Tottenham Hotspur fans called out for their treatment of Guglielmo Vicario
Tottenham Hotspur have a roster that finally looks capable of going far in all competitions. It is not just the squad, though; it is a blend of this squad with the structure-first system that the North Londoners have adapted at N17 under Thomas Frank.
While it is not a finished team, there are a lot of positive signs.
But that is where psychological know-how comes into play, and Tottenham supporters are as much to blame. There, Lilywhites supporters have a knack for making scapegoats along the years. And they are doing the same these days with Guglielmo Vicario.
The Spurs #1 was linked with a move away from Hotspur Way along the recently concluded summer window. And that’s so despite being one of the main reasons why Tottenham lifted that European cup last season.
The Lilywhites faithful have been quite disappointed over the lacklustre performances from Vicario. Many hoped that a departure would materialise, with a few demanding Kinsky be given his chance after some exciting performances last season.
Wenham lashes into Tottenham fans
Podcast host John Wenham, who owns the reputed Spurs podcast Lilywhites Rose, also spoke about how Vicario is the latest of the scapegoats for the Lilywhites faithful. Speaking in an exclusive interview with Tottenham News, he said:
“If you’re a goalkeeper and if you make a mistake, the spotlight is obviously on you more than in any position across the pitch, because it normally leads to a goal.
“But people just erase from their minds that Kinsky was given a little run towards the end of last season against Aston Villa in the FA Cup, and with 30 seconds on the clock, he just threw the ball into the goal.
“Vicario has never, ever made a mistake of that level. So, the moaning about him immediately it’s just strange, and it’s just people moving on to their next target.”
And these aforementioned comments from Wenham show this deeper issue within the modern fan culture at N17. There is this almost cyclical need to find a “new scapegoat”. And it has been the case over the past few seasons. Hugo Lloris was taken under the hammer for his decline before his eventual exit. Then Eric Dier and Davinson Sanchez were routinely looked down upon. And then Richarlison and Emerson Royal faced a lot of ridicule when not in form.
By the looks of it, Vicario appears to be next in line.
TTLB Opinion
Every fan group has a set of people who express their frustrations, but with Tottenham we have seen this recent tendency to lay blame specifically on high-functioning players for small mistakes, which seems self-defeating. Vicario isn’t a problem. He has been a vital part of the current project. And we have seen how highly the Lilywhites depend on him time and again.
The sooner the Lilywhites faithful stop searching for scapegoats and recognise the value of stability, the better it is for the current project at N17 in the long term.
