Tottenham Hotspur have pulled themselves out of the bottom three of the Premier League relegation fight with their win over Aston Villa last weekend, and while Spurs have mostly been believing in the veterans of the squad, like rebounding center midfielders Conor Gallagher and Rodrigo Bentancur, under new manager Roberto De Zerbi, the Italian coach has breathed new life into goalkeeper Antonin Kinsky.
With Gulgielmo Vicario still recovering from a hernia surgery that has taken longer than expected to be fully fit from, Kinsky has blossomed, and the unfortunate night he faced in the Spanish capital against Atletico Madrid is but a fleeting memory.
Antonin Kinsky is the No. 1 guy
Former Tottenham goalkeeper Paul Robinson was once the England No. 1 and a famous player in the Premier League, so when he gives a ringing endorsement of a young goalkeeper, people have to take it seriously. And Robinson is full of praise for Kinsky, even surmising that the Czech shot stopper has what it takes to become a top class goalkeeper in the future.
Robinson said of Kinsky, as relayed by Chris Cowlin, “The mental strength that he's shown has been incredible. I was in the stadium in Madrid that night and I've never seen anything like it, one of the biggest blows you could ever have as a goalkeeper is to be substituted. To come back from that in the way that he has, at such a young age… to have that challenge so early on in his career, it's difficult for you as a goalkeeper, you're always on an upward trajectory and things have been going well - back home in Czechia, his club career, his domestic career, his international career, it's always been on an upward curve. Then you get a hit like that. It’s coming, but you just don't know when it's coming. To have it so early on and the way that he's dealt with it has been superb. I've always been an admirer of his goalkeeping because I think he's got a lot of quality. I think he's technically an all-round, very good goalkeeper and he's going to develop into a top-class goalkeeper. It’s amazing what confidence can do for you and the mindset of a player when he steps onto the pitch is huge. Roberto De Zerbi can take a lot of credit for the way that he's handled the situation. He's had to because of Vicario's injury, but Antonin Kinsky deserves so much credit for the mentality and the mental strength that he's shown.”
Antonin Kinsky has been levels above Guglielmo Vicario, whose days with Tottenham are definitely numbered. And with this praise for Kinsky, whose on the ball ability and avoidance of mistakes have been clearly superior to the previous Tottenham No. 1, Paul Robinson is effectively sealing the decision for Spurs this summer. Kinsky is the guy to move forward with in goal, while it is time for Vicario to step aside.
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