Frank says Vicario can improve like Raya as Spence dissent addressed; Johnson future under scrutiny

Tottenham manager Thomas Frank said Guglielmo Vicario remains a fantastic shot-stopper and that he can improve other aspects of his game, just as Frank did with David Raya during his Brentford tenure. Speaking ahead of Tottenham’s upcoming fixtures, Frank emphasised that while Vicario has been strong between the posts, there are development areas that the coaching staff are actively targeting. “He’s a very good goalkeeper, a fantastic shot stopper and he’s saved us a lot this season when we needed him the most,” Frank said. “Then like with any goalkeeper, there are a few development areas that we need to do the best we can to improve. He had a good level in distribution but it’s a level he could work on and get even better. That’s something we’re working on.”

Vicario has faced scrutiny for costly mistakes in recent defeats to Fulham and Nottingham Forest, prompting Frank to draw parallels with the early phases of Raya’s career at Brentford and with Mark Flekken, now at Bayer Leverkusen, who also required time to settle. Frank cited the process he used with Raya, a goalkeeper who later claimed the Premier League’s Golden Glove after moving to Arsenal, and reminded reporters that the path to refinement for a young keeper can include intensified focus on distribution and decision-making in possession. “David Raya at Brentford in the beginning with some crosses or some distribution that led to goals. We worked on it and became better, and then he was sold to a club we can’t name. Then Mark Flekken, when he came to Brentford the first six months also took a little bit of time, but he developed which is natural. Vic has some of the key areas, Fabian and I identified from the beginning, and he worked very hard and showed some excellent things in terms of shot-stopping,” Frank explained.

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The Tottenham boss also touched on a recent incident involving Djed Spence, who was replaced during a home defeat and subsequently discussed with Frank about a show of dissent. Spence’s actions marked a second instance of publicly disrespectful conduct toward his manager, after a previous episode when he and teammate Micky van de Ven refused Frank’s invitation to join him in a lap of appreciation for supporters following that same defeat. Both players later apologised. “Two situations where he’s very aware of the fact it didn’t look the best,” Frank said. “We are dealing with young people. He’s 25 years old, with a big focus and pressure and sometimes you don’t do it in the perfect way and you should learn from it and do it better in the future.”

Frank stressed that such moments are not unusual in a squad featuring rising talents under sustained pressure, and he emphasised that genuine learning can come from missteps when the environment is supportive and corrective. He added that the club’s goal is to channel young players’ energy toward productive, positive displays rather than punitive measures, while maintaining clear boundaries around conduct and respect for staff and teammates. The manager also noted that personnel development goes hand-in-hand with results, and he pointed to a track record of addressing spikier moments, as he did with Raya and Flekken, to illustrate the club’s methodical approach.

Beyond on-pitch management, Frank acknowledged the ongoing transfer chatter surrounding Brennan Johnson, who has been linked with a January move to Crystal Palace. While he refused to comment directly on Johnson’s status, Frank made clear that he understands why players who are not regularly involved can consider their options. “I will not speak about Brennan, but any player that maybe does not play all the time will probably always have a thought about that, but we need more than 11 players. In general, I’m happy with Brennan. He’s training well. He’s a big part when we’re playing a lot of games and we will be playing a lot of games so it’s important to have enough to shoot with.”

The Spurs manager stressed that keeping a balanced squad is essential as Tottenham navigates a congested schedule and the demands of domestic cup competitions alongside the league. He said the club would continue to evaluate its options in January while underlining the importance of consistency from those already in the fold. His comments come as Tottenham seek to turn around a run of mixed results and maintain momentum in the second half of the season.

As Tottenham move forward, the focus remains on refining Vicario’s game while preserving the confidence of a locker room that includes players still adapting to life in north London. The club has indicated that it will continue to invest in development, ensure proper support for young players, and balance the immediate needs of results with long-term growth." }jsession_id=undefined} } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } }