Thomas Frank warned he should have benched Tottenham’s ‘bang average’ star weeks earlier
Danny Murphy believes Tottenham boss Thomas Frank should take Guglielmo Vicario out of the starting lineup.
The talkSPORT co-host and former Spurs midfielder argued that the Italian goalkeeper no longer deserves to keep his place. Although Vicario has started every Premier League and Champions League match this season, he has managed only seven clean sheets in 20 games and has conceded 27 goals.
He was even booed by sections of the home support after his error in the defeat to Fulham at the weekend. Despite retaining his spot for the midweek fixture at Craven Cottage, Murphy feels Frank has waited too long to act.
Speaking on White & Jordan, he said: “Almost every player goes through a period where they get criticism—resilience is part of the job. But with Vicario, this isn’t about one off-day. He’s struggled all season. He’s been poor, and the manager needs to take responsibility.
“He should have been taken out of the firing line weeks ago. He doesn’t command his area, he looks jittery with the ball at his feet, and it’s no surprise the fans are anxious. Yes, he’s a decent shot-stopper, but that’s the minimum requirement. He should have been rested six weeks back because his form has been bang average.”
Murphy added that Vicario should accept some blame himself, especially after criticising fans, which he said has only made his situation worse.
Tottenham’s players reportedly held a crisis meeting after the Fulham loss, which extended their run of six home league games without a victory. Frank’s side haven’t won in front of their supporters since the opening weekend, though they did salvage a point at Newcastle on Tuesday thanks to Cristian Romero’s stoppage-time strike.
The draw leaves Spurs 11th in the table ahead of Brentford’s visit on Saturday.
Vicario, who arrived from Empoli in 2023, still has two-and-a-half years left on his contract. Should Frank decide to bench the 29-year-old, back-up keeper Antonin Kinsky is expected to step in. The Czech goalkeeper has featured only in two Carabao Cup ties so far but impressed with a clean sheet on his debut against Liverpool.
