Tottenham Hotspur manager Thomas Frank has publicly backed his goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario, labelling him a 'fantastic shot-stopper' while acknowledging specific areas for development in his game.
Frank's Plan for Vicario's Development
Frank revealed that he and goalkeeping coach Fabian Otte are working intensively with the Italian international to enhance aspects of his play, particularly his distribution from the back. The Danish manager pointed to a clear precedent for such improvement, having overseen a similar process with former Brentford keeper David Raya, who has since won the Premier League's Golden Glove award at Arsenal.
'He's a very good goalkeeper, a fantastic shot stopper and he's saved us a lot this season when we needed him the most,' Frank stated about Vicario. 'Then like with any goalkeeper, there are a few development areas that we need to do the best we can to improve.'
Learning from Past Success with Raya and Flekken
Frank directly compared Vicario's current situation to the early stages of David Raya's tenure at Brentford. 'David Raya at Brentford in the beginning [had issues] with some crosses or some distribution that led to goals. We worked on it and became better,' Frank explained, noting Raya's subsequent high-profile transfer.
The Spurs boss also cited the example of Mark Flekken, who now plays for Bayer Leverkusen, who also required an adaptation period after joining Brentford. Frank's message was clear: all goalkeepers face scrutiny and require time to develop certain facets of their game.
Addressing Recent Criticism and Squad Discipline
The manager's comments come after Vicario received criticism for mistakes in recent defeats against Fulham and Nottingham Forest. Frank's public support is a deliberate move to shield his player and focus on constructive development.
Elsewhere in the squad, Frank confirmed he has spoken to defender Djed Spence about a show of dissent after being substituted during the Nottingham Forest match. This was the second such incident involving Spence, following a previous episode where he and Micky van de Ven initially refused to join a post-match lap of appreciation after a home loss to Chelsea.
'Two situations where he's very aware of the fact it didn't look the best,' Frank said of Spence. 'We are dealing with young people. He's 25 years old, with a big focus and pressure and sometimes you don't do it in the perfect way.'
Future of Brennan Johnson
On transfer speculation, Frank addressed rumours linking winger Brennan Johnson with a January move to Crystal Palace. While stating he did not wish to lose the player, the manager showed understanding for any player not featuring regularly who might consider a transfer.
'I will not speak about Brennan specifically,' Frank said, 'but any player that maybe does not play all the time will probably always have a thought about that. In general, I'm happy with Brennan. He's training well.' Frank emphasised the need for a strong squad depth with a busy fixture schedule ahead.
