LONDON, ENGLAND - DECEMBER 22: A Tottenham Hotspur corner flag is seen inside the stadium prior to the Premier League match between Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea FC at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on December 22, 2019 in London, United Kingdom. (Photo by Tottenham Hotspur FC/Tottenham Hotspur FC via Getty Images)
James Maddison not impressed with £17m Tottenham teammate’s passing against Man United
James Maddison made his feelings clear to Tottenham Hotspur teammate Guglielmo Vicario that his passing needed to improve on Saturday.
The Tottenham Way host Martin Buckland has shared what he spotted on Saturday during an important 2-0 win for Spurs.
Spurs fans at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Saturday were treated to a real spectacle in North London.
After months of waiting, they finally got to see their team in action under Ange Postecoglou.
The Australian coach’s reputation for playing exciting, attacking football was on full show last weekend.
He selected Pedro Porro and Destiny Udogie at full-back with both players drifting into midfield to support attacks.
Although there are concerns about this approach, it worked especially well in the second half against Man United.
New goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario is expected to be key to the passing patterns Postecoglou is implementing and James Maddison was quick to remind him of his
The £17m goalkeeper was arguably playing in the biggest game of his career on Saturday and will be delighted to have kept a clean sheet.
Maddison berates Vicario for passing against Man United
Sharing what he spotted from the stands on Saturday, Buckland said: “I want to touch on James Maddison who I thought was fantastic.
“And goodness me we have been crying out for a creative genius of his ilk for such a long time.
“I also like the way that he was prepared to criticise his teammates when necessary.
“He gave [Guglielmo] Vicario a real blasting at one point midway through the second half.
“I think he wasn’t happy with the way he was distributing the ball from the back.
“He then went up to him and gave him a high-five so it was a positive bit of criticism which is great, he’s showing his leadership skills and just the way he turned and moved and was constantly available for the ball.
“It was like watching [Glenn] Hoddle back in his prime
Maddison’s approach when speaking to Vicario about his passing showcases why he’s already part of Tottenham’s leadership group.
It’s already been suggested he could be the signing of the season, with his influence in the squad as important as his obvious talent.
Vicario is going to need support from his more experienced teammates throughout this campaign given his relative lack of experience in top-flight football.
After two competitive appearances, Vicario has looked solid but will know he has big gloves to fill in replacing Hugo Lloris.
