goalkeeper department this summer.
Guglielmo Vicario has revolutionised Tottenham Hotspur and is one of the greatest goalkeepers in the Premier League at this moment in time. The call-up to the Italian national team in the last international break was utterly deserved. If the consistency remains and his price tag rises, he could reach a world-class level. The praise he received from Gianluigi Buffon was worth something.
Tottenham will continue to chase a top-four spot in the Premier League, and their return on investment on their new goalkeeper might be instantly rewarded in May if the results persist and a Champions League spot is secured. Vicario might just be the signing of the season.
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