Not many players have had a bigger impact or put in better performances than Guglielmo Vicario at Tottenham Hotspur this season.
Unless, from Tim Sherwood’s perspective, you are Aston Villa’s number one, Emiliano Martinez.
Nonetheless, when the Italy international joined Tottenham in the summer, he was tasked with replacing a long-serving and reliable goalkeeper in Hugo Lloris, who had gone off the boil for 12 months and needed binning.
That put pressure on Guglielmo Vicario, but he has met those expectations with both hands.
When Tim Sherwood was debating the Premier League’s Team of the Season at the halfway stage, he refused to put Guglielmo Vicario’s name forward.
Instead, he selected Aston Villa’s Emiliano Martinez because he has a ‘real presence’, he is a ‘real leader’ and he is someone who takes the responsibility out on the pitch, as he told Soccer Special on Sky Sports (26/12/23 at 2:30 pm).
The Villa shot-stopper has been outstanding for Unai Emery’s side this term, as they sit third in the Premier League table, three points ahead of fourth-placed Tottenham ahead of their clash against Brighton.
Either way, when discussing the Premier League’s Team of the Season at the halfway stage, this is what Tim Sherwood had to say.
Guglielmo Vicario and Emiliano Martinez
“As a manager, if you are sitting there on the touchline,” said Sherwood. “I think Vicario has been great, I really do.
“But I just think Martinez, with the experience. World Cup win. He is just a real presence. A real leader. I just think he’s a player who takes responsibility. If you tell him to play out and he believes it’s not right to do so. He’s not doing it because the manager says it.
“He is taking decisions on his own on the pitch, which is really refreshing for me. I really like that. I think he kicks it when it needs to be kicked. He gives his defence a real talking to. And, for me, he just leads by example. I think he is top draw.”
Tottenham and Aston Villa have goalkeepers for the long-term
Take your pick as to who is better, but one thing is for sure, both are masters of their craft.
Vicario during the early stages of his Spurs career is showcasing that, as the £17 million star continues to pull off game-winning save after game-winning save.
Then there is the World Cup winner and marmite-like figure, Martinez. A key reason why Villa returned to Europe and are now pushing near the top of the table.
Yes, his character can rile up more than a few. But, at the end of the day, he is someone you would want in your XI every day of the week.
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