Micky van de Ven has responded to a surprising and brutal Tottenham decision made by Ange Postecoglou. Spurs began their Europa League campaign on Thursday evening with a 3-0 victory over Qarabag at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium but it was a far from straightforward victory.
After just eight minutes, Radu Dragusin was sent off for denying a goal scoring opportunity with the Romanian as the last man after Juninho dispossessed him. Despite that, the Lilywhites responded brilliantly with Brennan Johnson opening the scoring moments later.
Goals from Pape Matar Sarr and Dominic Solanke in the second half put the game beyond doubt, though the score line did not reflect the play. The visitors missed a penalty, had a goal disallowed for offside and also forced Guglielmo Vicario into a number of saves.
While the Italy international has faced criticism, his shot-stopping cannot be faulted with that fact evidenced by a wonder save to deny Elvin Cafarguliyev. However, that was likely not the highlight of his night with the 27-year-old taking on the captain's armband following Son Heung-min's withdrawal due to a possible injury.
On Instagram, he wrote: "A day that I will not forget. The first one as captain, leading this great club, at home, in a European cup and more importantly getting the 3 points. Proud. This one is for those fans that are always by our side no matter what. [White heart emoji] @SpursOfficial."
Former Spurs man Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, Dominic Solanke, Richarlison and Micky van de Ven were all in the replies to congratulate Vicario. The latter wrote: "Bravo Lungo." In his pre-Manchester United press conference, Postecoglou was asked about the decision to have Vicario as his skipper for the final quarter.
"Yeah he was but he has been great since the day he arrived mate," he said when asked about the goalkeeper's display. "Criticism is just part of the nature of football these days. We have had a few under the spotlight. I included him in the leadership (group) this year, I have just seen his growth. He is one of those guys who is really positive.
"He comes in everyday wanting to work, he comes in on his days off wanting to work. He is a great example for everyone and a great human being as well. I thought he could add something to our leadership group. It’s great for him to get the armband last night and I thought he rose to the occasion. .
Though Postecoglou admits Vicario is now considered part of the leadership group, alongside Son, James Maddison and Cristian Romero, it was perhaps a surprise to not see Ben Davies made captain. The 31-year-old has been at the club for a decade and has been a great servant in that time, though his spell in North London may end soon.
This seemingly ruthless decision by Postecoglou is a sign that there is a time and a place for sentiments and that is not during games of high importance.
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