So Hugo Lloris is expected to return to the first team at the end of the month, ahead of the trip to Huddersfield, and I for one can not wait for his return.
The main reason being that Hugo is our captain. A world-class, world cup-winning goalkeeper. Any team in the world would be weaker without such a player at their disposal. I say this is the main reason though, because there is another reason I can’t wait to see him back between the sticks. I am becoming sick to death of the constant call on social media for Gazzaniga to start ahead of Vorm.
He is usually and affectionately just referred to as ‘Gazza’, and there is a small part of me that wonders if he was called Paulo Mersoniga, whether as many of our fans would be so eager to see him replace Vorm in the pecking order.
Paulo Gazzaniga was keen to come to Spurs and work with our gaffer when he joined us last summer. He hails from Murphy, the same town as Pochettino, which must have been a big factor in the signing and he could potentially be our number one day. He is even quoted as saying “I will take it step by step in trying to become number one for Spurs”.
Paulo played for Rayo Vallecano in Spain’s second division, on-loan from Southampton in the 2016-17 season. A Southampton team incidentally where he was FOURTH choice ‘keeper. He was meant to be second choice keeper at second division Rayo, but due to an injury to their first choice ‘keeper he played most of the season. That season he made A LOT of mistakes, most of them very costly. BUT he improved as the season went on. He has been described in the Spanish press as a “work in progress”.
Which brings me to Vorm, our current second choice ‘keeper, who has been getting a lot of stick from the two games he has played in Lloris’ absence. In the Watford game there really wasn’t much he could do with the two bullet header goals we conceded. Against Liverpool, he could have done better with both goals conceded, but he also pulled off a number of saves. Liverpool could, and should have won 6 or 7-1.
Vorm also has Premier League pedigree, something Gazzaniga hasn’t. In the three seasons he spent at Swansea he won player and supporter player of the year in his first season, keeping 13 clean sheets in 37 appearances after pulling off numerous penalty and world-class saves. Remember this was a Swansea team in 2011 that had just been promoted to the Premier League.
At this moment in time, regardless of opinion, it is simply a fact that Vorm is a better goalkeeper than Gazzaniga. There really shouldn’t even be a debate as to whether ‘Gazza’ should be starting against Inter Milan on Tuesday night.
I hope that Gazzaniga improves under Pochettino’s coaching, and after seeing how Poch has massively improved a lot of our younger players, I’m sure he will. Maybe in a few years time he will be our number one, but right now, in September 2018, Paulo Gazzaniga is our third choice goalkeeper because he is the third best goalkeeper that we have. Debate over.
– Admin MC
