Spurs boss, Ange Postecoglou, has been easing fears over the requirements of Fraser Forster now that Guglielmo Vicario is set for an extended period of absence.
The shocking injury to Guglielmo Vicario during Tottenham’s win against Manchester City has led to scrutiny regarding Tottenham’s other goalkeepers.
Vicario’s passing numbers and commitment to playing out from the back under pressure, show that he is a perfect fit for Ange Postecoglou’s system.
It is difficult to compare the Tottenham goalkeepers statistically due to Vicario’s dominance in playing the majority of available minutes. However, there is a fear that the other keepers do not possess the requisite skillset to fulfil Postecoglou’s demands.
In response to questions regarding Fraser Forster’s ability to be involved in the build-up, Postecoglou said (FootballLondon): “He’s a big guy Fraser. I think there is a misconception around that.
“I do want to play out from the back but don’t need my goalkeepers to be Maldini or Platini. In fact, the simpler they can keep it the better for me. I keep saying to the players, don’t pass it to the goalkeepers, they’ve got the gloves on, they’re the goalkeepers and you’re the player.
“The thing is setting it up so we give really simple solutions to our goalkeepers. It’s not about their technical ability because i you look at the way we play out from the back, and Joe’s a great example of that when he came to Celtic, it’s about them executing really simple passes that they do every day. They’re actually quite good at it, goalkeepers. All goalkeepers. It’s more about mindset.
“It’s more about them not thinking that what they’re doing is risky, because that’s what it comes down to. It’s not a skill. I’m not asking them to pin 50-yarders. In fact, it’s harder when goalkeepers go long. It’s actually a harder skill for them to do. So I’m asking them to do short passes that they’re capable of.
“It’s more, like I said, the mindset of it. Just showing them that there’s no risk here. Don’t worry about the risk. The setup is there for you to execute. And I found that with Joe and other keepers I’ve had in the past where it was, ‘oh, he can’t play out from the back’, and of course he can. He’s a goalkeeper, he can pass the ball, that’s what they do. It’s just about having a structure which allows them to do it in the cleanest possible process. And changing their mindset.
“The only barrier to that is if the goalkeeper doesn’t feel comfortable doing it. Not because they can’t. Joe was brilliant at Celtic, he embraced it all in, and Fraser’s the same.
“It’s not like Burchy is going to start working with him this week. He’s been doing it for 18 months. That’s all we do at training. They get included in some of our passing drills, some of our possession drills. They’re in there, so they’re doing it. So that’s where I sit with that.”
After 18 months of playing under Ange Postecoglou, Fraser Forster likely has a strong understanding of the system to be able to play passes in their build-up shape.
However, with Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven additionally absent, there is going to be a greater incentive to press high against Tottenham to unsettle players who are less comfortable with the ball at their feet.
Postecoglou will not concede on his principles in how Spurs should play, but the squad players will have to reward Postecglou’s faith in them by showing they are capable of operating in his system effectively.
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