Goalkeeper's errors lead to two goals in loss to Nottingham Forest, sparking fan backlash

[OSEN=Ko Sung-hwan Reporter] Can Guillermo Vicario (29), the 'Tottenham Hotspur vice-captain,' regain fans' trust? He has once again been singled out as the culprit.

The UK's 'Football Insider' reported on the 15th (KST), "Tottenham fans were enraged at goalkeeper Vicario for his 'terrible' mistake in the Nottingham Forest match. He has been embroiled in transfer rumors in recent weeks and has maintained a complex relationship with fans."

Tottenham suffered a 0-3 defeat to Nottingham Forest in the 16th round of the 2025-2026 Premier League (PL) season, held at the City Ground in Nottingham on the 14th. With this loss, Tottenham dropped to 11th place with 6 wins, 4 draws, 6 losses, and 22 points.

Tottenham had previously defeated Brentford 2-0 on the 7th and crushed Slavia Prague 3-0 in a match where club legend Son Heung-min visited the home stadium on the 10th, securing two consecutive official wins. However, they collapsed immediately after Son Heung-min's departure, squandering the momentum they had built.

Additionally, Tottenham extended their losing streak against Nottingham Forest to three games. Since their 3-1 victory at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in April of last year, they have failed to secure a single win. That match was Son Heung-min's final appearance against Nottingham Forest, where he provided an assist to help his team to victory.

The game was essentially self-destructive. In the 28th minute of the first half, Tottenham committed a bizarre mistake during a build-up from the back, conceding the opening goal. Archie Gray advanced near the box to receive the ball, and Vicario passed it to him. However, Gray failed to return the ball with a one-touch pass and was careless in his handling, leading to a turnover. This directly resulted in a goal by Colum Hudson-Odoi.

The situation did not improve in the second half. In the 5th minute, Hudson-Odoi scored his second goal. From a somewhat distant position, he took a bold right-footed curling shot aimed at the corner of the goal. Though it resembled a cross, the ball flew straight past Vicario and into the net.

Cornered, Tottenham attempted a change by substituting Lucas Berival, Ben Davies, and João Palhinha simultaneously in the 15th minute of the second half. However, Nottingham Forest added a third goal. In the 34th minute, Ibrahim Sangaré received a pass from Hudson-Odoi and scored with a powerful mid-range shot.

Tottenham failed to break the deadlock against Nottingham Forest. Instead, Nottingham Forest continued their relentless attacks, aiming for a fourth goal. In the 38th minute, Hudson-Odoi attempted a hat-trick but failed to convert. The match concluded with Tottenham's 0-3 defeat.

As a result, Vicario once again could not escape jeers. While he possesses excellent saving abilities, his unstable footwork and poor decision-making have repeatedly led to critical errors. In last month's Fulham match, a clearing mistake by Vicario resulted in a goal, prompting fans to jeer every time he touched the ball.

Due to this, manager Thomas Frank criticized, "I was unhappy with fans jeering Vicario. He only touched the ball a few times. Those who did that cannot be considered true Tottenham fans." He added, "Jeering is acceptable after the match, but it is unacceptable during the game."

However, Vicario has once again made a blunder. The second goal, in particular, was a shot he could have saved with better focus, intensifying criticism.

Frank also stated after the match, "It felt like we gave the ball back to the opponent every time we had it. Both the first and second goals stemmed from mistakes." He added, "Today's performance was truly frustrating. We couldn't even complete simple passes. We lost the ball at least 20 times with basic passes."

Football Insider reported, "Tottenham fans were outraged after Vicario's 'brain dead' moment. Many fans knew what would happen when he received the ball under pressure inside the box. Vicario sent a short pass to Gray despite Sangaré closing in behind him."

According to the media, Tottenham fans criticized Vicario with chants like "Leave this club quickly," "Send him out," and "Enough already!" Football Insider noted, "Frank can send a strong message by dropping Vicario from the starting lineup. He has yet to make a deep impression at Tottenham. A major decision is needed, and replacing Vicario with Antonin Kinský could be the first step."

'Tottenham News' also reported, "Vicario staged a horror show at the City Ground. He caused significant controversy with mistakes in the losing Fulham match, leading to arguments between Frank and Pedro Porro with fans." At the time, Porro did not clap in response to fans after the match and urged his teammates to leave the stadium immediately.

The media gave Vicario a rating of 2 out of 10, criticizing, "Vicario shares responsibility with Gray for the first goal. At least Gray had his back turned, but Vicario should have noticed Sangaré. The second goal was also Vicario's fault for misjudging the ball's trajectory."

/finekosh@osen.co.kr

Vicario's Mistakes Cost Tottenham 0-3