View: Ange has big worry over rarely-seen 58.9% Tottenham man v Fulham despite 'Excellent' verdict

Ange Postecoglou has more to think about this weekend as Fraser Forster prepares to again stand by for Tottenham against Fulham.

Following Guglielmo Vicario’s operation in the week, experienced understudy Forster will now take to the field for Postecoglou’s side for a sustained period.

The 36-year-old featured in Thursday night’s 2-2 draw with Roma, conceding late on in the Europa League clash, and Chris Sutton has been among those to doubt the enforced change over concerns about his ability with the ball at his feet.

“The big worry for Spurs is that Guglielmo Vicario got injured in that game,” Sutton told BBC Sport [28 November].

“Fraser Forster is an excellent goalkeeper who has had a great career but he is not renowned for being brilliant with his feet.”

Tottenham goalkeeper change shows transformation of role

When broken down statistically, the way Vicario and Forster have operated throughout their respective careers shows how the role of a goalkeeper has changed.

Postecoglou’s style of play incorporates the ‘keeper as the first phase of the attack, made immediately obvious by 28-year-old Vicario’s 75.4% pass accuracy compared to Forster’s 58.9% during their careers [FBRef].

Vicario’s more technical upbringing in Italy contrasts Forster’s career of prioritising stopping shots and claiming crosses, in turn meaning the Italian is more comfortable when forced out of his penalty area, too. The younger of the two has made 198 sweeping actions outside his box as a professional; Forster, in eight more years, has made just 68.

The preference down the years for long passes by Forster and his coaches, particularly when playing for Celtic and Southampton, shows he has ‘launched’ 71.8% of his career goal kicks, as opposed to Vicario’s 50.6% with short passes far prioritised in the current era.

Where Postecoglou has been smart has been keeping Forster fresh in the Europa League – he would likely have started against Roma even had Vicario been fit. In the competition this season he has averaged a 72% save rate of shots faced; Vicario in the Premier League has saved 90% [Sofascore].

Vicario clearly excels in the art of ‘contemporary’ goalkeeping, even if not always easy on the eye. He is effective despite his smaller stature than Forster, though the veteran stopper will have no issue coming into the pressure environment.

Forster’s head coach has offered him the public show of confidence, and the advantage of being second-choice at a top-six outfit is you never know when you will be keeping goal for one of the elite-pushing clubs. It’s time for him to take the baton once again.

In other Tottenham news, why Spurs have been named as the “ideal club” for Leon Goretzka.

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