Tottenham Hotspur head coach Thomas Frank lauded goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario following a scoreless draw against Monaco in Champions League play on Wednesday night. Frank acknowledged that his team is still in the process of adapting to the competition's demands.
Spurs, dealing with a number of injuries, were not at their best at Stade Louis II and relied heavily on Vicario, who made several crucial saves, including three to deny Folarin Balogun and a brilliant stop to thwart Thilo Kehrer's close-range header in the second half.
Frank defended Vicario against criticism he received after Sunday's loss to Aston Villa, where his positioning was questioned on Morgan Rogers' goal. Frank stated, "I don't think it's mistakes. I don't think it's any of that. It was two great finishes". He emphasized Vicario's importance in securing a valuable point against Monaco: "I think he was very good today. I think some of the saves were exceptional. He's a big part of why we got a hard-fought point, but at the end of the day, it can be a crucial point".
The 0-0 draw marked Tottenham's first stalemate in 125 matches, since their previous Champions League campaign in the 2022-23 season.
Reflecting on the game, Frank said, "It was a game (with a) relatively even first half and then a second half, where I think Monaco was better than us, where we didn't hit the performance we want". He added, "I think we lacked a bit of intensity overall in the game, especially the second half".
Despite the draw, Tottenham remains undefeated in the Champions League after three games, accumulating five points. Frank acknowledged the challenges of playing away against a strong Monaco team, saying, "We're definitely learning in the Champions League away against a very good Monaco side – I said that before the game and it doesn't surprise me that they hit a good level today".
Frank contrasted the Monaco game with their recent performance against Aston Villa, where he felt the team played with good intensity and gave little away, requiring no saves from Vicario. He admitted that Tottenham needed Vicario "nine times" against Monaco and that they need to defend better in general. However, he reiterated the importance of having a reliable goalkeeper and praised Vicario's performance as "fantastic". "The team definitely wanted to defend the goal and did everything to do that", he added.
The match was a frustrating affair for Tottenham, who struggled to create many chances. Brennan Johnson had a late shot blocked, and Micky van de Ven and Kevin Danso both headed over chances in the first half.
